Your Guide to Toubkal, Atlas Mountains, Morocco
Mount Toubkal Height: At 4167m, Jebel Toubkal is the highest mountain in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, and the highest peak in North Africa.
How hard is Mount Toubkal?
Toubkal is a straightforward trekking peak, being perhaps one of the easiest 4000m peaks in the world - and makes an ideal introduction to altitude expeditions. That said, here are some things participants find challenging:
· Altitude sickness: many people feel symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness, such as headache, sickness, fatigue, loss of appetite and breathlessness. These symptoms are made worse by often very ambitious acclimatization profiles, such as people climbing Toubkal in 2 days. At Summit Guides we prefer to take a realistic, safe approach to acclimatization by running a week long trip – so historically AMS symptoms are minimal.
· Extremes of temperature: It is often very hot and dry on the approach, requiring plenty of water, suncream and a slow and steady approach. We address this by having a relaxed trekking day in the valley to settle in before we hike up to the refuge. Meanwhile summit nights are often bitterly cold – in the Spring and autumn there is frequently snow on the ground – requiring either down jackets or an alternative warm top.
· Early starts: a dawn (or earlier) start is sensible – particularly for teams descending down to Imlil in the afternoon after summiting. This gives enough time to ascend the mountain, and have a short break at the refuge prior to descent to Imlil.
How high is Mount Toubkal?
Mount Toubkal Height: At 4167m, Jebel Toubkal is the highest mountain in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, and the highest
peak in North Africa. Ouanoukrim, with its true summit of Timezguida (4089m) make up the massif opposite that is the second highest mountain in the region.
How long does it take to climb Toubkal?
Three days is common, but four or more days is probably a
more realistic timescale from Imlil. Far better is to take a
generous itinerary to sample the local trekking and enjoy the other (far quieter) local peaks such as Ras n’Ouanoukrim (4083m) and Timezguida (4089m) – which require some very straightforward scrambling - but you will often not see
another soul.
Can Toubkal be climbed in a day?
For an acclimatized, strong runner it can certainly be done in a day from Imlil (the record is 4 hours 16 Imlil-Toubkal summit-Imlil, although unofficial records are faster than that) and is done every year in this manner - but the vast majority of people require at least three days/.
Can I do Toubkal without a guide?
Prior to 2019, it was possible to do Toubkal unguided. In 2018, the tragic murders of two tourists meant that all Toubkal climbers must now have a local guide. On balance, having a guide not only increases safety, but also adds significantly to the overall experience of the country, both on and off the mountain.
What should I wear on Toubkal?
See our comprehensive kit list here (LINK)
Toubkal Versus Kilimanjaro
This is a question we get asked a lot – should I do Toubkal or Kilimanjaro?
