Toubkal

Description of this Peak and hike to go to the summit

Toubkal is an accessible peak that you can hike up without deep mountaineering experience or gear in the end of summer. That’s why we have included it in this list. We haven’t hiked this mountain ourselves but hiked in its vicinity and spoke with many hikers - who claimed that it was technically easy, but devastatingly exhausting. This being said, make sure to go at the end of summer or beginning of fall which has the most consistent weather. Why you shouldn’t go in winter or spring. In winter, temperatures near the peak are far below 0 and the peak will be ice and snow covered as well as the last hours of hiking. Plus, November to March is the time of the year that has a lot more snowfall and rain than August or September. In spring, the melting of snow can also become an issue. So, stick to August to October for your hike. Where to start from? Most people start in Marrakech and take local buses or collective taxis to go to the mountains, which takes about 2 hours and 50-100 Dirham. Head to Imlil first! The first day is an easy hike of 6-7 hours to the base camp (Refuge du Toubkal). Can you hike up without a guide? Hiking up the mountain in good condition is not too difficult, but still a guide is partly advised. The idea is also to support the local community and make it safer for everybody involved. The costs are around 50 EUR per day. Plus, since it is a several day hike, you will need accommodation and a guide can help arrange for that. Can you hike up Toubkal without acclimatization? Usually yes! The peak is at only about 4200 meters which can lead to altitude sickness, but it is still rather rare. That is already in a zone where elevation can affect health, but it is rather uncommon. As a precondition, make sure you stay hydrated at all time and have enough food. An issue is that often the last night at the foot of the mountain will not be a good rest and that will lead to exhaustion before making the hike up. Overall, hikers usually stay one night at the base camp at around 3200 meters. If you happen to be very tired, try to stay 2-3 nights at Refuge du Toubkal if possible. You can acclimatize via “hike up and sleep down”. You can buy Moroccan food at the refuge. How many hours to reach the peak? The peak can typically be reached in about 5 hours from Refuge du Toubkal. The hike is not technically challenging but still a hard hike, a bit more difficult compared to hiking up Volcan Baru. Usually you need about 2 liters at least and should make sure to really drink enough. In terms of equipment, hiking poles are recommended and enough during summer and fall. Again, winter ascent is completely different and requires much more planning and equipment. When to start the last hike? Usually, you start in the early morning hours from Refuge du Toubkal to reach the summit of Toubkal by mid day. What about the view on the summit of Toubkal? The climate is very dry. Hence, from June to October it is very rare to have clouds covering much of your view. You will usually see many peaks of the Atlas mountains in a 360 degree view. The ocean is usually not in sight from the summit of Toubkal. How long to get back? From the peak, you start around noon your descent. Make sure to stay hydrated and stay alert. Most hikers will not go back to base camp, but make their way back to take a taxi around 6-7 pm to Marrakech. Make sure you have some good food and stay hydrated. You can reach Marrakech by about 9-10 pm, but you will be very exhausted.