Trekking in Morocco, Toubkal Ascent
Mount Toubkal Adventures Mount Toubkal: The Toubkal massif is made up of rocks of various kinds. We find in particular on the summits of andesite and rhyolite, dark rocks of volcanic origin. Glaciers have left characteristic marks of their passage in the form of trough valleys. During the Würm glaciation, the current valley of Assif n’Ait Mizane (the valley of the Toubkal refuge) was occupied by the longest glacier in the Atlas. It was 5 km long. The word Toubkal would be a deformation of French origin of the same Berber name Tugg Akal /toug-akal/ which means “she who looks up at the earth” Where is Mount Toubkal? One of the most beautiful mountains of the High Atlas Mountains chain, which passes in the countries of the Maghreb, as Mount Toubkal or Mount Toubkal is the highest mountain peak in the Atlas Mountains chain, which has a height of 4165 meters and is 60 km south of Marrakesh. It has two types of slopes, The first is the high slopes to which most people tend to practice climbing, which are covered with snow in the winter season, so people practice skiing, and the second is the low or lower slopes, which individuals go to for recreation and enjoying the scenery, you will need two full days to reach the top of a mountain Toubkal and the landing thereof. On the first day, you will leave from the village of Imlil in the morning and walk for about five hours to the shelter, where you will spend the night. Then on the second day you will go to the summit in a period of four to five hours, then head down to the shelter, then return to Imlil, the best period to climb Mount Toubkal is late April to October and great care must be taken when climbing the mountain. Mount Toubkal featured treks: Toubkal Ascent 2 Days: Day 01: Transfer by Minibus to the High Atlas/Imlil village 1800m/Refuge Toubkal (3200m). At 8am our taxi or minibus driver (minibus for more than 4 participants) will pick you up at your hotel or fix the starting point in advance, example Jammaa El fena place near Café FRANCE, drive towards Toubkal, 1h 30 by car from Marrakech to reach the village of Imlil starting point of your hike, in the village you will meet our local team, guide and muleteer, start of trek to the refuge of Toubkal? crossing of Village Armed then we continue along the assif Ait Mizan to reach the marabout of Sidi Chamharouch, place of lunch, in the afternoon a climb of 400 m to reach the refuge of Toubkal, night at the bivouac or refuge (refuge in winter, bivouac in summer). Elevation M: 1450 m Elevation D: 30 m Walking time: 6 hours Accommodation: in a tent or refuge. Day 02: Toubkal Refuge – Ascent of Mt Toubkal – Armed 1900m Departure early in the morning for the ascent of Mount Toubkal, the highest in North Africa, is done without difficulty, after 2 hours of climbing we will reach a pass at 3900m which covers the Siroua massif and the hamadas of southern Morocco, we continue successively towards the geodesic point 4167m. very wide 360 ° view on all directions: valleys, surrounding peaks, the Anti Atlas, the pre-Saharan mountains and the plain of Marrakech. Descent by the same path, continuation along the Assif Ait Mizane, lunch and visit of marabout Sidi Chamharouch, place of pilgrimage, to reach the village of Armed where we will find our car, return to Marrakech. Toubkal Climb 3 days Itinerary Day per Day: Day1: Marrakech – Imlil After arrival in Marrakech, you wil be transferred to the little village of Imlil. Here you will be able to explore the area and you will spend the night in a guesthouse. Day 2: Imlil – Toubkal Refuge Today we begin our trek. Heading along the Ait Mizane Valley, we first past the village of Aremd and then into the shrine of Sidi Chamarouch. We then continue east and by crossing the flood plains our route takes us along mule tracks and up into the high rocky cliffs above the valley. Crossing the river we eventually come to the pastoral shrine of Sidi Chamarouch, which attracts tourists and pilgrims. From here the trail continues to climb steadily, snaking and zigzagging its way up to the snowline and the Toukbal Refuge (3206m), our stop for the night. Approx: 4 to 5hrs walking. Day 3: Toubkal Refuge – Summit – Refuge – Imlil – Marrakech Early in the morning we make our attempt on the summit of Jebel Toukbal, the highest peak in Northern Africa. Our route takes us up the south cirque, crossing the stream above the refuge. The walking is relatively straightforward, but the ice and the altitude will make the going quite difficult in parts. The views along the way make the journey more than worthwhile. When you reach the summit you will see that the vistas across the surrounding landscape are quite breathtaking. From here there are unrestricted views in every direction, from the Marrakesh Plain to the High Atlas in the north and as far south as the Anti-Atlas and the Sahara. We will retrace our steps when we return down the mountain and head back towards Imlil. Transfer back to Marrakech. Approx. 9hrs walking. Toubkal National Park summer Trek 8 days From the Atlas to the heart of the medina of Marrakech, this Moroccan adventure offers us an astonishing combination of sporting challenge, magical encounters and spectacular landscapes. We will experience the hospitality of the Berber people in the High Atlas region where the highest peaks are located, including Toubkal at 4,167 m … From the top, the reward is fantastic: a panorama over the whole region. Day 1:Marrakech – Imlil (1750m) – Camp of Toubkal (3200m) Transfer to Imlil, from where we will start our trek. We will first cross magnificent gardens and apple and walnut orchards to arrive