jamal: great site for hotels in morocco!--just what i was looking for so thank you very much for posting this up. did you make arrangements from marrekesh beforehand for your stay in imil or did you just show up and see what was available? i was considering doing this trek in september so do you guys think a heavy fleece or down jacket/thermal underwear at nights are necessary during the summer months or would this be too much?
nusnus: thanks for your input and info. as well...very helpful. i was thinking of the same thing of staying at the base in imil before the start of the climb so did you arrange your stay in imil at marrakesh? thanks for the tip on the water thing as i think its very important to know and bring up the right gear so sounds like water shouldn't be an issue on this climb. i think that's great that you could do this climb solo so i'm glad i have that option too. ideally i would like to experience mt. toubkal during the winter and make a winter accent but, are there any dangers while going up during this season? i understand its not a technical climb but, don't have any winter mountaineering experience w/ crampons/ice axe,etc. does anyone know if there are experienced winter guides that teach mountaineering techniques,etc...as it would be a great opportunity to learn and at a lot lower price than if i were to take a class back at home.
if anyone else has any thoughts or input on which is they're favorite season to climb mount toubkal please feel free and post up here...
thank you.
Imlil has alot of places to stay so no need to book. If you go in winter and it snows, you can't climb. But it isn't Antartica. The snow just hangs around because it's cold. It's pretty obvious that people hike who have never used crampons before because you see photos online with people holding their foot up as if to say "Look at me".
nusnus: during the winter months on mt. toubkal october through december...does the snow pretty much cover the mountain where you have to use crampons from the base to the summit? also, do people use plastic mountaineering boots or just gore-tex lined boots with crampons?? also, is rope travel and/or ice axe necessary on any parts of the climb up/down the mountain???
thank you.
Any old boots plus crampons plus a stick you should be OK. The summit I don't know but tso far as I know there is always snow in winter. Obviously there is snow everywhere after a snowfall but it soon clears up. You weigh it up when you get there.
No - plenty of people do it. Is it insanity for you to climb Toubkal in December is a different question the answer to which depends on your experience of climbing in snow & ice
I am from Alberta, Canada, and so do have experience mountaineering. It's good to hear that it's still climbable in dec, I had wondered if weather was an issue. I'll be in Morocco for two weeks, then Egypt to go diving, so don't want to haul my mountain gear all over with me- I guess my next question is which would be a reputable firm to rent gear from (reasonably good gear, that is).
I had also wanted to do it in a single day push, rather than staying on the mountain- maybe after a short trip in the area to acclimatise.
Also, has anyone been mountain biking, I wanted to rent a good bike and see some of the mountains that way, I saw there are some companies doing that but wasn't sure where the best area was. I like techinical, single-track type riding (not road biking so much).
i was also wondering the same thing as getouttheretoo...are there any shops or trekking companies that rent crampons and ice axes in marrakesh, morocco or at imil near the base of toubkal??? it seems like i will be trying to make a summit attempt on the first week of november...will there be snow? so not sure if there's going to be snow up on the mountain during this time period so wanted to make sure if the conditions on the mountain require this type of equipment that there will be a place where i can rent before i go up toubkal. inaddition, i'm trying to avoid having to rent these back home and having to lug these items while traveling on an international flight to morocco. are there guides or local trekking companies that specialize in mountaineering courses in the atlas mountains? if so, how much do they usually charge and costs for rental equipment??
any help or
rhonda: when in december are you planning on attempting a trek up mt. toubkal? i'm leaning towards a winter ascent as well now...early december and trying to find out who and where rents mountaineering equipment such as helmets/crampons/ice axes. if anybody knows of a good and reptuable shop in marrakesh, imil, or some place along the way before getting to the mountain that rents this type of equipment please post up here or feel free and send me a private message.
any help or information would be greatly appreciated...
thank you.
I trekked up Toubkal in Sept, 2001. As someone else said, it's just scree top to bottom. You can rip the descent if you're so inclined.
I have no idea how much snow/ice there is in winter, but there were shops in Imlil that rented telemark gear and advertised alpine guides. It is an easy ascent without any technical challenges so with either crampons and an ice axe (and knowledge of how to self-arrest), or either AT or telemark gear if you're a skier (sharpen those edges), it's a reasonably safe ascent.
The view from the top isn't spectacular, but you are at the top of North Africa in a cool country, so it's worth going.
GLTA.
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