Hiking Toubkal | Morocco’s Highest Mountain

Imlil, Morocco

Our first two weeks in Morocco were spent enjoying a variety of different landscapes. We went from the coast to the desert and later through the gorges – each of these places were so diverse and so beautiful. Now, it was time to see the mountains. The High Atlas Mountain Range curves southwest from Marrakech towards the coast. The highest mountain in this range (and the highest peak in all of Northern Africa) is Jbel Toubkal, or Mount Toubkal – 4167m. Mac and I arrived in the nearby village of Imlil from Marrakech and were immediately smitten with all of the snow-covered peaks surrounding the small town. Our main reason for going to Imlil was accomplishing the task of hiking Toubkal. Before we set out to hike that mountain however, we made sure to get a taste of the smaller peaks surrounding Imlil first.

Warm-Up Hike in Imlil

On our first full day in Imlil we decided to get acclimatized to the higher altitude (and re-energize our hiking legs) by going on a trek in the hills just outside the town. We made a friend at our hostel who graciously drove us to and from the trail-head. It is possible to walk from Imlil, but it’ll add an additional 4km (and 550m of elevation gain). The trail starts just to the left of a small cafe and it doesn’t waste any time increasing in altitude! This trail was steep. We stopped after the steepest section to do some stretching and already the scenery was breathtaking.

The views from the summit of Adrar Tamalaroute (2600m) were just spectacular. We could see Imlil down below, as well as several other small villages hidden in the nooks and crannies of the mountain slopes. We tried clambering up the less-summited peak of Aourirt n’Ouassif (2750m), but the lack of clear trail and huge boulders made it quite difficult. That was okay though, we were surely going to get our fix of summits in the following days!

Practical Information

If you don’t have a car (or haven’t met a friendly fellow hostel-mate with a car), it is possible to walk to the trail-head of this hike. You can follow the paved road from Imlil (heading northeast from the town) and link up with the many trails that branch off from the road.

The trail to the summit of Adrar Tamalaroute isn’t found on any of the maps I’ve found online, but we did see a map in our hostel with the trail which gave us hope. It took about an hour to hike to the summit from the road.

Hiking Toubkal: Day 1 – Imlil to the Refuges

The next day was when the real adventure began! We left our hostel in Imlil after a hearty breakfast and started hiking towards Aroumd. A little off the trail to Aroumd is a short detour to a lovely waterfall. In true Moroccan fashion there were tables and chairs set up with a restaurant nearby, and an eager young guy wanting to sell freshly squeezed orange juice.

We arrived at the passport control at the edge of Toubkal National Park where we met our guide and started hiking around 11:00am. (Read below for the Practical Information section for more details about guides & hiking Toubkal).

The village of Aroumd

As is to be expected when hiking Morocco’s highest mountain, the entire trail on the first day was uphill. That, coupled with the higher altitude meant that I was one slow hiker. We stopped for lunch in the small hamlet of Sidi Chamarouch. In case you suddenly find yourself needing a heavy Moroccan djellaba, hand-made pottery, or other paraphernalia that is totally unnecessary while hiking a mountain, this is your place! Sarcasm aside, this small village has several shops with various snack & beverage options as well.

After a seemingly endless day, we finally arrived at our resting spot for the night. There are two refuges to choose from – they are both similar in accommodations and food offerings. After a good stretch and conversation with fellow hikers by the fire, we were provided a piping hot meal of harira (classic Moroccan soup) and vegetarian couscous. With full bellies and warm extremities, we retired to bed quite early (8:30pm). We had an even bigger hike ahead of us the next day!

Time: just under 5 hours [Aroumd to Refuges] (including 30 minutes for lunch and copious amounts of breaks)

Distance: 11km

Hiking Toubkal: Day 2 – Up the Summit and Back to Imlil

Our fellow dorm-mates were up at the crack of snot (3:30am) to be able to catch the sunrise from the summit of Toubkal. Favouring our sanity and sleep, Mac and I opted to start hiking a bit later. We were up at 5am, with breakfast in the refuge at 5:30am, and hiking by 6am. With our trusty crampons and headlamps, we were able to scale the steep snow-covered trail with ease. I say ease, but it definitely wasn’t an effortless endeavour. The refuges are at 3200m, and the steep trail to the summit meant that I was even slower than the previous day. I’ve never appreciated oxygen so much! I was thankful that Mac and I opted to “sleep in” because it meant that we were able to see the mountain range gradually light up from the rising sun. The stars and the brightening sky were absolutely mesmerizing.

We arrived at the 4000m high pass about two hours after setting out. From here we were finally able to see the summit as well as the entire other side of the mountain range. The sun was properly up at this point and I was nearly blinded by the light as I made it to the pass! From this spot, it took about 45 minutes or so to hike the remaining section to the summit. This was probably the most technical part of the hike – the rocks were loose and we definitely had to scramble up a bit of scree (the snow covering stopped near the pass, so this part was without crampons).

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Mac and I were all smiles once we reached the summit of Toubkal. The views were absolutely incredible and the conditions couldn’t have been better. Contrasted to our hike up Mt Tiede on Tenerife, there was zero wind and the temperature was a balmy –5C. We spent a bit of time resting, taking photos, and being truly proud of our accomplishment before beginning the long trek down.

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Whereas the hike up to the summit took a little over three hours, the hike back down to the refuge only took two hours! We stopped for an extended lunch break at the refuge before continuing all the way to Imlil.

Our rented hiking boots quickly became blister headquarters and every step had both Mac and I wincing. Excitingly, we had a slight distraction from the pain when we were almost trampled over by a rogue mule!! We heard whistling from behind and casually turned around only to see a cloud of dust with a galloping donkey headed our way! Fortunately we scrambled off the trail up the hill just in time. A few moments later a frazzled muleteer ran by us frantically whistling trying to catch up with his runaway mule!!

That was about the only exciting part of the hike back to Imlil. We arrived back at the passport control in Aroumd around 4:45pm and had a further hour long trek to Imlil. A hot tagine, a hot shower, and a clean pair of clothes were first on our list of things to do. Followed soon after by a long sleep.

Hiking Toubkal was such an incredible experience. It was physically exhausting, but it was so worth the effort. As far as climbing 4000m mountains goes, Toubkal is a relatively technically easy mountain. The trail is clearly marked the entire way, and aside from the scree scramble near the summit, there were no real super-challenging spots. Hiking Toubkal definitely solidified my passion for hiking mountains, and I’ll definitely be seeking out more opportunities to do so wherever our travels take us.

Time:

Refuge up to Summit – 3 hours

Summit back down to Refuge – 2 hours

Refuge back to Aroumd/Imlil – 3.5 hours/4.5 hours

Distance:

Refuge to Summit – 3km (+1000m elevation gain)

Refuge to Imlil – 11km

Practical Information & Cost Breakdown for Hiking Toubkal

While hiking Toubkal is very rewarding and not technically challenging, there are a few things to be aware of before you set out.

Gear & Equipment

Depending on the time of year, it may be necessary to hire some equipment before you set out. In the winter, expect the mountain to be snow-covered. The trail from the refuges to the summit is quite steep and crampons are necessary with the snow. If you have sturdy hiking boots, bring them. If you’re like Mac and I and only have hiking shoes, think about renting boots (most crampons won’t fit (and may ruin) the sturdiest of hiking shoes). We met a few people who rented ice axes but didn’t use them. Consult the locals and the weather forecast to determine if renting an ice axe is necessary. We lucked out with the weather and had no wind at the summit. Usually that’s not the case, so make sure you have plenty of warm layers and gloves.

Mac and I rented two sets of crampons, two pairs of hiking boots, and one pair of gloves for two days for 200dh. (The price breakdown was 25dh per item per person per day. We negotiated down from 30dh per item and convinced the shop owner to throw in the gloves for free.)

Hiring a Guide

Since an awful, lethal attack on 2 tourists in December 2018, new rules have been put in place to help protect tourists and locals alike. We arrived in Aroumd at the first (of three) passport control point(s) only to discover that hiring a guide is now 100% obligatory, and access to Toubkal National Park is not permitted without one. Previously it was possible (and relatively easy) to summit Toubkal without a guide.

There is a Bureau of Mountain Guides office in Imlil and guides there are certified and reputable. You can expect to pay around 1000dh (100E) for two days for guides from the Bureau. Since Mac and I are confident and capable hikers (and didn’t know about the new law about hiring a guide) we showed up to the passport control without a guide and were immediately turned away. We ended up hiring one of the guides that was hanging around the control point for 500dh for two days.

If we had known ahead of time that the new law was in place, we likely would have spent more money hiring a legitimate guide with mountaineering and first aid training. Although, a negotiated price of 600-800dh would be expected down from 1000dh, or perhaps an inclusion of rental crampons at a price of 1000dh. A reputable guide would have likely pointed out spots of interest along the way and taught us a thing or two about the National Park.

Accommodation

Before hiking Toubkal, Mac and I stayed at Imlil Refuge in town. We negotiated 120dh for a private room with breakfast. It was low season and there were no other guests in the hostel. In the summer it might be less likely to negotiate the price.

As I mentioned above, there are two refuges on Toubkal – Mouflons and CAF. Mouflons is larger and generally less expensive. If you’re a member of the French Alpine Club or Hostelling International (as Mac and I are), you receive a discount on the bed from 190dh to 110dh per person. This was fortunate since these high-altitude prices were naturaly non-negotiable. We paid 390dh for two beds in the dorm room, two dinners, and one breakfast. (I believe the equivalent at Mouflons costs around 500dh). The dorm room was made up of four double bed bunk beds. There is no bedding provided, but the CAF Refuge does have blankets. Mac and I slept under three thick blankets and were plenty warm, despite the rooms being unheated. The main floor common areas were heated by fire-place, so that helped influence the overall sleeping temperature. Fellow hikers brought sleeping bags. Dinner was a communal pot of harira soup and a huge plate of vegetarian couscous with hard boiled eggs. Rumour has it that Mouflons’ food was equally well-portioned, yet maybe not as well-heated.

Food & Drink

Because dinner was provided at the refuge, we only needed to bring lunch and copious amounts of snacks. In Imlil we stocked up on dates, peanuts, almonds, tangerines, apples, bananas, carrots and hardboiled eggs for Mac. Like I mentioned above, there are quite a few little shops along the way selling overpriced packaged food and drinks should you need any. Eggs are plentiful at a basic price of 1dh/egg, unless they are bought already hard-boiled; this premium service runs you 1.5-2dh/egg.

Numerous signs at the refuge indicated that the water was non-potable, but I’m fairly sure I saw several guides refill their water bottles from the tap. Mac and I have been drinking Morocco’s tap water since we arrived and have had no stomach issues as a result. To be cautious, we bought a 2L bottle of water at the refuge. If we had known ahead of time we likely would have sought out some water filtering tablets and avoided buying the plastic bottle.

Responsible Hiking

As the refuges are literally located on the side of a mountain, there are no weekly garbage trucks driving by. To help keep this National Park beautiful, pack out all your garbage with you. This applies to food waste as well. Things like orange and banana peels are not native to mountainsides and should be disposed of properly back in town. While we were eating lunch at the refuge after summiting Toubkal, we watched the employees collect what garbage was left behind and burn it in huge piles hidden behind rock walls. This included not only paper and cardboard, but plastic as well. So please don’t be tempted by the seemingly-responsible garbage cans.

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