MOUNT TOUBKAL TREK
7th-11th June 2023
Summit North Africa's highest mountain, Mt.Toubkal (4167m) and soak up local Moroccan culture in Marrakech and remote Berber villages
- 4 Nights
- Challenging
- Morocco
Are you ready for our womens only Mount Toubkal trek created for us by Summit expedition experts Adventurous Ewe
Immerse yourself in another world with this action packed mountain adventure in the heart of the High Atlas Mountains with other like minded Adventuresses.
Starting from bustling Marrakech you’ll venture into the Grand Atlas Mountains in central Morocco to climb North Africa’s highest peak, Mount Toubkal at 4167m. Your adventure allows you time to marvel at the vast mountain surroundings, and spend time in historical Berber villages where you’ll soak in the culture and have a chance to acclimatise for your bid to the summit of Mount Toubkal.
Tackling varied terrain with your highly experienced guide, you’ll receive friendly Berber hospitality as you wind your way up this rocky giant. The views on the way up are spectacular, but nothing compares to what you’ll see (and feel) at the summit. From the peak of Toubkal you’ll experience stunning 360 -degree panoramic views which extend across the rocky Atlas ranges and southwards to Jebel Sahro and across the Sahara Desert. What better way to spend a long weekend than on this iconic mountain adventure with warm hearted Moroccan people and your new Adventuress fam.
INCLUDED
Pre-trip
- Personalised trip support from the Adventurous Ewe team
- All trip info supplied via free mobile travel app
- Training guide with discount code for personal training programme
- Discount on personal kit both in shop and online
- Risk assessment and emergency management planning
- Monthly payment plan available
- Trip Whatsapp group to meet your Adventuress fam
During the trip
- Qualified UK Mountain Leader & Qualified Moroccan Mountain Guide
- All ground crew per your itinerary including Cook and luggage transfer on the trek via mules (please ensure your kit bag does not exceed 10kgs for the mules)
- 2 night’s guesthouse accommodation & 2 night’s camping accommodation (2 person tents / single tents available on request at an additional cost) (twin or multi share)
- Tents and camping equipment
- All meals as outlined in your itinerary – 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 4 dinners
- Private vehicle transfers as outlined in your itinerary
- Satellite telephone and VHF radio
- Safety equipment and first aid provisions
NOT INCLUDED
- Return flights from the UK to Marrakech Morocco (Can be booked through Adventurous Ewe’s partnered agent)
- Any trip extensions or additional night’s accommodation
- Travel insurance (mandatory)
- Clothing and equipment as detailed on the Kit List
- Any personal snacks, electrolytes, water purification tablets and medication
- Single room supplement including single tents
- Tips for local crew
- Any expenses incurred with leaving the trip early ie. hotel accommodation or change of flight costs.
Day 1: Arrive in Marrkech
On your arrival into Marrakech Airport on the recommended flight time, you will be met by a transfer to take you from the airport to Imlil. You are also welcome to arrive earlier into Marrakech if you wish as there will be a designated pick up time and point on the same day.
You will be transferred by minibus from Marrakech to your Guesthouse in the Berber mountain village of Imlil at 1700m. This transfer will take approximately 1.5 hours. On arrival you will have time to get to know your fellow Adventuresses and make final preparations for your trek as your Leader will provide a full trek briefing over dinner.
Included
Transfer: Transfer from Marrakech to Imlil
Accommodation: Imlil Guesthouse (twin/multi share basis)
Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Trek Imlil to Azib Tamsoult (2400m)
After a delicious Moroccan breakfast, your crew will load up all the equipment and food supplies ready for your trek of Mount Toubkal. You will leave the picturesque Berber mountain village of Imlil and head for the Azib Tamsoult. Your trekking route will wind through walnut and cherry orchids and past Berber farms where goats & sheep are herded in the mountains as it slowly makes its way up the Mizane Valley. Your route will then head west over the Tizi Mzik Pass (2489m) for lunch. You will continue your ascent making your way deeper into the spectacular High Atlas mountains as the trail slowly leads you to Azib Tamsoult (2400mt) Your overnight camp is perched high on the mountain terraces, a great setting to witness dramatic views down the valley.
Approximately 6 hours trekking.
Included
Kit bag transfer: Main kit bag transferred from Imlil to Azib Tamsoult on mules
Accommodation: Camping (two person tents / single tents are available on request)
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 3: Acclimatisation Day – Azib Tamsoult to Netler Refuge (3206m)
Today is a planned acclimatisation day which will help prepare you for your Toubkal summit attempt the following day. Leaving camp in the early morning you’ll continue your ascent into the High Atlas Mountains. As part of your acclimatisation and preparation, you will summit of Aglzim (3500m) which awards you with vast views over rugged Grand Atlas. Your route then takes you through the Mizane Valley arriving back at Netler refuge in the late afternoon for another home cooked meal and overnight camp.
Approximately 8 hours of trekking.
Included
Accommodation: Camping (two person tents / single tents are available on request)
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 4: Summit Mt Toubkal (4167m)
An early start will take you to the top of the highest peak in North Africa. Your steep ascent starts as soon as you leave the Refuge. Your route winds and zig zags its way up the south cwm before traversing the south ridge to the summit. Here you will be rewarded with awe-inspiring panoramic views of the Atlas Mountains, the Sahara Desert and the environments that have enclosed them for centuries. With time to take your summit photos you will then make your way back down to the refuge for a well-earned break and some lunch before continuing down to Imlil.
Approximately 8 – 10 hours of trekking.
Included
Accommodation: Imlil Guesthouse (twin/multi share rooms)
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & celebration dinner
Day 5: Imlil to Marrakech to UK
After a relaxing breakfast it’s a short drive back to Marrakech.
Depending on your plans, you can either explore Marrakech and visit the Djemaa el Fna, an open-air market with food stalls, colourful spice stands, a huge array of clothing, and all sorts of trinkets, travelling musicians and acrobats. Or be transferred directly to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
Included
Transfer: From Imlil to Marrakech Airport or Hotel Ali (central Marrakech)
Accommodation: Not included
Meals: Breakfast only
Please note, if you wish to extend your stay in Marrakech, we can help you with plenty of recommendations of things to do and see, places to stay and suggestions on where to eat. Central Marrakech is only a short taxi journey to the airport plus there’s many other areas of Morocco which are worth exploring if your time permits. Chief Ewe, Jim, has lived in Morocco so he has plenty of helpful tips available once you’ve booked on this exciting adventure.
Our big trips are provided by expedition experts who support our mission to help women gain confidence and have incredible experiences through adventure. This trip is provided for us by Adventurous Ewe who have years upon years of guiding experience in the Atlas Mountains.
Yes! You will summit with your Adventuress fam. We endeavour to request female guides wherever possible, however there is a chance your UK & local guide may be male. Your friendly guides will have extensive experience of working with female groups and share our groups ethos of respect and acceptance for all.
95% of our trips are made up of solo Adventuresses from all over the UK. Everybody admits to feeling nervous during their first adventure, but by the end of your trip you’ll feel like you’ve made friends for life. Bonds are formed very quickly on our adventures, and every trip is introvert friendly!
A bespoke trek training programme will be provided when signing up for this adventure to help you with your preparations together with some top tips.
Adventurous Ewe offer exclusive offers with their Training Partners and Communities – Her Spirit and Strength and Movement Coach, Peter Lant. For more info, please visit the Training and Preparation page.
The more you are prepared, the more you will enjoy the trek.
Our motto is: Train hard, smile harder and enjoy the journey!
On joining us for the Mt Toubkal Summer Trek, you will receive all the exciting trip info via Adventurous Ewe’s free mobile travel app. You’ll have access to your itinerary, trip countdown, live updates, contact info, weather forecasts, ‘know before you go’ trip info, kit lists and much more at the touch of a button 24 hours a day via your mobile phone. No more unnecessary use of reams of paper and the need of carrying around documents with you. The app is free to download and all info is customary to your adventure ahead. A’ppy days.
Adventurous Ewe pride themselves with providing personal, professional and friendly service. They appreciate that everyone has different levels of experience and reasons for wishing to embark on the Mt Toubkal Summer Trek and therefore require varying levels of support and guidance. They’ll be there to help you every step of the way from the moment you book all the way through to completing the challenge and beyond.
Plus with Chief Ewe, Jim, having previously lived in Morocco, can help you with plenty of tips and recommendations of things to do and see, places to explore & stay and suggestions on where to eat & drink once you’ve signed up for this exciting trek.
When booking a trip with Adventuress, you’ll have the opportunity to speak to others joining your trip in a Whatsapp group. This is where you can discuss travel options, gear and maybe even get together pre-trip! The guides of Adventurous Ewe will be in the Whatsapp group to ask answer any questions you may have. It’s open right now! Come join the chat.
Flights are not included in your Summer Toubkal Trek giving you the flexibility to travel from your nearest UK airport and/or extend your stay in Morocco or use any frequent flyer points if you wish.
Adventurous Ewe will provide you with the recommended flights for this trip in order for you to take up the airport transfers included in Morocco and make your own bookings. Alternately, you can book your flights through their flight agent.
For any further info on flights, please feel free to get in touch at info@adventurousewe.co.uk.
All nationalities require a full passport that must be valid for 3 months beyond the intended length of stay in Morocco. For the latest entry requirements in to Morocco, including COVID info, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco/entry-requirements.
Travel Insurance is an important part of any booking. It is compulsory that everyone who travels with us has taken out adequate travel insurance which includes, among other things, cover for the full value of your trip, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, trekking to an altitude of 4167 metres, personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects and COVID-19 travel cover.
You must send your Travel Insurance Policy to Adventurous Ewe no less than one month prior to departure.
For peace of mind whilst trekking in the mountains, Global Rescue provides short term membership giving access to travel, security, medical advisory and evacuation services up to $500,000USD. They’re a specialised field rescue company, and assist from the point of illness or injury by getting you to the closest and most appropriate medical facilities to get stabilised. Once fit to fly if you require additional inpatient treatment Global Rescue will further evacuate and repatriate to your home hospital on record. These services are all covered through their upfront membership fee with no claims process. For more info, please click here.
There are currently no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations include: Tetanus, Typhoid and Hepatitis A.
For the most up to date information on vaccinations, please consult with your GP or travel healthcare practitioner 6 – 8 weeks in advance of travel. For up to date vaccination information please check the NHS government website ‘Fit for Travel’.
If you have a severe allergy please inform us at the time of booking. We will do all we can to help, but unfortunately we are unable to guarantee an allergy free environment on this trip. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as ‘adrenaline auto-injectors’ are not carried as standard by AE leaders and crew. Whilst your leader is aware of our trekkers medical history, please also inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.
Adventurous Ewe puts the safety and well-being of you, their leaders & crew and the communities they visit at the centre of all of their operations, always. Your safety and well-being is their top priority.
The Mt Toubkal Summer Trek is intentionally challenging and requires individual preparation as the trip is designed to take you out of your every-day comfort zone and achieve something incredible. Rest assured they have a thorough Safety Management System, in-depth risk assessments and risk management systems in place.
You will be accompanied by your guides throughout the trek. Leaders are First Aid trained and have extensive experience in leading groups in this region. They will be ultimately responsible for your safety on this trip.
Many national governments provide a regularly updated advice service on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Travel advice website for their latest travel information before departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all areas your itinerary covers.
An Adventurous Ewe UK Leader will accompany the Adventuress in the Wild group on this trek. Your UK Leader is an experienced high-altitude guide who has been carefully selected to ensure you have the best experience with a bit of humour thrown in for good measure. Your Leader will be Wilderness First Aid trained too.
Your Local Leader is also a key part of this trip. Expertly trained and experienced in every field of this high-altitude trek, bilingual (English and Arabic) and qualified in first aid and/or Wilderness First responder. With a huge passion for what they do and with plenty of knowledge ready to share with you. They are responsible for ensuring the complete safety, wellbeing and enjoyment of the team whilst also retaining a flexible and fun attitude. The Leaders have radio and satellite phone contact with base, the local office and Adventurous Ewe’s HQ.
Adventurous Ewe pride themselves in small group travel to minimise the impact on the environment and to make your experience more authentic and safe.
The minimum group size for the Adventuress in the Wild Mt Toubkal Summer Trek to run is 6 people and the maximum group size is 16 people.
You can get a rough idea of the kit list here, but a full kit list will be provided when you book onto this Toubkal Trek. Good kit can make the difference between a fantastic adventure and an uncomfortable one. Well worn in waterproof hiking boots are essential together with a good quality waterproof jacket AND trousers.
An exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code will be provided for the independent outdoor retailers.
This is a strenuous trek in a remote area of North Africa. It is graded ‘Challenging’ due to the warm conditions and high-altitude trekking. The trip is designed for confident trekkers who are looking for a short yet rewarding mountain ascent. Although this trek is not technically difficult, you should be an experienced walker as trails can be very stony. Most routes follow mule trails but there are some rough paths that involve walking on scree. All 5 days walking include full porterage and you should be prepared for a couple of long days with some boulders and steep sections (maximum 8-9 hours).
Trekking to the summit of North Africa’s highest mountain (maximum 4167m) involves walking and sleeping at altitude, therefore altitude sickness is a possibility. Your base camp is at 3,208m and therefore mild symptoms may be experienced, such as headaches, nausea and loss of appetite. The best way to adjust to altitude is to walk slowly, rest as often as possible and drink plenty of water! Rest assured your Leader is experienced in high altitude trekking and will advise you accordingly if you are starting to feel the effects of altitude.
During the main summer months temperatures in Marrakech can be very high (33 – 42ºC), as are some of the lower valleys of the High Atlas, however in the mountains you can expect daytime temperatures above 2500m to be around 20 ºC to 25ºC. At night, the temperature, even at the Neltner Refuge, is unlikely to fall below freezing. The weather is predicted to be good. However it’s good to remember that mountainous weather is difficult to predict. Occasional rain or even short-lived storms are not uncommon, so best to be prepared for all.
We recommend that you check the mountain weather forecast in the days leading up to your trek by clicking here.
Guesthouse (2 nights twin/multi share rooms) and camping (2 person tents)
The accommodation has been sourced very carefully in Imlil. You’ll be staying in a locally owned guesthouse in line with the Adventurous Ewe style of travel, but please note that service and accommodation in Morocco may be different to western standards. The rooms are on a twin or multi share basis. Whilst some rooms have en-suites, others have a shared bathroom.
Your campsites are serviced by a mountain refuge giving you access to their facilities. You will be required to bring your own sleeping mat and sleeping bag. Most camping chores will be done for you and a single tent can be organised for you on request at an additional cost. Please let us know prior to departure if you would prefer a 1 person tent.
Group trips are designed for shared accommodation in order to keep the cost at a minimum for you. Single rooms and tents may be organised for an additional cost however this is dependent on accommodation availability. For more info or to request a single room/tent, please get in touch with at info@adventurousewe.co.uk.
4 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 4 dinners included
On your trek the food is a mixture of local and Western, all purchased locally and cooked for you by your trek cook. Breakfasts are continental style, with tea and coffee, orange juice, cereal, bread, jam and honey. Lunches will be provided on the days of trekking. Dinner will be provided in the guesthouse and mountain refuge. Dinner usually consists of rice, pasta, couscous, with a vegetable stew (or tagine) and maybe some meat (usually chicken, lamb or beef). Meat is not prominent on the menu. All dishes come with traditional sauces which are rarely (spicy) hot. To round off dinner, there is the usual range of hot drinks.
Vegetarians can be catered for but there is a fairly limited choice of cous cous and tajine or omelettes. This is particularly the case during the more rural or trekking sections of the trip. Please note that if you have any special dietary requirements you should inform Adventurous Ewe at info@adventurousewe.co.uk prior to the trip. If you have a specific medical/dietary need (i.e. coeliac or vegan) you may find it helpful to bring some items of food with you from home.
It is not recommended to drink untreated water from the taps. You should take purification tablets or a filter bottle (such as a Water-To-Go bottle) to treat your water. We do not encourage the purchasing of single use plastic bottles. Bottled water can be purchased throughout the trip, but we strongly discourage buying these as it contributes to plastic waste. Please note recycling is not fully established in Morocco so plastic bottles are an increasing waste problem.
When booking this trip you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions of Adventurous Ewe which can be viewed here
Here you can learn more about the amazing work Adventurous Ewe are doing to support various causes from local tourism to battling climate change
Supporting local tourism and local communities
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on local communities and livelihoods across the planet, Adventurous Ewe are keen to promote adventures in countries that are actively working towards sustainable tourism and conservation projects. Morocco a leading player in the “green” travel industry, paying close attention to sustainable tourism.
In the words of Adventurous Ewe….
We’re passionate about exploring off the beaten track routes in order to help communities who are in the shadow of mainstream tourist destinations. We also aim to create an adventure which is about discovery, immersing yourself in fascinating environments, customs and cultures and provides an understanding of history and people. On this trek you have the unique opportunity to connect with local people in a meaningful way, the true essence of travel.
Carbon Footprint
We’ve crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of the Mt Toubkal Summer Trek, and plant or protect enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
What’s the number?
It works out on average at 222kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, leaders, crew and office operations.
The only thing not included is travel to Morocco. Given that our beloved guests travel from all parts of the UK for this adventure we have no way of reliably knowing their travel plans therefore we’re unable to include an individual number in the figure on display here.
What does the number mean?
To give you a snapshot of the numbers:
Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you).
A return economy class flight London – New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air over a period of 5 – 10 years
What are we doing about it?
Our adventures are relatively low-carbon by design, and we’re working to develop long term carbon reduction plan. Following much research into climate change organisations, we carefully selected to support the environmental charity, Cool Earth. They’re a sustainable operation and work with rainforest communities across the globe to halt deforestation and it’s impact on climate change. We invest 1% of our revenue into supporting critical conservation projects world-wild with Cool Earth.
On a local level here in the UK, we’re an ongoing business member of the Snowdonia Society, plus Jim and Sue, together with some of our local leaders, also help the Society with their local projects such as planting native trees in Snowdonia. This is to help preserve the landscape and enhance wildlife habitat here in Snowdonia.
Want to know more?
We believe that with great travel, comes even greater responsibility. Tourism is one of the most important and largest industries on the planet. It employs more people worldwide than any other, with millions of families relying on tourism for their daily needs. At Adventurous Ewe we believe that our type of small scale, positive impact tourism can bring benefits to many communities, help preserve the environments we travel to see, and provide real and positive social exchanges. Here is our plan to do our part towards helping reduce factors that we can contributing to climate change as part of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency.
We’ve joined the movement to reshape the Future of Tourism!
We are excited to announce that Adventurous Ewe has signed the new set of Guiding Principles launched by the Future of Tourism Coalition. As a signatory, we commit to place destination needs at the centre of our recovery strategies and do our part to build a better tomorrow for travel and tourism.
These transformative principles outline a bold vision for the future of tourism – one that retains the integrity of destinations, promotes inclusivity and equality, maximizes positive impacts for communities and environments, and fosters collaborative change.
As a collective, we can build a better future for all and we’re super excited
7th-11th June 2023
-
Reserve with £99 deposit
-
Monthly payment plan available. Enquire here
I have been on two big trips with Adventuress. From these adventures I feel like I have found a new sense of freedom, and have uncovered new strengths by taking a leap out of my comfort zone. Above all I have shared laughter and soulful talks with beautiful women. Certainly made me look at life in a whole new light
Kam Hunjan
on South Africa Adventure Retreat & Peak District Big Weekend
The whole weekend I felt I had permission to be utterly myself and that's down to the vibe. I don't remember feeling like that in a long time and it was pretty incredible and actually kind of transformational
Sam Kenny
on Portland Climbing & Hiking Adventure
Adventuress made my dream come true of hiking the SW Coast Path. I would never have achieved it without the organisation and support of Adventuress. The thoughtfulness and care put into the whole experience made it truly unforgettable.
Jo Cameron
on Jurassic Coast Multi-Day Hiking Adventure
Conquer your mountains
Adventuress is all about pushing your boundaries to experience life beyond your comfort zone.
Whats waiting for you there? A sense of achievement that’ll leave you filled with confidence, and the realisation that you have it in you to achieve more than you ever imagined.
Our guides and members of the community are super supportive, and above all we love to have fun. Laughter is 100% guaranteed.
Our ethos
We believe that every community matters, which is why we welcome all women and non-binary femmes. We recognise that some of you do not feel like you are not represented in the world of outdoor pursuits, and we want to break that barrier and get everybody out having an amazing adventures.
- The outdoors is for everybody
- Celebrating every woman's uniqueness
- Total respect for Mother Nature
