Update: Summited Mt. Toubkal Dec. 2007!
i went with an organized trekking company called, The Adventure Company based in the UK ( The Adventure Company UK ). they were very helpful in setting up everything and though expensive i thought it was worth every dirham since all accomadations to the huts including Neltner was included, food, and transport to/from Marrakesh to Imil the start of the trek but, most importantly they provided us with two very experienced guides moroccan/berber guides plus met some really great people/climbers on this trip. i didn' have any previous winter mountaineering experience and definitely learned a lot on this trip and gained some valuable experience but, most of all i always felt safe throughout the trek. we started out in imil and trekked to aremd which took about hour or two and there was already snow and ice on the trails all the way up to our first hut stay. it was rather tough walking as you would slip and slide on the icy patches even with my descent backpacking boots. so my big recommendation for gear on this trip would be trekking poles...believe me they come in handy for the descent as well as going uphill above neltner refuge in the surrounding atlas mountains. also, in Imil this where the mules would pickup your extra clothes/gear but, if your doing it solo w/out support then i guess your going to have to really go lightweight or be a strong climber. also, when the snow is too heavy above aremd that porters are used when the mules can't cut through the snow going uphill which happended with our group. i quickly looked around imil and i didn't see any gear shops selling or renting equipment but, there were definitely a lot of guys hanging around asking if you needed guides for mt. toubkal so i'm assuming if you hire locally that they could hook you up w/ the proper equipment but, i'd bet that they be pretty worn and you'd be taking your chances on the mountain with suspect gear and even heard that there are crampons/axe to rent at the refuge but, i wouldn't count on it. i confirmed this with our guides from our group and don't bother trying to rent equipment in marrakesh as there isn't any gear shops or outfitters that i heard about or seen either. i brought my own gear which included: black diamond contact strap crampons w/ my vasque backpacking boots and 65mm black diamond ice axe w/ strap, and black diamond cf trekking poles as well...i was just happy all my gear arrived in one piece as i wore all my important warm clothes on board my 16hr. flight from the U.S.!
we stayed overnight in the very chilly armed house/hut...nice basic clean accomadations w/ cold water shower/squat toliets/good hearty meals, warm heater in the common area, and a friendly cat. here you can purchase bottled water or sodas for about 5-10 dirhams or get boiled water as well. we started out from armed and headed for the neltner refuge built by the french which took about 5 hours of tough walking going uphill through the atlas mtns. with some really beautiful snow capped mountain scenery, not crowded on the trails but, very icy and some sections just a lot of snow and rocks to navigate around.
the neltner refuge definitely was a bustling basecamp for many groups which consisted of british, french, german, and spanish climbers. from the neltner refuge you have 3 options to climb the surrounding highest peaks: mt. toubkal, Ouanakrim, and Ouanoumiss. there are actually two refuges now one supported by the french climbing association and another private refuge next door. here at this refuge there is a huge dinning area, common area w/ fireplace (definitely best place to warm up!), squat toliets w/ wash sinks downstairs, and dorm style rooms that accommodate about 12 people per room. the rooms seemed to be packed so its definitely good to have your guide or make reservations on your own as i hear in the summer people end up sleeping on the floors. the nights were definitely cold as it was below zero outside at nights but, my zero deg. sleeping bag keep me overly toasty. here you can purchase warm cooked meals mostly soup/veggies/couscous/flat bread/spaggetti/oranges/tea and bottled water/sodas/pringles chips/candy bars like snickers (my quick energy fix on the mountain! as i forgot all my goodies back home). everyone from the owner/cooks/staff were very warm and friendly people. although i couldn't communicate with most people at the refuge it was still nice sharing any info and experiences on climbs with whomever i came across hanging out by the fire.
the following morning we strapped on our crampons and all essential clothing/gear like ice axe, day pack w/ about 2-3 liters of water, poles, and barclava to keep out the gusting winds and morning chill. also, don't forget the sunglasses and strong sunscreen as the sunny rays become brutal in the afternoon and on the descent. it was definitely my toughest climb yet as it involved a lot of trekking up hills, traversing along tight ridgelines, and going up and over rocks,etc. basically the summit is not visible until your about 200 meters from it that you can actually see the iron triangle at the top! it took me about four hours to reach the summit and it was definitely rewarding as the views were spectacular and clear all the way around in which you could see algeria and the high atlast mountains in the area so i spent close to an hour up there w/ our group just taking it all in, resting and eating a delicious tuna sandwich which tasted like a steak at the time! going back down the mountain was twice as tough since an old knee injury...strained muscle was acting up again but, i managed to limp back down on andreline and just thinking about that snickers bar i had back at the refuge! it probably took me a little less time than than going up but, it was a lot of fun to glissade down parts of the mountain to save on the legs and time.
the next day we went onto climbing the two other mountains: Ouanakrim, and Ouanoumiss...where the first one was definitely the most challenging meaning very, very steep ascent in thick snow then involved scrambling over huge boulders and rocks that was a rentless uphill. this required taking on/off your crampons. however, my knee injury got the best of me and i wasn't able to summit these mountains so i headed back down the mountain and back to the refuge w/ the 2nd guide while the rest of my team marched onwards to the tops! which was all good as by that time i was already dreaming about chilling out and relaxing in the sahara which was my next destination on my trip!
anyways, i thought it was invaluable to travel w/ an experienced crew and guides as i learned a lot about mountaineering like self arrest techniques, walking w/ crampons & ice axes, proper hydration, and taking up the proper equipment/gear...like blowing back the water in your camelbak tube inorder to prevent it from freezing on you! also, i came across many groups and individuals that did this trek on their own but, its definitely not easy route finding as there are no trail markers on the routes as i saw those doing it on their own would mirror or follow the organized groups on their treks starting out and breaking trail every morning. also, if something were to happen on the mountains doing it on your own would be very difficult for those to get any sort of help. i think with proper acclimation, gear, and training that someone whose interested in doing a 4,000 meter peak to go for it and enjoy all aspects of the atlas mtns. its not antartica or everest but, you can do it safely, have a good time, and be prepared or you can take your chances and roll the dices depending on your mountaineering experience.
if anyone has any questions or needs any additional info. feel free and hit me up w/ a private message or post up here and i'll try to help you out as best i can...goodluck to those all going up...Shukran!