Mt Toubkal - Roof of the North 8 Day Trek

Welcome to Morocco!

Upon arrival in Marrakech a member of the EverTrek team will be there to welcome you at the start of your adventure and drive you to our hotel. You will then have time to explore and soak in the sights, sounds and colours of this ancient city. You will be left in no doubt that the adventure has begun as you explore the city’s souks (Markets) and thriving central square. There are plenty of bargains to be found and tea to drink as you mingle and banter with the local traders of exotic spices and jewellery.

Today you'll wake up early and after a hearty breakfast you will complete the final preparations before driving through the low hills of the Atlas Mountains. The journey will take you through the beautiful Mizan valley to your first destination and the start of your trek at Imlil. From here you can already see the mighty peaks of the Atlas range and on a clear day you will see your ultimate goal of Mt Toubkal. Imlil was chosen by Hollywood as the location for parts of the movie Kundun and its picturesque paths and trails are the perfect spot to stretch your legs and take some gentle walks in the afternoon to help your body acclimatise.

Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today you will be acclimatising in the beautiful Imlil valley. Your guide will take you on the local Berber trails so you can experience the rich history of the Berber villages and people. If the weather is playing ball, you will hopefully have the chance to climb some of the smaller peaks reaching an altitude of 2500m, from here you can take in the extraordinary views of the Imlil valley. This will also be great practice for the terrain of the next coming days. You will return to Imlil in the afternoon for some food and rest to further aid your body in acclimatising.

Included meals: Lunch, Dinner

Today your trek towards Toubkal begins with a hike up through the Mizane Valley to the holy shrine of Sidi Chamarouch at 2310m. Here you can take some time to appreciate this special place which is a site of pilgrimage for many Moroccans. From here you will re-fuel before starting to gain some altitude. The trail slowly takes you up towards your ultimate goal of the day, the Toubkal Refuge at 3207m. Here your guide will complete a briefing of the next day's summit attempt and you will spend the evening resting and adjusting to the altitude. Have an early night so that you can be strong & ready for the long day tomorrow and your goal of stepping foot on the highest point in North Africa.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The day you have all been waiting for, there is nothing quite like waking up on summit day! You'll wake up and leave the refuge still under the cover of darkness, head torches leading the way. The trail is immediately steep as you ascend a scree slope and the thin air makes the climb tough but rewarding.  After some steady climbing you come to a wide pass which will offer some stunning views and a small break before you turn towards the summit ridge and the final push.  As you ascend the ridge and step foot on the summit plateau reaching an altitude of 4167 meters, you will be hit by the massive sense of achievement that you are standing on the summit of the highest peak in North Africa! The metal tetrapod which marks the summit is a great photo opportunity and the views are incredible. On a clear day you will be able to see all the way back to Marrakech and take in how far you have come, both physically and mentally. The descent takes you down the same route, treading carefully through the snow you will retrace your steps back to the Toubkal refuge, mission accomplished.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Today you wake up and have a decision to make. Those who wish to, can head out for a second day in the mountains and the chance to summit North Africa’s second highest peak, Mt Ouanoukrim. After an early breakfast, the summit team will leave the refuge and head to Tizi Quagane at 3750m and after a short break you'll move on to the summit. The route to the summit involves some hands on scrambling to get through a loose rock section, it is relatively straight forward and your guide will be there ensuring your safe accent. After the scrambling it's on to the always fun 'false summit' and across a ridge to the true summit of Mt Ouanoukrim, after celebrating your success you'll retrace your steps back to the refuge.  Anyone who didn’t do the climb will be waiting for you at the refuge where you'll all spend one last night.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Your last day hiking in the mountains is a nice and steady decent back to Imlil, taking in the stunning views of the Atlas Mountains for one last time before you say your farewells to the guides and porters who supported you during the accent. You will drive back to Marrakech and arrive back in the late afternoon, even more time to explore the city with your newfound knowledge and experience before enjoying a farewell feast with your fellow EverTrekkers

Included meals: Breakfast

Your time in Morocco has come to end and your transfer is waiting to take you back to the airport. You may have time to once again experience the sights, sounds and colour of Marrakech before starting your homeward journey and reflecting on the amazing achievement of reaching the summit of Mt Toubkal.

IMPORTANT - If you choose to trek on one of our winter summit treks, the conditions can force us to alter the itinerary meaning we head a different route to Mt Toubkal. We still climb and ascend to the mountain Refuge but through the valley next to the Mizane valley due to the crossing a ski area. We will try to keep to the schedule as much as we can but the main aim is to summit Toubkal via the safest route and this will be determined by our mountain guide before the trek commences.