Trekking Mount Toubkal: North Africa’s Highest Peak

The expedition begins and ends at Marrakesh Menara airport. There are direct flights from a number of UK airports and the route is well served, which is part of what makes this trip so accessible. Book to arrive by early afternoon on Day 1 so the group can travel up to Imlil together, and to depart from mid morning on Day 6. Check your times against those windows before booking, and ask us if you are unsure.

British citizens and many other nationalities can visit Morocco for tourism without a visa for short stays. Your passport should have at least six months validity beyond your travel dates. Other nationalities should check their own requirements early. Entry rules change from time to time, so confirm against official Moroccan government guidance close to departure.

Travel insurance is mandatory and there is one specific thing to check. Your policy must cover trekking to at least 4,167 metres and it must cover the use of crampons and an ice axe. A great many policies cover trekking but classify anything involving crampons as winter mountaineering and exclude it. Mountain rescue and repatriation cover is also essential. Read the wording rather than assuming, and upload your policy number and your insurer's 24 hour emergency number to your guest portal by four weeks before departure.

This is graded Hard, the third of our four grades, and the grade is honest. There is no technical climbing and no ropework required of you, but summit day is typically ten to twelve hours, in winter conditions, at altitude, and the two big descents are hard on the legs. Good general fitness and some hill walking experience are necessary. If you can comfortably manage five hours of hill walking with 800 metres of ascent, on consecutive days, you are in the right place.

Toubkal stands at 4,167 metres and you sleep at 3,207 metres at the refuge. The profile is fast by mountaineering standards, going from a flight to the refuge in two days, so mild symptoms are common and normal: headache, breathlessness on the climbs, poor sleep and reduced appetite. Serious altitude illness is uncommon here but possible, and the treatment is always descent, which is straightforward on this mountain. Drink plenty, walk slowly and tell your guide honestly how you feel.

In early March there is snow on the upper mountain and the summit push is a winter day. You will use crampons and carry an ice axe. No previous experience is needed and the team runs a full briefing before you step onto snow, but you must arrive with crampons that fit your boots, which means a stiff soled boot rated to take them. Hire can be arranged with notice. The Toubkal cirque holds avalanche risk in winter and the decision on whether and how far to go belongs to the lead guide and the local team.

Marrakesh in early March is pleasant, often in the high teens or low twenties Celsius. Imlil is noticeably cooler. The refuge is cold and unheated apart from the stove in the communal room. On the summit, expect temperatures well below freezing with significant wind chill, and the possibility of snow and poor visibility at any time. Pack for both ends of that range.

Two nights in a traditional riad in Imlil with twin rooms, a roof terrace and hot showers on request. Two nights in the Toubkal mountain refuge, which is a very basic mountain lodge with dormitory bunks, shared facilities and a wood burning stove in the communal room. One night in a riad in central Marrakesh on a bed and breakfast basis. Bring earplugs for the refuge and a sleeping bag or liner for the bunks.

All expedition meals are included, from lunch on the arrival day through to breakfast on departure day, and the mountain food is far better than you would expect at 3,200 metres. The one exception is dinner in Marrakesh on Day 5, which is not included so you can eat where you like in the city. Vegetarian and most dietary requirements can be accommodated if added to your guest portal when you book, since supplies go up the mountain by mule.

Alcohol is not permitted on the mountain and should not be taken up. You are welcome to have a drink in the riad, and if you would like something we can stop on the drive up from Marrakesh. Morocco is a Muslim country and alcohol is not sold everywhere, so do not assume it will be available in the villages.

The currency is the Moroccan dirham, which is a closed currency, meaning you cannot buy it before you travel and cannot exchange it once you get home. Change money on arrival and spend or change what is left before you fly out. Cash is essential in Imlil and on the mountain, where cards are not accepted. ATMs are available in Marrakesh and in Asni, but do not rely on finding one in Imlil.

Tips for the mountain guides, the cook and the muleteers are not included and are a genuinely important part of how the local mountain economy works. Your expedition leader will advise sensible amounts and the group traditionally puts it together and hands it over on the last night in Imlil. Bring this money in cash, in dirham.

The Imlil valley is a Berber farming community rather than a resort, and the shrine at Sidi Chamharouch on the way up is an active place of pilgrimage which non Muslims do not enter. Dress modestly in the villages and in Marrakesh, covering shoulders and knees, and always ask before photographing people. In the Marrakesh medina expect a certain amount of hustle, unofficial guides and firm sales technique. A polite, good humoured no thank you works perfectly well.

See a travel clinic or your GP well before departure to discuss Morocco. Routine vaccinations plus hepatitis A are commonly recommended. Stomach upsets are the most common complaint, so drink bottled or purified water, including for brushing your teeth, use hand sanitiser before eating, and carry rehydration sachets. Bring your own basic first aid kit and any personal medication in your hand luggage in original packaging.

The group is capped at ten and the trip is for adults aged eighteen and over. It suits solo travellers, couples and groups of friends who have some hill walking behind them and want a real mountain rather than a walking holiday. Solo travellers are common and very welcome. Accommodation is twin share in the riads and dormitory in the refuge.