Toubkal Mountain Guides

Snow-holing

2011-12-27T11:35:00.004Z

We had an interesting question put to us recently about the possibilities of snow-holing in the Toubkal area. This is what we said:-

I have to say I don't think I've ever seen anyone snowhole in the Toubkal area - and indeed the entire High Atlas apart from one time I had to do it! Winter camping yes but not snowholing. Thinking about it, I can only think of 2 areas without going too high where that might work in terms of snow angle / build-up volume that isn't in the line of an avalanche prone gully!

About half an hour south of the refuges, there is a large flat area. At the southern end of this flat area, the route up to Tizi n-Ouagane goes through a prominent narrowing. On the northern and western side of this narrowing (right hand side as you approach) the angle of ground often allows for a good build-up that I would imagine(!) you could build a snowhole.

The 2nd area is basically that large flat area I mentioned where you could construct a shovel-up.

All of that said, there may simply not be the volume of snow you need to do either method early in the season. On the other hand, with volumes like in the above photo you could hole-up anywhere!

Current snow / conditions report from the Toubkal area

2011-12-19T13:14:00.003Z

A recent report from the area from our colleagues:-

"The snowline is roughly level with Sidi Chamharouch, where the trail starts to get very icy, so crampons are essential for early morning access to and from the refuges. It is not possible to ski down to Sidi yet from the refuges - only down to around 2900m. Otherwise, there is pretty good coverage on all of the high peaks, although Timesguida (above photo) was looking a little bare(!), and care needs to be taken when descending the East ridge of Ras to Tizi n'Ouagane, because of bare rock and scree in places.

There is surprisingly good ice forming at speed. Over one inch of ice buried an ice screw left out a few nights after an abseil and the ice falls in the North East cwm of Afekhoi had grown massively during the time we were up at the hut. There are also plenty of short ice pitches accessible from the Toubkal refuges, including the dramatic 'Corredor de la Cascada del bloque empotrado' on Afella - perhaps grade V ice.

Although the weather is typically sunny and settled, giving great 'bluebird' days, freeze thaw cycles have not fully consolidated the snow pack. Off the beaten trails, there is a lot of loose, deep powder, invariably capped with a crust, making very heavy going in places. The snow is also often not bonded to the rock and scree below, so care is needed on steeper ground. Surface hoar crystals have been forming, which demonstrates just how cold and settled the weather has been. Be careful of avalanche risk after the next dump of snow (said to be on its way)!"

one nil to the weather -

2011-11-24T17:04:00.004Z

- but we're still in the first half!

Yes unfortunately a private trip that we ran earlier this week got snowed out of it making conditions too difficult to attempt the summit of Toubkal. Some photos to show the conditions....

Next time it will be snow and sun - inshallah!

Current conditons

2011-11-17T10:15:00.002Z

(Following a visit to Ouanoukrim and Toubkal 14th Nov by one of our guides)

A couple of weeks back I had a crack at Afella via Aougdal Bou Tiouna. This was a day or so after a big dump of snow and to cut a long story short I ended up turning around about 300m from the top. This was do to deep snow up to my chest in places! Different story over the last few days in the High Atlas...

So we have seen some warmer temperatures which have consolidated the snow pack nicely! There are still deeper patches, but for the most part on the two routes I was on (14-11-11) I found myself moving quickly on hard nevi! Crampons and an axe are a very good idea with the forecast!

I found on the south cwm of Toubkal, one of the main slopes a very hard top layer with soft stuff underneath. Still no doubt consolidating a bit and cold temps at night hardening the surface! Under the hard top layer snow still bonding.

Ras and Timesguida patchy (see photo). The lower section needs care and if at all uncomfortable with exposure take a rope and slings... the route needs filling out with nevé!

Forecast Link:http://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Toubkal/forecasts/4167

Notice snow coming in on the weekend and cold temps!

Reviews of our book!

2011-11-03T17:06:00.000Z

A couple of recent reviews of our book:-

UKHillwaking.com

The Scottish Mountaineer

Winter 2011/12 season for climbing Toubkal

2011-10-17T13:58:00.003Z

Yes - we've lost count of what number winter season this is for us! Whatever it is - we're up and ready for it!

Our pdf which includes a full suggested kit-list will be copied by some and used by others - either way we're happy to share our knowledge of the highest peak in North Africa to the world!
http://www.toubkalmountainguides.com/201112.pdf

If you want to go it alone (which is fine by us!) you might like to buy a really good guidebook! What's great about it - apart from the way that by buying it you contribute to our coffee budget, is that it covers far more mountains than just Jebel Toubkal!

The link for buying it is:-
http://www.nomadicmorocco.com/guidebook.htm

Eid al-Adha (6th / 7th Nov)

2011-10-14T17:09:00.003Z

The ‘big Eid’, in Morocco called Eid el-Kbir or Tafaska (Berber), commemorates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God, and the fact that he was instead able to sacrifice a ram. It varies from country to country as to how it is celebrated, but in Morocco this is a time for family. Each household will sacrifice a ram or a male goat, or possibly both depending on the family’s ability to afford the animals.

Except in the most touristy areas of Marrakech, everything else will come to a standstill for the first day at least. In some towns it can take up to a week for things to return to normal. Starting a trip that is reliant on local staffing to any degree during this time will be fraught with difficulty and probable time delays. Organising a trip that runs either side of Eid el- Kbir will need careful consideration and prior discussion with any locals involved as to what your mutual expectations are.

Depending on your relationship with locals, you may be invited to join them in the sacrifice or for a meal at this time. If you are, feel privileged, and honour your hosts by joining them and relaxing with them for the day or two.

The mountains can wait! It is a fascinating time.

New Snow

2011-03-18T20:56:00.001Z

Click on the title above to access the link

Moroccan High Atlas Mountains News: Snow levels

2011-02-22T17:24:00.000Z

Moroccan High Atlas Mountains News: Snow levels

Available maps of the 4000m peaks around the Toubkal refuges

2011-01-19T11:36:00.000Z

Small is flexible!

2010-12-20T21:26:00.007Z

Yes Toubkal Mountain Guides (dot com!) is a small company - and proud of it! What's more we're locally based. The advantages of a small local outift are many - we know what the weather is like just by looking outside the window; we're not flying in outside guides who need to catch up with conditions - and we're humanly flexible as to-day's email shows!
__________________________________________________________
Hi Guys,

Very sorry for the late cancellation of the trip at our end.....not only was it getting very difficult to get out of LGW to Casa, we also learned that Casa was gridlocked as the flights from Paris/Strasbourg had been delayed/cancelled; causing yet more problems as there was no certainty of getting into Marrakech before Tues/Wed. The EJ flights had either been cancelled or were full as there was no space available on them and Heathrow has been pretty much closed for the last three days.
Not only that - it would have also have been on very little sleep which is not the ideal preparation for attempting a 4100m peak!

Could I say that I was REALLY impressed by the patience Des showed yesterday when it was starting to unravel in helping us with trip suggestions and ways of doing things....both of us are gutted not to be able to do the trip (I for one would like to try again soon). On that note; we have recommended yourselves to other people - hope that is not a problem! We both would also like to do the trip and would use TMG to do it. Please also apologise to Kris who was left hanging I suspect at the last minute.

Now that we are back at home it all seems a bit surreal that we couldn't make it - however under the circumstances it was a choice that we felt we had to make; very sorry again for all the inconvenience and hassle it no doubt caused.

Hope to see you sometime for a trek.

SA & CM (UK)

Recent trips on Toubkal

2010-12-10T17:33:00.002Z

"Just a quick note to thank everybody at Toubkal Mountain Guides for an excellent trip.
Unfortunately, the winds were very very strong whilst we were at the refuge and the mountains were covered in cloud, so we did not make it to the summit this time. Most other parties turned back too.
However, Mohamed was fantastic - a really great guy - so this did not spoil our trip at all because he found much more for us to do.

I am now itching to get back there to try again!

Kind regards"
(SF/UK)

It's coming - winter that is!

2010-11-26T16:11:00.005Z

After a later than usual start to real winter weather, it's coming this weekend! Already there is rain outside the door as we type - however the centre of the oncoming depression won't strike until Monday when there is forecast to be 90km winds with snow on the summit of Jbel Toubkal 4167m - the highest peak in the Moroccan High Atlas.
http://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Toubkal/forecasts/4167

A coffee shop day with chocolate fudge cake - if only!!

Toubkal winter ascents - trip availability

2010-11-10T12:13:00.004Z

Access our calendar which shows private and public scheduled trips for the Jbel Toubkal winter season 2010/2011 at:-

http://www.toubkalmountainguides.com/datesprices.htm

First snows of the season...

2010-11-03T09:24:00.004Z

The first dusting of the white stuff has arrived! Lying from 3500m it is transforming dusty and scree covered terrain to routes needing care and attention - which is where Toubkal Mountain Guides dot com come in!

There is still availability on our New Year trips which for the past number of years has seen us summit Jbel Toubkal 4167m on New Year's day. What better way to start off a new year?!

Mountaineering in the Moroccan High Atlas

2010-11-02T13:51:00.003Z

You can now pre-order Des's book "Mountaineering in the Moroccan High Atlas" by following this link.

New Year's day 2011 on Jebel Toubkal

2010-08-20T16:49:00.005Z

Historically our New Year's weekend trips have proved very popular - and successful too in terms of summitteers!

Already our 2010/11 New Year's trips are booking up. We have two trips running concurrently - one starting on the 29th December (€ 575 pp) and the other on the 30th December (€ 475 pp). Both finish on the 2nd January.

To find out more, just download our 2010 to 2011 brochure (pdf format).

This 14 page document with stunning photos of Jebel (Mount) Toubkal 4167m and down to earth advice is available on the image below.

And we're off!

2010-06-23T21:06:00.002+01:00

After a busy and enjoyable season, we're packing our bags for the summer.

We will be looking at emails once a week or so until our return end of August.

Have a great summer and see you in the snow this coming winter!

2010 to 2011 Brochure for Toubkal Mountain Guides

2010-04-17T17:10:00.004Z

We've just uploaded our 2010 to 2011 brochure on pdf format to our website. This 14 page document with stunning photos of Jebel (Mount) Toubkal 4167m and down to earth advice, can be downloaded (4.2mb) and printed off (A4 landscape format) or just read on-line as normal.

To go directly to it just click on the image above or on this link:-
http://www.toubkalmountainguides.com/201011_brochure.pdf

Happy dreaming.....

Avalanches / Slides in the Toubkal valley

2010-03-06T13:47:00.005Z

Following a night of heavy snowfalls on the 2nd March, a number of gullys and cwms above Sidi Chamarouch en-route to the Toubkal refuges released their new loads of snow unable to bond with the underlying layers.

The Tadat couloir as of yesterday (see photo below) had not released anything. Possibly because the layers are bonding, but possibly waiting for a trigger.

More snow is forecast today and later in the week......

Windy on Tizi n'Ouagane

2010-03-06T12:53:00.004Z

A short clip showing some windy conditions on Tizi n'Ouagane 3735m on the 3rd March. Needless to say a summit attempt on the East ridge Ras Ouanaoukrim 4083m was given a miss.
The sound of the wind has been muted on this clip to save your computer speakers!

Trip availability

2010-03-06T12:50:00.000Z

All our guides are fully committed with private trips, research trips for our forthcoming guidebook & other projects up to the end of June 2010.
After that we're all off on holidays to escape the summer heat! Therefore if you are looking for a trip before mid September 2010, we regret we're not going to be able to assist.

Sorry about that - thank you for your interest in our website.

Weather forecasts for the Toubkal massif

2010-02-01T21:29:00.004Z

Accessing reliable weather forecasts for the Toubkal massif in the Moroccan High Atlas mountains has long been an issue for us as regular readers to our blog can testify.

Now a new mountain dedicated weather forecasting website has appeared! Connected to the weather-forecast and snow-forecast network operated by the UK company Snow-Forecast.com Ltd., the new website is suitably named mountain-forecast.com

The summary description of the website reads "A new website dedicated to mountain weather in more than 3300 (and growing) major summits for climbers and mountaineers, provided for up to 5 different elevations."

That's whats impressive about this resource - the varying elevational forecasts for each summit.

As with all weather forecasts, they say that "while this information may be indispensable in planning your ascent, please treat it critically and verify against other sources. Our weather algorithms are thoroughly tested and proven to work well for thousands of mountain ski resorts and surf breaks; however, the database of mountain locations may contain errors at this early stage.". They welcome feedback which they say "will be crucial for ironing out bugs and expanding the forecast coverage"

So looking more closely at say the summit of Toubkal which at 4167m is the highest summit in the High Atlas and indeed the highest summit in all of North Africa.
The summit forecast page is:
http://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Toubkal/forecasts/4167
Looking at the forecast given for todays date it certainly seems right! As well as the summarised forecast, the page gives the temperature, wind, windchill, freezing level and precipitation.

As well as the summit altitude forecast there is one given for 1500m (Imlil is at 1740m); 2500m (Sidi Chamarouch is at 2350m) and 3500m (refuge level is 3200m approx).

All told it seems that possibly here is the answer to all your forecast problems for your next trip to Toubkal!

Chilly!

2010-01-26T16:12:00.004Z

Current meteo outlook shows little new snow (some possible flurries tomorrow and Thursday) and a moderate to fresh variable wind.

However the still air temperature has dropped to around minus 10 with the freezing level dropping to around 1500m.

Translating this into windchill at 3200m altitude (Toubkal refuge level) shows a figure of minus 17.

This will discourage much lingering on the summit of Toubkal at over 4000m until next Saturday when temperatures are forecast to rise again.

Stay safe.

Ice climbing on Akioud, Afella, Toubkal etc

2010-01-26T15:58:00.003Z

Andrew Stokes-Rees has recently uploaded a stunning 10 minute video on ice-climbing on the 4000m peaks in the Toubkal massif following a recent visit over here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNm_SsM-ZNE

Tragically one of the party, Tim Ward-Wilson, lost his life on the fourth day. One of the climbs has been named after him, the Ward-Wilson route (VI).

Rescue services on Toubkal

2010-01-10T20:37:00.005Z

We last wrote about rescue services on Toubkal in January of 2009 - this now needs updating.

Whilst there are still no offical mountain rescue service in the Toubkal region, it is possible to contract with a private helicopter company in Marrakech for emergency evacuation from the Toubkal refuges. Indeed if you look at the excellent website for the Toubkal Mouflon refuge, you will see reference to heli-vac in case of accident.

The contact details for this helicopter are accessible from the guardians of the refuges. It should be noted that in the case of accident on Toubkal the guardians of the refuges are obliged to contact the local police. It is possible that following notification, an army helicopter will be called instead (which is free) but possibly not as reliable as the civilian one.

Obviously having medical and rescue insurance cover is essential if usage of the civilian helicopter is envisaged.

Latest snow conditions in the Toubkal area

2010-01-10T20:31:00.005Z

Last Thursday finally brought a combination of lower temperatures and precipitation - in other words snow on south facing slopes above 2750m. On north facing aspects and sheltered valleys the snowline is as low as Imlil - i.e. 1740m.

The coming week sees the freezing level go back up above 3000m causing some slight snowmelt and a small regression in the snowline at lower levels. Winds are forecast to be generally from a NE direction and at an average windspeed of 5 m/s at an altitude level of 3000m (i.e. the altitude of the Toubkal refuges).

Happy 2010 !

2010-01-03T15:22:00.002Z

A great way to start the New Year with a successful Toubkal summit in great weather conditions and good hard snow!

If you would like to attempt Toubkal this year, why not look at our website for some information.

Lammergeier alive and well

2010-01-03T14:42:00.005Z

The Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is still alive and well! We last reported on this great bird in May '09 when a Spanish ornithologist spotted them in the ski resort area of Oukaimeden - not a million miles away from the Toubkal massif.

So it made a great start to 2010 when the lammergeier circled around the Toubkal Mouflon refuge for 15 minutes.

Here's hoping they all stay safe from being hunted or shot.

5 day weather forecast for Toubkal massif

2009-12-27T11:53:00.001Z

The current snowline is around 3250m on slopes with any south facing aspects and 2700m on slopes with any north facing aspects.

The stats below are for 3200m (Toubkal refuges level) for midday on the stated dates below. Please note that aspects such as wind-chill will undoubtedly be more severe on exposed ridges / faces / summits; mornings usually colder than midday temps and freezing level often lower. In other words, adapt these forecasts with your intended route in mind!

SUMMARY	Tue 29	Wed 30	Thu 31	Fri 1	Sat 2
Cloud Cover	<10%	<10%	<25%	<10%	<10%
Wind m/s	W 7	W 15	W 9	W 7	W 8
Precip	Clear	Clear	Some clouds	Clear	Clear
Temp °C	4	1	1	4	3
WChill °C	-5	-8	-7	-5	-4
Freeze Level	3800m	3200m	3100m	3300m	3350m

If you are unfamiliar with stating the Wind Speed in Metres per second (m/s), to convert this into:-
KPH - multiply the m/s figure by 3.6
MPH - multiply the m/s figure by 2.25

Please read:-
The above Summary and Further Outlook are compiled using a combination of forecasts derived from MarocMeteo, Oukaimeden ski-resort, Weather Undergound and local knowledge. They are an educated feel for what weather you will experience over the stated dates and in the absence of any specific mountain forecasts for the greater Moroccan High Atlas are better than nothing!. Please use your own mountain awareness when in the hills to guage the conditions as they are and if in doubt, turn around!

We make no attempt to state the avalanche risk or comment on the snowpack.

5 day weather forecast for Toubkal massif

2009-12-27T11:31:00.002Z

SUMMARY	Tue 29	Wed 30	Thu 31	Fri 1	Sat 2
Cloud Cover	<>	<>	<>	<>	<>
Wind m/s	W 7	W 15	W 9	W 7	W 8
Precip	Clear	Clear	Some clouds	Clear	Clear
Temp °C	4	1	1	4	3
WChill °C	-5	-8	-7	-5	-4
Freeze Level	3800m	3200m	3100m	3300m	3350m

Rain and rivers!

2009-12-24T12:46:00.001Z

The last week in the the Toubkal region of the Moroccan High Atlas mountains has seen a huge volume of rainfall and next few days are not going to change! In addition the freezing level is set to rise to around 4000m on Saturday so what snow there is on Toubkal should melt somewhat - very Scottish!

So whilst in previous years at this time we have battled with big snowfalls and high winds, this year the river crossing at Aremd will provide the excitment!

Stay safe.

5 day weather forecast for Toubkal massif

2009-12-18T10:12:00.004Z

The stats below are for 3200m (Toubkal refuges level) for midday on the stated dates below. Please note that aspects such as wind-chill will undoubtedly be more severe on exposed ridges / faces / summits; mornings will be colder than midday temps and freezing level often lower. In other words, adapt these forecasts with your intended route in mind!

SUMMARY	Sat 19	Sun 20	Mon 21	Tue 22	Wed 23
Cloud Cover	> 90%	50%	> 90%	> 80%	> 90%
Wind m/s	W 13	SW 8	SW 17	SW 18	SW 12
Precip	Light snow	Some clouds	Light snow	Light snow	Light snow
Temp °C	-3	0	0	-2	0
WChill °C	-12	-7	-9	-13	-9
Freeze Level	2750m	3200m	3300m	2750m	3200m

Frist snows!

2009-12-13T13:15:00.003Z

At last! The first rains (and snow on the tops) of the winter season on Jebel Toubkal 4167m in the Moroccan High Atlas mountains.

Although not very heavy - it's a start! With the continuing area of high pressure over the UK, the forecast for Toubkal for the coming week is unsettled, cloudy and light snow showers, a brisk SW-W airflow of 10 m/s at 4000m and therefore a significant windchill factor on the summit and exposed ridges.

If you are unfamiliar with stating the Wind Speed in Metres per second (m/s), to convert this into:-
KPH - multiply the m/s figure by 3.6
MPH - multiply the m/s figure by 2.25

Wrap up!

More of the same!

2009-11-15T10:58:00.003Z

The high pressure we referred to in our last blog a couple of weeks ago has shifted position to the NE and is now it seems firmly established over the Med.

The result of this is that depressions continue to track over northern Europe whilst Toubkal and other peaks in the High Atlas mountains remain dry and snow free!

Temperatures are reducing however with the freezing level forecast to drop from it's present 4000m to around 3000m by the end of the week.

Good for ice-climbing......

Great trekking but no snow!

2009-11-03T09:30:00.004Z

With the current spell of low pressure dominating Western Europe and the Azores High maintaining its position off north west Africa, the weather here (Toubkal region), High Atlas mountains is warm / sunny during the day and cool at nights. For example, camping last week at 2750m the nights were still warm enough to get away with a 3 season bag and silk liner!

So whilst it is great weather for late season trekking (and escaping the rains / short days of Ireland / Uk!), we at TMG are looking forward to some high pressure over the UK which generally means good weather there and rain / snow here!

Which means everyone's happy!

Incidentally our Lepiney trip over the New Year is now fully booked but there is still some availability on our Imlil trip which starts a day later but still aims to summit Toubkal on New Year's day - by which stage there will definitely be some snow!

Trip details etc are on our winter pdf available on line by following this link.

Weather Forecasts

2009-10-20T11:52:00.011Z

There is no mountain specific forecast for the Moroccan High Atlas mountains including that of the Toubkal region. The nearest one gets to this is a snow forecast for the Oukiameden ski resort area. The stats for this forecast are compiled by the Uk company Snow Forecast.com Ltd who also operate weather-forecast.com; surf-forecast.com and tide-forecast.com

Last year we issued a Toubkal specific forecast once a week which was based on data collected from the official MarocMeteo, Oukaimeden ski-resort, Weather Undergound websites and local knowledge gatherered on the ground from our guides operating in the region. They were an educated feel for what weather would be like over the stated dates and in the absence of any "proper" mountain forecasts for the Toubkal region were "better than nothing"!.

This year we will do much the same except issue bulletins for a 5 day cycle instead of 3.

In relation to snow forecasts it has to be said that neither us or snow-forecast.com make any attempt to state the avalanche risk or comment on the stability of the snowpack.

Guidebook research trips and routes

2009-08-20T11:56:00.001+01:00

We have a number of trips / routes we wish to do for our forthcoming guidebook on Mountaineering in the High Atlas. The majority of these routes will be in winter (conditions) and so whilst we will be organising the logistics etc, these research trips are not in any way a guided trip. Rather they should be treated as self-supported mountaineering trips and as such any person that wishes to accompany us on these trips should be a proficient mountaineer in their own right.

To reflect that these trips are not guided per se but nevertheless all the planning, logistics, transport, food and accommodation will be organised and covered by us, the daily rate we would see as appropriate for these trips would be € 50 per person / per day.

The trip length can be as little as 2 days and up to a week or more and will cover the entire spread of the High Atlas range.

If you would like to join us on this basis, then please follow this link and give us a brief resume of your mountaineering experience; the time of year you are available / would like to join us; how many days you are available for; anything else that you think may be important!

Toubkal Winter Ascents 2009/10

2009-08-19T08:46:00.006+01:00

Hey everyone - we're back! After a long hot(!) summer on the south side of the Moroccan High Atlas mountains, we're looking forward to those winter days of clear blue skies and snow on the Toubkal massif!

We've a fair number of private group trips already arranged and are now receiving emails for some of our open scheduled trips. All the information for our winter trips is easily downloaded on pdf format at http://www.toubkalmountainguides.com/200910WinterAscentspdf.pdf

Our calendar of trips showing those open with availability is accessed by clicking on this link.

See you on the hills!

Moroccan High Atlas Mountains News: Guidebook research trips and routes

2009-05-14T11:00:00.000Z

Moroccan High Atlas Mountains News: Guidebook research trips and routes

New look website for Toubkal Mountain Guides

2009-03-28T15:27:00.003Z

This incredible winter is coming to an end which marks the end of our main busy season here on Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa at 4167m. To mark this we have just launched a more informative and less "busy" ToubkalMountainGuides.com website - we hope you like it!

The details for the 2009/10 Winter season are available on a downloadable pdf as our this summers's trekking trip details.

Enjoy!

3 day weather forecast for Toubkal Massif

2009-03-09T07:32:00.002Z

SUMMARY	Tue 10	Wed 11	Thu 12
Cloud Cover	More than 75%	33%	10%
Wind	SW 3 m/s	SW 1 m/s	SE 3 m/s
Precip	Light snow	Some clouds	Clear
Temp °C	-3	2	2
WChill °C	-7	1	-1
Freeze Level	2500m	2750m	3000m

If you are unfamiliar with stating the Wind Speed in Metres per second (m/s), to convert this into:-
KPH - multiply the m/s figure by 3.6
MPH - multiply the m/s figure by 2.25

Further Outlook for following 3 days
Light variable winds and generally clear skies with high cloud level for Friday and Saturday . Freezing level staying high at around 3000m or just under but lower on sheltered N facing slopes. Sunday similar.

Please read:-
The above Summary and Further Outlook are compiled using a combination of forecasts derived from MarocMeteo, Oukaimeden ski-resort, Weather Undergound and local knowledge. They are an educated feel for what weather you will experience over the stated dates and in the absence of any "proper" mountain forecasts for the Moroccan High Atlas are "better than nothing"!. Please use your own mountain awareness when in the hills to guage the conditions as they are and if in doubt, turn around!

We make no attempt to state the avalanche risk or comment on the snowpack.

3 day weather forecast for Toubkal Massif

2009-03-03T19:47:00.003Z

SUMMARY	Wed 4	Thur 5	Fri 6
Cloud Cover	More than 75%	More than 50%	More than 50%
Wind	NW 7 m/s	NW 8 m/s	NE 8 m/s
Precip	Snow showers	Cloud	Cloud
Temp °C	-6	-2	0
WChill °C	-14	-9	-6
Freeze Level	2000m	2250m	2300m

If you are unfamiliar with stating the Wind Speed in Metres per second (m/s), to convert this into:-
KPH - multiply the m/s figure by 3.6
MPH - multiply the m/s figure by 2.25

Further Outlook for following 3 days
Light variable winds and generally clear skies with high cloud level for Saturday and Sunday . Freezing level staying around 2400m but lower on sheltered N facing slopes. Monday cloud bringing more snow showers later in the day.

Please read:-
The above Summary and Further Outlook are compiled using a combination of forecasts derived from MarocMeteo, Oukaimeden ski-resort, Weather Undergound and local knowledge. They are an educated feel for what weather you will experience over the stated dates and in the absence of any "proper" mountain forecasts for the Moroccan High Atlas are "better than nothing"!. Please use your own mountain awareness when in the hills to guage the conditions as they are and if in doubt, turn around!

We make no attempt to state the avalanche risk or comment on the snowpack.

Information on Morocco

2009-02-22T12:01:00.000Z

The difficulty with the internet now is that there is so much information "out there" that is possible to spend hours trawling through various websites to find exactly what you're looking for!

Morocco for example. Well stop looking! If it's mountains or trekking related our 2 websites should suffice:-

ToubkalMountainGuides.com (for Toubkal area obviously) and NomadicMorocco.com (for the Western High Atlas and Mgoun regions).

If it's culture, news, information, observations, articles, Fes, Fes festivals, U2 (our old class mates - yes it is true - look at the "U2 by U2" book to see a photo of Des Clark standing beside David Evans, aka The Edge!) - whatever you need to know of Morocco on the internet can be pretty much found on the Riad Zany blog "The View from Fez".

Check it out, learn lots and save yourself grief and time!

Toubkal - another time inshallah!

2009-02-21T15:32:00.005Z

Unfortunately our last Toubkal ascents trip was unable to make the summit due to fresh deep snow, bad visibility and wind on summit day. This was our first trip this winter season that we haven't summitted which considering the hard weather conditions our clients and guides have endured on many previous trips isn't too bad a record.
However it's always disappointing not to reach the summit so as they say here - "dur-y-adni inshallah".

Another time God Willing.

3 day weather forecast for Toubkal Massif

2009-02-17T11:50:00.006Z

The stats below are for 3200m (Toubkal refuges level) for midday on the stated dates below. Aspects such as wind-chill will undoubtedly be more severe on exposed ridges / faces / summits.

SUMMARY	Wed 18	Thur 19	Fri 20
Cloud Cover	Less than 10%	More than 50%	More than 50%
Wind	SW 4 m/s	SE 1 m/s	S 3 m/s
Precip	Clear	Cloudy	Cloudy
Temp °C	-4	-5	-5
WChill °C	-9	-6	-9
Freeze Level	2100m	2100m	2100m

If you are unfamiliar with stating the Wind Speed in Metres per second (m/s), to convert this into:-
KPH - multiply the m/s figure by 3.6
MPH - multiply the m/s figure by 2.25

Further Outlook for following 3 days
Light winds and generally clear skies with high cloud level. Freezing level staying around 2100m but lower on sheltered N facing slopes. Snow becoming soft in the sun later in the day.

Please read:-
The above Summary and Further Outlook are compiled using a combination of forecasts derived from MarocMeteo, Oukaimeden ski-resort, Weather Undergound and local knowledge. They are an educated feel for what weather you will experience over the stated dates and in the absence of any "proper" mountain forecasts for the Moroccan High Atlas are "better than nothing"!. Please use your own mountain awareness when in the hills to guage the conditions as they are and if in doubt, turn around!

We make no attempt to state the avalanche risk or comment on the snowpack.

3 day weather forecast for Toubkal Massif

2009-01-25T13:35:00.002Z

The stats below are for 3200m (Toubkal refuges level) for midday on the stated dates below. Aspects such as wind-chill will undoubtedly be more severe on exposed ridges / faces / summits.

SUMMARY	Mon 26	Tue 27	Wed 28
Cloud Cover	75%	0%	0%
Wind	N 7 m/s	NE 4 m/s	NE 4 m/s
Precip	Snow showers	Clear	Clear
Temp °C	-2	-1	-1
WChill °C	-9	-5	-5
Freeze Level	3000m	3350m	3300m

If you are unfamiliar with stating the Wind Speed in Metres per second (m/s), to convert this into:-
KPH - multiply the m/s figure by 3.6
MPH - multiply the m/s figure by 2.25

Further Outlook for following 3 days
Weak area of high pressure developing. Light winds and generally clear skies. Freezing level staying around 3300 - 3500m. Some possible cloud cover with light snow showers on Friday evening.

Please read:-
The above Summary and Further Outlook are compiled using a combination of forecasts derived from MarocMeteo, Oukaimeden ski-resort, Weather Undergound and local knowledge. They are an educated feel for what weather you will experience over the stated dates and in the absence of any "proper" mountain forecasts for the Moroccan High Atlas are "better than nothing"!. Please use your own mountain awareness when in the hills to guage the conditions as they are and if in doubt, turn around!

We make no attempt to state the avalanche risk or comment on the snowpack.

3 day weather forecast Toubkal Massif

2009-01-22T15:11:00.005Z

The stats below are for 3200m (Toubkal refuges level) for midday on the stated dates below. Aspects such as wind-chill will undoubtedly be more severe on exposed ridges / faces / summits.

SUMMARY	Fri 23	Sat 24	Sun 25
Cloud Cover	<25%	<25%	50%
Wind	N 4 m/s	NW 4 m/s	WSW 7 m/s
Precip	Clear	Clear	Cloudy
Temp °C	3	4	-1
WChill °C	-1	0	-7
Freeze Level	4000m	4000m +	3400m

If you are unfamiliar with stating the Wind Speed in Metres per second (m/s), to convert this into:-
KPH - multiply the m/s figure by 3.6
MPH - multiply the m/s figure by 2.25

Further Outlook for following 3 days
Monday - similar to Sunday. Thereafter becoming clearer with light easterly winds and freeze level around 3300m.

Please read:-
The above Summary and Further Outlook are compiled using a combination of forecasts derived from MarocMeteo, Oukaimeden ski-resort, Weather Undergound and local knowledge. They are an educated feel for what weather you will experience over the stated dates and in the absence of any "proper" mountain forecasts for the Moroccan High Atlas are "better than nothing"!. Please use your own mountain awareness when in the hills to guage the conditions as they are and if in doubt, turn around!

We make no attempt to state the avalanche risk or comment on the snowpack.

3 day weather forecast for Toubkal Massif

2009-01-19T11:05:00.004Z

The stats below are for 3200m (Toubkal refuges level) for midday on the stated dates below. Aspects such as wind-chill will undoubtedly be more severe on exposed ridges / faces / summits.

SUMMARY	Tues 20	Wed 21	Thur 22
Cloud Cover	75%	50%	25%
Wind	WNW 8 m/s	N 10 m/s	W 6 m/s
Precip	Light snow	Snow showers	Clear
Temp °C	- 7	- 4	-2
WChill °C	-15	-12	- 8
Freeze Level	2500m	1750m	3000m

If you are unfamiliar with stating the Wind Speed in Metres per second (m/s), to convert this into:-
KPH - multiply the m/s figure by 3.6
MPH - multiply the m/s figure by 2.25

Further Outlook for following 3 days
Increasingly warm with freezing level rising to just under 4000m. Possibility of light snow showers Sunday. Light to moderate W-NW winds.

Please read:-
The above Summary and Further Outlook are compiled using a combination of forecasts derived from MarocMeteo, Oukaimeden ski-resort, Weather Undergound and local knowledge. They are an educated feel for what weather you will experience over the stated dates and in the absence of any "proper" mountain forecasts for the Moroccan High Atlas are "better than nothing"!. Please use your own mountain awareness when in the hills to guage the conditions as they are and if in doubt, turn around!

We make no attempt to state the avalanche risk or comment on the snowpack.

More snow on Toubkal massif

2009-01-17T11:27:00.001Z

The last couple of days have brought rain to the plains and more snow in the mountains - both the Toubkal massif and indeed the entire High Atlas range.

North facing slopes have snow down to 1900m whilst the snowline on south facing aspects is around 2500m.

3 day weather forecast for Toubkal Massif

2009-01-16T11:10:00.008Z

The stats below are for 3200m (Toubkal refuges level) for midday on the stated dates below. Aspects such as wind-chill will undoubtedly be more severe on exposed ridges / faces / summits.

SUMMARY	Sat 17	Sun 18	Mon 19
Cloud Cover	50%	0-10%	10%
Wind	N 8 m/s	NE 14 m/s	NNE 8 m/s
Precip	Light snow	Clear	Clear
Temp °C	- 8	- 5	- 2
WChill °C	-16	-15	- 9
Freeze Level	1700m	1800m	3000m

If you are unfamiliar with stating the Wind Speed in Metres per second (m/s), to convert this into:-
KPH - multiply the m/s figure by 3.6
MPH - multiply the m/s figure by 2.25

Further Outlook for following 3 days
A dusting of new snow. Temperatures will be below freezing (-12°C on Tue night); winds increasing (strong winds from the N by Tue night & Wed morning); increasing cloud cover.

Please read:-
The above Summary and Further Outlook are compiled using a combination of forecasts derived from MarocMeteo, Oukaimeden ski-resort, Weather Undergound and local knowledge. They are an educated feel for what weather you will experience over the stated dates and in the absence of any "proper" mountain forecasts for the Moroccan High Atlas are "better than nothing"!. Please use your own mountain awareness when in the hills to guage the conditions as they are and if in doubt, turn around!

We make no attempt to state the avalanche risk or comment on the snowpack.

Review of Maps & Guidebooks for the Toubkal area (1)

2009-01-15T09:08:00.002Z

Published by a Spanish company, Orientazion, and distributed by MapIberia, this is a plastic water-resistant trekking map of the Toubkal area and surroundings and also comes with a plan of Marrakech on the reverse.

The 1:50,000 scale map is approximately centred on the village of Imlil, about 8km north of Toubkal, and covers an area measuring 32km E-W by 22km N-S. Topographic detail includes contours at 20m intervals, hill-shading, woodland and scrub areas, springs, rivers and dry riverbeds. Road detail includes tracks and footpaths and ski-lifts at Oukaimeden are also shown. Isolated buildings are marked along with refuges and religious buildings. A 1km UTM grid (map datum WGS84) is drawn over the map and margin ticks are at 1’ intervals.

On the reverse is a clear plan of Marrakech at approximately 1:8,700. Centered around Bab nKob, it covers the Medina district and extends westwards to the main railway station, northwards to the Souk el Khemis, eastwards to Bab Aylen and southwards to the northern fringes of the Agdal gardens.Colours highlight main sites of interest, public buildings, shopping areas/markets and pedestrian zones. One-way streets are marked and symbols show a range of useful features eg. hotels, taxi ranks, car parks, information offices, petrol stations, public water fountains, places of worship, police stations, hospitals etc.

SO! - getting back to the Toubkal map itself - what it's like really?! Well, looking the map for the first time, the impressions are of a clear, uncluttered map with the contour lines at 20m intervals actually visible (unlike older maps on sale). Ridge lines are shaded on the S & SE aspects and forested / tree covered slopes covered with various shades of green.

Without picking too many holes in it initially, a lot of placenames are mis-spelt. E.g. Imlil is Imelil, Aroumd is Around, Neltner is Nelter, whilst the more difficult to spell like Ouanoukrim is perfect!
Whilst the contour lines are at 20m intervals, there is not a single cliff or gully (couloir) shown in the entire area! This is indeed a shame as e.g. the Tazaghart NE face above the Lepiney refuge is shown on the map as an uninterrupted steep slope which from purely looking at the map would present no particular problems in descent.See the photo for the reality! This is repeated all over the map, the S face of Toukal, the N face of Angour.....

So a good map for trekking along clearly defined paths but don't stray off them too far! UK purchases can be had from Stanfords in Covent Garden, London or on-line at this link. RRP £13.95

More soon on other maps and guidebooks for the Toubkal region.......

Is rescue and medical insurance necessary for Toubkal?

2009-01-14T10:21:00.001Z

First of all everyone coming to the Moroccan High Atlas Mountains should realise that there are no formal mountain rescue services in the country. We've written about this before in earlier blogs. Any person that suffers an injury in the mountains that requires a rescue and evacuation to a hospital, will have a long ordeal getting mule transport (if the injury allows that) or a stretcher carry (if one is nearby!) down to where a 4x4 vehicle can pick them up and transport them to a hospital. Unfortunately even though the numbers of trekkers and climbers are increasing - particularly in the Imlil & Toubkal region, the authorities have not seen fit to grant commercial rescue licenses, as that would require granting air / helicopter permits which they are loath to grant ("security concerns").

So! Given all of that, is insurance really necessary? Well even though there are no formal rescue services, there will be costs associated with your evacuation (even if it's just paying the diesel costs of the 4x4). On top of that, the hospital / private clinic will be reluctant to let you leave without being paid! Lastly if real tragedy strikes and you need an air ambulance back home to a European hospital, your credit card providers may balk at this "purchase"!

So the short answer is "yes" - never leave for the mountains (here or the Alps) without first having arranged medical / rescue / repatriation insurance cover.

Buying such cover has now been made easier as TMG have arranged a link with VentureGuard for clients and non-clients to purchase this on-line. The cover is excellent, the premiums are competitive and mountaineering is not excluded like it is with a lot of travel insurance providers! Depending on the level of cover you are looking for (e.g. whether you require baggage insurance or not) premiums start at GBP 64 for a 5 day trip. This gives you £5M medical; £15K search/rescue; cancellation, personal liability, legal expenses..... More details on the benefits here.

How "easy" is it to climb Toubkal in Winter?

2009-01-13T10:35:00.004Z

Following on from our last blog entry, which looked at climbing Toubkal by the voie normale outside of the winter season, today we'll look at summitting the highest peak in North Africa in winter conditions.

Some of our general comments in our previous entry apply again so for the sake of those who don't want to or haven't read the earlier entry, here they are again:-

To state the obvious - this is a 4000m peak so you will feel the altitude if you go too quick. The only safeguard if you can call it that, is that the Toubkal refuges are around or under 3200m so you can sleep there without feeling major affects of AMS. Safe absolute minimum times of ascent are 3 days out and back from Marrakech - 4 days better to allow for an acclimatisation peak to be climbed.
The fitter you are obviously the better and the easier for yourself. If you are not used to 6-7 hour days in the mountains and you are trying to climb Toubkal in 3 days or even less round trip from Marrakech then you will suffer! Be kind to yourself and get some walking in before you embark on this!
"Winter" is really end of November to mid April +/- 2 weeks both sides. This means that during this time you will either have to carry all your own equipment and food up to the refuge or engage porters as mules will only go as far as the snowline which in mid-winter is down at Sidi Chamharouch and sometimes lower.
At the refuge you either have to cook your own food or pay someone up at the refuge to this for you (or you can arrange with a local guide in Imlil or professional mountaineering company like ours to sort this out for you in advance). Unlike last winter, the Mouflon Toubkal refuge can now provide food / meals for you if you order in advance.
There are now 2 refuges below Toubkal. One is owned by the Club Alpin Francais and the other (newer) one is privately owned by a local businessman. This new one is called the Mouflon (if you have a choice stay at this one) and is the lower of the two (i.e. the first one you come to). Neither are perfect but the Mouflon is new and being developed whilst the CAF one seems to have little ongoing investment - particularly in the bedrooms! Phone numbers of the refuges are available from this link on our NomadicMorocco blog.

All of the comments below are based on ascents in Winter!
Climbing Toubkal in winter generally requires wearing crampons and using a walking ice-axe. However the ascent (by either the south or north cwm routes -see point 8 below) is not technical and so you do not necessarily need prior experience using an axe or crampons if you are going with a reputable / qualified mountain guide. (We would not recommend you climbing Toubkal in winter without a winter experienced guide if you do not have prior winter walking / climbing experience).
The normal un-acclimatised but reasonably mountain fit individual will take around 6 hours walking from Imlil (1750m) to the refuges (around 3200m). The return leg down will take around 4 hours. These times depend on the snowline and depth of untracked snow. I remember early January '08 when it was an epic to descend due to a huge volume of new snow - right down to Imlil in fact. Also if there is any ice en-route it can make for some delicate foot placements.
There is 1 frequented and 1 far less frequented route from the refuges. The standard frequented South Cwm route (prominent right-hand valley in photo) and the slightly longer, steeper & much less frequented North Cwm route (prominent left-hand valley in photo). Approx 90% or more ascents are made by South Cwm route. I have lost count of the number of days I have done the North Cwm route with no other parties present yet on arriving at the summit it could be like any popular Alpine summit in terms of numbers! Local "guides" contracted in Imlil rarely if ever take the North Cwm route as it is longer, steeper and more committing in winter (that said it is still "only" Alpine grade F+ / PD-). The same can be said of virtually all the other (UK) guiding companies as they generally contract Moroccan guides to lead the trip who prefer the ease and less committing nature of the South Cwm route.
In terms of times of ascent/descent (round trip out and back from the refuges) for the South Cwm, it is anywhere 6-8 hours depending on fitness, peoples abilities on snow and the quality / depth of (un)tracked snow.North Cwm route up and South Cwm route down (i.e. a traverse of the peak) is usually anywhere 7-9 hours.
Both routes have a steep start from the refuge - the North Cwm route steepest of all. The North Cwm route initially involves a traverse across 35 degree slopes and then straight up a steep slope before gaining the relative flatness of the actual cwm. Have your axe at the ready doing this traverse to arrest any slide - although the run-out is generally not serious it can feel like a long way down to the river bed!Both routes exit onto the relevant col (South Cwm - South Col; North Cwm - North Col) before the climber is required to ascend the relevant ridge to the summit.
The North Ridge is steeper and requires some delightful easy scrambling and a true feeling of an Alpine ridge. It is generally objective free of danger and other than coping with a strong side wind it is generally a safe line.
The South Ridge can be taken direct or avoided by traversing below (western side). Be aware however that this traverse takes the climber above a cliff band - to slide here would not be good! Again depending on the snow conditions, it is often airier but safer to stay on the ridgeline proper rather than do the traverse.
As with all winter conditions, you should have axe / crampons (and know how to use them!), winter boots, a rucsac with the usual safety bits and pieces (down jacket / spare food / water / anorak etc) and be mountain aware! Turn back if in doubt about things, your breathing, the weather etc......

How "easy" is it to climb Toubkal?

2009-01-13T10:19:00.005Z

We often get asked by both clients and people looking for some "free" information how "easy" is it to climb the highest peak in North Africa - Jebel Toubkal 4167m.

Well like a lot of questions relating to Morocco the answer is "it depends"! But lets give some guidelines for you all.

Well first of all it's a 4000m peak so you will feel the altitude if you go too quick. The only safeguard if you can call it that, is that the Toubkal refuges are around or under 3200m so you can sleep there without feeling major affects of AMS. Safe absolute minimum times of ascent are 3 days out and back from Marrakech - 4 days better to allow for an acclimatisation peak to be climbed.
The fitter you are obviously the better and the easier for yourself. If you are not used to 6-7 hour days in the mountains and you are trying to climb Toubkal in 3 days or even less round trip from Marrakech then you will suffer! Be kind to yourself and get some walking in before you embark on this!
"Winter" is really end of November to mid April +/- 2 weeks both sides. This means that during this time you will either have to carry all your own equipment and food up to the refuge or engage porters as mules will only go as far as the snowline which in mid-winter is down at Sidi Chamharouch and sometimes lower.
At the refuge you either have to cook your own food or pay someone up at the refuge to this for you (or you may have arranged with a local guide in Imlil or professional mountaineering company like ours to sort this out for you in advance). Unlike last winter, the Mouflon refuge can now provide food for you if you order in advance.
There are now 2 refuges below Toubkal. One is owned by the Club Alpin Francais and the other (newer) one is privately owned by a local businessman. This new one is called the Mouflon (if you have a choice stay at this one!)

All of the comments below are based on non-winter ascents!
The normal un-acclimatised but reasonably mountain fit individual will take 5-6 hours walking from Imlil (1750m) to the refuges (around 3200m). The return leg down will take 4 hours or less.
There are 2 frequented routes from the refuges. The standard very frequented South Cwm route (prominent right-hand valley in photo) and the slightly longer, steeper & less frequented North Cwm route (prominent left-hand valley in photo). Approx 90% or more ascents are made by South Cwm route. I have lost count of the number of days I have guided the North Cwm route with no other parties present yet on arriving at the summit it could be like any popular Alpine summit in terms of numbers! Local "guides" contracted in Imlil are often very loath to take the North Cwm route as it is longer and steeper.
In terms of times of ascent/descent (round trip out and back from the refuges) for the South Cwm is anywhere 5-8 hours depending on fitness and peoples abilities to scree-run!North Cwm route up and South Cwm route down (i.e. a traverse of the peak) is usually anywhere 6-9 hours.
Both routes have a steep start from the refuge - the North Cwm route steepest of all. Both routes exit onto the relevant col (South Cwm - South Col; North Cwm - North Col) before the climber is required to ascend the relevant ridge to the summit. The North Ridge is steeper and requires easy scrambling. The South Ridge can be avoided however by traversing below it if required.
Both routes have well marked tracks - the South Cwm route has a myriad of tracks near the top!
If it is windy or otherwise inclement it is best to stick with the crowd and do the South Cwm/South Col/South Ridge route. Do not stick to the ridgeline proper if it is very windy as you will definitely feel exposed! Traverse on the left hand side (as you ascend) where it is safer.
As with all mountains, you should wear proper mountain boots, have a rucsac with the usual safety bits and pieces (spare food / water / anorak etc) and be mountain aware! Turn back if in doubt about things, your breathing, the weather etc......

We'll look next at Winter Ascents!

New Year on Toubkal

2009-01-12T10:27:00.005Z

As forecast, a weather front bringing in southerly winds, rain and snow swept across the entire High Atlas the last two days of 2008. This meant a revised routing via Tizi n'Tzikert for our traverse from Lepiney refuge to the Toubkal Mouflon refuge on New Year's eve. We had planned to cross via Tizi Aguelzim but the weather had other ideas! This re-routing meant a long day with a lot of it in rain (with the warmer southerly winds the snowline had receded to 2700m) but we had a strong group who made it to the Mouflon refuge before sundown! Abdraheem in the Mouflon greeted us with the usual warm welcome and mint tea....

Forecasts aren't always accurate(!) so after assuming we would be in for another battering on Toubkal itself on New Year's day, we awoke instead to stunning conditions and a great introduction to 2009!

New snow and a cold wind saw us put on all our layers and summit above the clouds before mid-day. All the other (large UK) groups had gone ahead and so we had the summit to ourselves before some others (Spanish) joined us.

We took our time descending enjoying the sunshine and knowledge that we had just summitted safely on the highest peak in North Africa - Jebel Toubkal 4167m !

Current trip availability with Toubkal Mountain Guides

2009-01-11T17:39:00.005Z

Here is a summary as of to-day regarding the availability for our scheduled trips between now and Easter 2009. (This is being kept up-to-date throughout the season.) Private trips are in addition to this. To see our full calendar go to our Dates page on our website.

Nov 24 - 28 Toubkal Winter ascent IFNI (TRIP OVER)

Dec 29 - Jan 2 Toubkal Winter ascent LEPINEY (TRIP OVER)

Dec 30 - Jan 2 Toubkal Winter ascent IMLIL (TRIP OVER)

Jan 26 - 30 Toubkal Winter ascent IFNI (TRIP OVER)

Feb 16 - 20 Toubkal Winter ascent LEPINEY (TRIP OVER)

March 9 - 13 Toubkal Winter ascent LEPINEY (booked out)

March 15 - 21 Winter Mountaineering Course (availability)

April 6 - 9 Toubkal Winter ascent IMLIL (Trip not yet guaranteed to run until we have 3 committments / reservations. Contact Us for more info.)

April 13 - 17 Toubkal Winter ascent IFNI (2 places left)

Image Gallery for our 2008/9 Winter Ascents on Toubkal

2009-01-11T17:37:00.001Z

Locals are saying this is one of the wettest (and snowiest!) winters in the mountains they can remember for the past 30 years!

Although there have been no more huge dumps of snow like there were in early November, it seems hardly a few days go by at the moment without some more snowfall or rain in the lower regions. Great news for farmers depending on the water table and great news for those coming out to climb Toubkal this winter!

We've started a photo gallery with a random selection of images we've taken this winter so far - enjoy. If you haven't decided yet to come out here this winter there are still some spaces left on our trips in 2009.

Stay warm!

Two sides of a Mountain

2009-01-11T16:35:00.011Z

Having read a blog article on Imlil earlier to-day, we thought we would put some reality into the equation and also introduce readers to the other (south) side of Toubkal, the highest peak in the Moroccan High Atlas mountains.

Firstly for those of you not overly familiar with the geography of the region, just click on this link and a map should open up for you in a new window/tab.

Imlil is the main starting point for trips to Toubkal. It's twin if you like on the south side is Amsouzart. Although as the Lammergeier flies it is barely 16km (10 miles) between these 2 points, it can take around 5 hours drive and a few hundred km's to get around to the south side from the north by road and then dirt-track. Herein lies the reason for Imlil's "success" over Amsouzart - it's proximity to Marrakech. Only last week this was re-emphasised to us when we met people who had left London Gatwick that particular morning on the EasyJet flight to Marrakech and were having sitting down to lunch on the roof of the kasbah in Imlil looking onto Toubkal's stunning north face!

Proximity and popularity demand a price. The price Imlil pays is overcrowding, high property prices (relative to other villages), hawkers descending on tourists and trekkers the minute they get out of a taxi which can often descend into a money-grabbing exercise. Some books have called Imlil the "Chamonix of the Atlas".

Hopefully it will never get to that stage of development but it certainly has gone past the point of no-return in committing itself to the fortunes of a mountain just out of sight up the valley. Hotels, guides, mule owners, porters, cafés, shops, tourist boutiques, internet facilities - all within a couple of hundred metres from beginning to end. Most hotels on the main strip are building sites at the moment - extensions, new facilities, complete overhauls.

Amsouzart on the other hand, whilst visited during the summer months by trekkers doing the "Tour du Toubkal" doesn't even have electricity (although it is coming) - never mind internet cafes and luxury tourist hotels. The "price" the visitor pays is a day's travel on some incredible roads over high mountain passes (Tizi Tichka 2260m) before entering mountain valleys where one counts the passage of time by falling leaves....
We don't pretend that by writing a few lines in a blog, it will change people's habits of using Imlil as the main base for Toubkal.

Neither however can we pretend that it's something that gives people the best mountain experience!

All that in preparation for our next Toubkal Winter Ascent on January 26 which approaches Toubkal from Lac d'Ifni and Amsouzart.