Morocco Jebel Toubkal Trekking Dossier

 Morocco Jebel Toubkal Trekking Dossier
Location:
Atlas Mountains Morocco
Duration:
5 Days
Price:
£460
Ratio:
1:12
Pre-Requisites: Hillwalking experience
Dates
Please see website (we usually run a trip during the first
couple of weeks during October)
Summary:
Trek Jebel Toubkal in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco in a short break and bag North Africa's highest peak at
4126 metres above sea level, this is a sure fire way to tick all of the adventure boxes. Culture, Challenge & Culinary
Delights.
At only £460 this trip includes all guiding, accommodation, food and transport on the trek itself. All you need to do is
book the flights (below) and then prepare yourself for a hassle free trekking holiday. You can travel light for this trip
as we will not be camping and you will not need to cook your own food.
Unlike our competitors, we offer this trip with sufficient days to acclimatise and also with a backup option for poor
weather. We also pride ourselves in offering a personal service. By only providing a few trips per year we place a
great emphasis on customer care and enjoyment!
Day 1
Logistics
Meeting at the airport by Pure Outdoor Instructor or in-country agent.
Imlil is a village in the mountains at the foot of Jebel Toubkal. It is approximately 1.5 hours drive from Marrakech
Menara airport and we will be using a local taxi service. Begin your acclimatisation here with a night at 1750m above
sea level.
Food and Drink
9pm: Light Supper, group meeting and briefing for the week.
Accommodation
Evening Accommodation: Hotel du Soleil (Imlil)
Day 2
Trekking Day 1
Breakfast in Café du Soleil
Trek though the villages of Imlil and Aremd to Sidi Chamarouch where we will stop for some local Berber tea (sweet
green tea) and a rest in the sun. In the afternoon we will carry on our trek up to the Toubkal Refuge c.2650m. The
air is a lot thinner up here and you may start to feel the altitude.
This day should take us between 5 and 7 hours.
Evening Accommodation: Basic Mountain Refuge
Dining: Refuge Full Board
Day 3
Trekking Day 2
We will start the day early to maximise the chances of success. A lot of height gain and a hike up to the summit of
Jebel Toubkal 4162m. Photographs and a celebration on the summit after trekking North Africa’s highest peak. A
quick break and we then descend the summit screes to a col followed by a trek back to the refuge for more
celebratory tea.
Depending on fitness levels and how you feel with the altitude this day should take between 5 and 8 hours.
Evening Accommodation: Basic Mountain Refuge
Dining: Refuge Full Board
Day 4
Trekking Day 3
Trek back out to Imlil 4-5 hours max.
Poor Weather Alternative
If we experience a bad weather day on previous day this can be used to summit Jebel Toubkal and then descend to
the valley the same day. A whopper of a day but it is an option!
Late Lunch: Café du Soleil (Imlil)
Imlil to Marrakesh Taxi > 3pm
Dining: Traditional Moroccan Cuisine buffet. (NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE)
Evening Accommodation: Riad/Hotel (Marrakesh)
Evening entertainment: The only chance on the trip for a drink, we will go down the road to the local licensed bar.
Day 5
Course ends. No directed activities. A great opportunity to go sight seeing in Marrakech, or grab a traditional
Hammam (massage/sauna) to relax the weary legs before flying home or continuing your onward travel.
Taxi transfers are included and are arranged upon request to correspond with all flights.
Food
Food and Drink is included in the cost of the course within reasonable limits. Bottled drinking water is provided on
trekking days and non-alcoholic drinks are included at meal times. The breakdown of included meals are outlined
above.
Please outline any dietary requirements on the Health Questionnaire.
Sample Moroccan Meals:
Breakfast: Expect Coffee, Fresh Orange Juice, Boiled Eggs, Croissants, Toast, Bread, Butter, Cheese, Jams, Fruit,
Potato Scones. Breakfast in the refuge is very basic but sufficient to get enough energy for a day in the mountains.
Lunch: We will not be stopping for large meals. Instead we will have packed lunches and snack stops during the
course. Expect flatbread, cheese, fruit, muesli bars.
Dinner: Traditional Moroccan cuisine such as cous cous, lamb, chicken or veg tagine, skewered kebabs, fish,
potatoes, eggs, flat bread. Sometimes the huts offer other dishes such as Spaghetti or Pasta. Considering the
location they generally do very well with their catering.
Health
The Pure Outdoor Medical & Participation form must be completed prior to the trip. For this trip you will also be
required to complete a further health check questionnaire, which will be sent to you via email prior to the trip
commencing. Participants on this trek must have a good level of fitness.
Accommodation
Morocco has a huge range of accommodation to suit all budgets and tastes. On this expedition we will be staying in
comfortable and clean mid-range accommodation in twin/triple rooms. We have carefully chosen the accommodation
to prioritise location, cleanliness, security and friendly staff. This is however still a trekking expedition and the nature
of the week does not lend itself to luxury hotels!
When in the mountains we will be staying in a mountain refuge (the only option!) Mountain Refuges are historic
buildings offering a full board service. The accommodation is always in a dormitory style room with other trekkers.
Blankets are available but a reasonable sleeping bag is important. Bring earplugs.
Weather, Environment and Altitude
You can trek in Morocco year round. The summer season is from May to early October and the snow tends to arrive
from late November through to March. In October expect temperatures of mid to high 20’s (Celsius) in the valley
and places such as Marrakech. In the mountains the temperature could drop down to around 10 degrees and it can
be quite cold at night. We generally find trekking in a base layer with a soft-shell jacket or fleece appropriate. Extra
layers are essential for when you go higher.
Snow and poor weather can scupper the plan of any trekking expedition. Your guide will be keeping a close eye on
the weather forecast prior to and during the trip. If it looks like there will be snow on the route basic walking
crampons, ice axes and professional guidance on how to use them will be included in the course.
The trekking starts in a small village and the journey winds its way up valleys with dramatic landscapes. You will be
sharing the track with locals, trekkers, mules and donkeys. The path is generally quite dusty and rocky. Muleteers
will be taking your bags from the valley to the refuge and back down.
Jebel Toubkal is at 4162m above sea level. That is over 4 x the size of England’s ‘Scafell Pike’. Fortunately we get to
drive up to around 1500m to start us off. People feel the effects of altitude from anything around 2500m. Your guide
will brief you on signs and symptoms of altitude sickness on the first evening of the trip. It is essential to keep your
guide up to date with how you are feeling during the trek. A good level of fitness prior to the trip does not
necessarily help you acclimatise but it will help in making you feel more prepared for the trek.
Equipment
Kit List
Day Pack Rucksack (approx 15L.-35L.)
Holdall (to be carried up to the hut) (MAX approx 15kg)
Trekking Poles (optional)
Hiking Boots
Sunblock
Sunglasses
Passport (Travel Visa not required for UK residents)
Base Layers
Mid Layers (Fleece etc)
Hard Shell Layer (Waterproof Top and Bottom)
Socks & Spare Socks
Hat and Gloves
Clothes and comfortable shoes for the valley & Marrakesh
Lightweight sleeping bag (2-3 season)
Cash for Local Guide Tips
Head torch
Small waterproof bag containing; passport, airline ticket, credit cards and money
Drinking bottle/platypus/camelback
Optional
Lightweight footwear to wear when in and around the refuge
Lightweight spare clothes to wear around the refuge
Camera
Trekking snacks and sweets
A book/playing cards/entertainment for the hut evenings.
Mobile Phone (there is reasonable mobile network coverage in the mountains)
Antibacterial Handwash Gel
Personal First Aid kit (personal medicines, blister plasters etc.)
Towels are provided in the Marrakesh but not in the mountains. Hot showers are available in the mountain refuge
but we cannot vouch for their quality.
Flights
Please be aware that you must book your own fights and look after yourself from the UK to Marrakech Menara
(code:RAK) airport. The courses has been designed to fit around budget are flights from several UK airports. There
are of course many different options and airports to choose from depending on your home town and travel plans.
Feel free to tie the trip in with other travel plans. If your flights do not tie in with the agenda you will need to cover
the travel cost (taxis) to get to the accommodation. A Pure Outdoor representative will meet you at the airport.
Personal Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is a compulsory requirement for anybody booking on a Pure Outdoor international trek. This will
cover you in the event of an accident in the mountains, losing bags, delayed flights etc.
Please can we bring to your attention that trekking in Morocco is very different than the UK in that urgent medical
attention and evacuation is not always possible or immediate. Your guides will be trained in wilderness first aid and
will be armed with good medical kits but mountain rescue in Morocco more or less does not exist. Travel insurance is
not included in the price.
N.B Make sure that your travel insurance covers you for trekking trips over 4000m.
Guides
Guy Wilson (Course Director) and/or a Colleague will be running this trekking trip. As there is potential for a group of
12 we will also be using the services of a local guide to allow us to break the group size down for summit day. We
will be using a local muleteer to carry all required equipment to and from the mountain refuge.
Basic Travel Information
Moroccan currency is in Dirhams and is approximately 13.5 Dirhams to the £1 at the time of writing. Dirhams are
easily obtained by using a cash point in the airport upon arrival. Historically it has been illegal to export currency but
we have recently seen Dirhams traded in common exchange booths in airports.
It is safe to say that hygiene is improving as more Westerners travel to Morocco but it is not at its best in many of
the eateries ranging from the city through to the mountains due to our Western stomachs not being well adjusted to
the local food and water. Drink bottled water and ensure that the lid has not been tampered with. Do not use tap
water for brushing teeth etc to avoid any upset stomachs on the trip. Use common sense when shopping from street
stalls.
Taxis around Morocco are reasonable. The price is about half what they will quote you at first and make sure you
arrange a price before you get in. The taxis from the airport to the city are 70 MAD and probably 110 at night. Taxi
drivers aren’t great at knowing where the hotels are - so best to find a good landmark near a hotel prior to arriving.
Tipping
Be prepared to chip in for tips for local guides and muleteers depending on your appreciation of their work at the
end of the trip. Use the advice of the UK guide when tipping (there is often a local way of splitting it depending on
the job).
Single Supplement
Single supplements are available at an extra fixed cost for the trip. Since 2014 there is now options to book private
rooms in the refuge - this is an additional cost to the trip and can only be arrange upon arrival to Marrakech.