Climb Mount Toubkal – Complete Guide to North Africa’s Highest Summit

Where is Mount Toubkal?

Mount Toubkal or Jebel Toubkal is the highest peak in North Africa. Toubkal is apart of the Atlas Mountain Range and is located in the southwestern part of Morocco, about 60 km south of Marrakesh.

Can You Climb Mount Toubkal?

Mount Toubkal is a non-technical summit with its highest peak at 4,167 meters. At the peak awaits views of a dramatic border between land, ocean, and desert.

There are two approaches to reaching Toubkal, the South and the North. The Southern approach is the most popular and straightforward, while the Northern route is longer and best for experienced hikers.

One of the popular features about Mount Toubkal is that you can trek the mountain and be out of Morocco in 4 days. You would want to do this with caution in order to allow for acclimatization due to the high altitude, but this makes an excellent long weekend holiday full of adventure.

History Of Mount Toubkal 

In 1923, Vincent Berger, Hubert Dolbeau, and Marquis De Segonzac were the first Europeans to summit Toubkal. A year later, the height of Toubkal was formally recorded and the trigonometrical structure was carried to the peak in 1931.

How Fit Do You Need To Be To Climb Mount Toubkal?

Toubkal is for keen walkers and hikers with a moderate fitness level. Toubkal is a fun and challenging trek with gratifying views from the peak. You will see the remote villages of the Berber people, roaring waterfalls, rivers, and the crash site of a cargo plane, depending on your route.

If you join an organised tour group, your guide will bring along food and mules with muleteers will be used to carry all of your things. If you decide to trek independently, then you will need to arrange refuges to eat and rest, and carry your own gear.

There are two main approaches to trekking Mount Toubkal - the South and North Side routes. There are a few other variations but these require more experienced hiking and a longer expedition. The most common route begins on the South side.

During winter, Toubkal becomes a technical hike and requires special gear. You should highly consider booking a guide and ensure you are familiar with using an ice axe and crampons (see details on a winter ascent below).

Trekking Toubkal should take you 4-5 days in order to properly acclimate and allow for a nights rest at Imlil and the refuge.

As trekking Mount Toubkal requires your body being at high altitudes, it is crucial to allow time for adjustment.

A rule of thumb is “climb high and sleep low.” It’s important to gain height slowly, about 500m a day once you are at 2,500m. You should be drinking plenty of water as well.

The best way to acclimatize to trekking Toubkal is to start with a good nights rest in Imlil and then stop at one of the refuges to sleep for the night. This allows your body to adjust gradually, as the walk from Imlil to the Toubkal Refuges is about 12km alone.

After spending the night at one of the Refuges, you will wake up early, feeling refreshed, and begin your trek up to the summit of Toubkal.

It is best to begin your trek in the early hours of the morning, with a headlamp, to avoid returning too late in the day and being obligated to sleep at the Refuge again. It is also great to get up to the summit for sunrise!

Another option to acclimatise is to spend the night in Aroumd. This is on the way from Imlil and the village has plenty of gites (villagers homes) available. This way you would spend one night in Aroumd and the other at the refuge.

For a longer acclimatization, you are able to begin the trek in Ouirgane rather than Imlil. Ouirgane is a Berber village further from Imlil. You will have to spend two nights in different gites before reaching the refuge. This route is ideal for those who want to ensure they are properly acclimatized.

Toubkal in Winter is more technical than a Spring or Summer trek as the terrain is completely covered in snow and ice.

Winter ascents of Toubkal start in November and run all the way through to the end of April.

A winter climb of Toubkal is achievable by someone who has never hiked on snow, but we highly recommend you do some basic winter mountaineering practice before undertaking the challenge.  

The skills you need to be confident with are:

• Walking in crampons across snowy / ice surfaces, with mixed rock
• Using a straight handle ice axe to sturdy your balance and anchor your hike in areas that are a little exposed
• Confidence on 30-35 degree snow slopes
• Ability to traverse steep sections (sometimes you may need to hold or clip into a fixed rope, although this is rare).
• Ability to scramble up a mixed terrain surface of rock, snow and ice with crampons on

None of these skills are particularly difficult, but if you are doing this for the first time they can be scary and challenging. Hence, why we suggest you get some practice winter mountaineering skills.

Also, at high latitude and when the weather is bad, seemingly easy terrain can appear very challenging.  

We recommend taking an experienced guide / joining an organised group if you are not very experienced. Guides are not instructors though. Most will not be able to formally train you on how to hike in snow, use an axe and crampons. It is up to you to determine whether you can handle utilizing these tools and manage on snowy terrain.

Trekking Mount Toubkal can be done all year round.

The best time to hike is in the Spring, April or May. The weather is not too hot and you are still able to see some snow on the mountains. Due to the rewarding weather, Spring is peak season.

The Summer months - June through to August - are usually very hot. Trekking in the Atlas is fine, but make sure you drink loads of water.

September and October are good shoulder months for trekking.

In Winter, from the month of November to April-May, Toubkal becomes a technical climb. You will need special equipment such as an ice axe, crampons, and fixed rope (see Toubkal Winter Ascents above).

Toubkal is a moderately difficult hike due to the high altitude. The actual hiking itself is pretty easy and the summit approach from the south side from May-October is relatively straightforward. 

Winter ascents from November through to April are much more challenging. To undertake a winter ascent we highly recommend doing a basic winter mountaineering course, where you will learn how to use crampons and an ice axe. You should know the basics of how to do an ice axe arrest and be confident on 30-35 degree snowy slopes. 

In terms of training, you will need to be comfortable walking for numerous hours each day for several days. At a minimum you should do one or two multi-day practice hikes that last 4-5 hours a day in your home country.

It would also be smart to build up endurance by doing a month or two cardio gym training before your trek. If you have managed multi-day treks in the past you will do just fine.

The packing list for climbing Mount Toubkal is relatively straightforward. If you are trekking in the Spring and Summer months, then you can expect pretty good weather. Rain is always a possibility and temperatures in the Atlas mountains do get quite cold at night. 

In terms of clothes you should think about layers - base layer, fleece layer, warm outer layer. See recommend items below.

In terms of Winter ascents on Toubkal, you will need more layers - specifically a hard shell waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm outer jacket (down or synthetic) and additional layering for your hands, feet and head. You will also need some technical gear, like crampons (and rigid sole boots that can take crampons), a straight handle ice axe and potentially a harness and carabiners to clip into a fixed rope (please confirm requirements with your tour operator).

When entering Morocco, you are required to have a passport that has at least 6 months of remaining validity and two blank pages within the passport for entry and exit.

Most countries do not require a tourist visa to enter Morocco for a duration of 3 months. These countries include Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, U.S., Japan, and other EU countries. South African citizens require a visa. Check with your relevant embassy or official Moroccan consulate for other nationalities.

If you are arriving from an area at risk of Yellow Fever, you will need your International Certificate of Yellow Fever.

Other vaccinations that are a point for good measure include diphtheria-tetanus-polio, measles-mumps-rubella, hepatitis A, and typhoid.

Road safety in Morocco is a concern. Make sure you only take rides with licensed taxi drivers and don't be afraid to ask your driver to slow down.

Morocco is a predominately Muslim country and therefore a conservative approach to dress and public behaviour should be adopted at all times. Sexual relations outside of marriage and homosexuality is prohibited. If you are travelling with your partner it is not unusual to be asked to show proof of marriage before checking into a hotel.

For more information on safety whilst travelling in Morocco, check out the UK FCO website.

Moroccans are people of Berber, Arab and Arab-Berber descent. The population is 33 million and most people follow the Islamic faith.

Morocco has many other cultural influences from countries like Europe, The Middle East, and Sub Saharan Africa. Women and men dress in a djellaba and men wear a red cap, a burnoose, for special occasions.

Moroccans are known for decorations and rich colours. The red colour is found naturally in most of the buildings. Moroccan cuisine is something you must try while visiting. It is extremely flavourful. Moroccans are famous for couscous, tajine, pastille, halwa, and mint tea served from a traditional long spouted teapot.

Moroccans are hospitable and welcoming to tourists. As most people follow the Islamic faith, it is important to be mindful of this. Both men and women need to be considerate of their dress, especially in rural areas. Women should cover their arms and shoulders, and wear garments that cover from the knees up. Men should cover their shoulders and be covered above the knee as well.

When entering a home, it is expected that you remove your shoes and follow the host. You are expected to leave tips. The rule of thumb is waiters at cafes receive about 1dh each, restaurants 5dh, and porters 5dh. However, taxi drivers do not expect a tip.

On Mount Toubkal you are able to go on skiing towers in wintertime, horseback and camel riding in the Atlas Mountains, and visit other mountains and Imperial cities. Morocco has so much to offer other than trekking Toubkal. Whether you want to shop the marketplace of Jemaa el-Fnaa, visit the Majorelle Garden, or explore the Sahara Desert and its wildlife. You are in for a vivid adventure.