I had always wanted to tackle Toubkal, but summiting Ouanoukrim as well gave me a deeper experience of the High Atlas Mountains. What an amazing place!
Graham CLocation
Terrain
Difficulty
Accommodation and Meals
Gite, Wild Camping, Riad
Duration
7 days
Meeting Point
Marrakech
Annual Leave
5 days
Group Size
Up to 16
Seasons
May to October
Walking Distance
44km
Meet Charlie, a director of, and one of the co-founders of Tribal Tracks.
Summit three of Morocco's highest peaks, including Mount Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa.
Enjoy legendary Berber hospitality while wild camping, learning how to bake bread on an open fire, while looking up at vast, clear, African skies.
Complete the trip with a celebration dinner in Marrakech, a vibrant and engaging city.
All the info you need
Trip Details
In this challenge, we summit Mount Ouanoukrim, which has two summits, Timzguida (4089m) and Ras (4083m), before going on to summit Mount Toubkal as our final challenge. We then head to Marrakech to celebrate our achievement, and to explore its famous Medina, the walled medieval city, with its buzzing souks.
Trip Details
You will meet your Tribal Tracks leader at London Gatwick before boarding your flight to Marrakech.
On arrival, you will be met by our local Moroccan team at the airport and will transfer to the village of Imlil in the High Atlas Mountains. Enjoy the local Berber hospitality and after dinner, we will have a briefing from the Tribal Tracks leader about the days that lie ahead.
Accommodation and Meals
Overnight in Gite in Imlil in twin/triple share rooms, dinner.
After breakfast, you will head out on your acclimatisation trek, surrounded by the stunning High Atlas Mountains.
The route winds through the beautiful Imlil valley and heads to Tizi n' Tamatert, a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2358m, passing through mountain villages and meeting local Berber communities. Berber history dates back to prehistoric times, and their way of life still remains blissfully simple; it is like stepping back in time when you visit this area. You will then return back to the gite in late afternoon, where there will be a kit check before dinner and a brief on the summit trek.
Trek distance approximately 12km.
Accommodation and Meals
Full board and overnight in Gite in Imlil, twin/triple share rooms.
After breakfast, you will head out on your acclimatisation trek, surrounded by the stunning High Atlas Mountains.
The route winds through the beautiful Imlil valley and heads to Tizi n' Tamatert, a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2358m, passing through mountain villages and meeting local Berber communities. Berber history dates back to prehistoric times, and their way of life still remains blissfully simple; it is like stepping back in time when you visit this area. You will then return back to the gite for lunch.
After lunch, you will have time to visit the local school and have a game of football with the boys. Watch out - they are pretty quick and very competitive! You may be able to learn a bit about their way of life, and tell them a bit about yours.
In late afternoon, there will be a kit check before dinner and a brief on the summit trek.
Trek distance approximately 12km.
Accommodation and Meals
Full board and overnight in Gite in Imlil, twin/triple share rooms.
The 7-8 hour trek to Base Camp will be tough and challenging and the terrain can be demanding.
After an early start, it is time to start the ascent route to Base Camp, trekking out of the Imlil valley. We can absorb the views, which include remote villages and waterfalls before having lunch at Sidi Chamharouch. You will arrive at Base Camp by late afternoon, where you can rest before the summit of Timzguida 4,089m and Ras 4083m, the twin peaks of Mount Ouanoukrim the following day.
7-8 hours trekking, trek distance approximately 14km.
Accommodation and Meals
Camping in twin share tents with full board supported by our trek crew.
Today marks the start of the Three Peak Challenge.
After an early start, you will begin to trek, climbing along the stunning ridge from the pass of Tizi n Ouagane. While ascending, you will encounter a few sections which will require a short scramble, but there is nothing technical and the team are there to support.
You will reach the summit of Mount Ouanoukrim and its twin peaks of Timzguida (4089m) and Ras (4083m) in turn, each time being rewarded with far reaching views of Toubkal and the neighbouring peaks.
7-8 hours trekking, trek distance 8km.
Accommodation and Meals
Camping in twin share tents with full board supported by our trek crew.
Today you will finish your challenge with a summit of Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa.
You will have a very early start, using your head torch to help you find your way up the steep, rocky path, guided by our team. As night turns into the dim light of early morning, the path begins to get easier, and you ascend up on to a col. It is then a final push up a steep path to the summit, hopefully coinciding with the sun breaching the horizon and the views towards the Sahara unfolding.
After a celebration at the top, you will return to Base Camp to rest.
7-8 hours trekking, trek distance 8km.
Accommodation and Meals
Camping in twin share tents with full board supported by our trek crew.
Today you will finish your challenge with a summit of Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa.
You will have a very early start, using your head torch to help you find your way up the steep, rocky path, guided by our team. As night turns into the dim light of early morning, the path begins to get easier, and you ascend up on to a col. It is then a final push up a steep path to the summit, hopefully coinciding with the sun breaching the horizon and the views towards the Sahara unfolding.
After a celebration at the top, you will return to Base Camp for a quick rest and a meal, before descending to Imlil and onwards to Marrakech. There you can enjoy a hot shower before a celebration meal!
8-10 hours trekking, trek distance 20km.
Accommodation and Meals
Twin Share Rooms in 3* Riad in Marrakech, full board.
Today there is time to explore the sites of Marrakech including the main square of Jamaa El Fan and the souk, before enjoying a last delicious lunch.
You will then transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Accommodation and Meals
Breakfast, Lunch
Today will be a steady trek back to Imlil, retracing your steps of a few days ago, and taking approximately 6 hours.
After lunch in Imlil, you will then transfer to Marrakech for your final night. There will be time to explore the main square of Jamaa El Fan and the Souks before a celebration dinner in a local restaurant!
Trek distance 14km.
Accommodation and Meals
Overnight in Riad in Marrakech in twin/triple share rooms and full board.
It is time to say farewell to Morocco.
After breakfast we will transfer to the airport for the flight home (flight time dependent – later transfers can be arranged).
Accommodation and Meals
Breakfast.
Trip Details
Trip Details
This is what you will need to buy/source yourself.
It is important that you read the itinerary carefully, and take account of the rating we have given it.
Although our challenges are not technical, they do require a good degree of physical fitness. The conditions will require stamina and strength, which you should recognise and train for. This will be a much better experience if you are fit and prepared. You should feel comfortable walking 6-8 hours per day.
In setting the maximum size of our groups, we take a number of factors into account.
Altitude, degree of difficulty, the terrain, the climate and time of year, all determine the maximum group size. Sometimes it will be 20, sometimes it will be 8-14, but safety is always our priority.
The minimum number to participate is 2. You will be accompanied by a Tribal Tracks UK Leader, Mountain Leader qualified, as well as supported by our local, in-country guides.
It is a requirement of Tribal Tracks booking terms and conditions that each supporter must hold their own travel insurance which covers the trip and the activities they are doing.
We advise you to put insurance in place as soon as possible. Your insurance must be valid and in date, covering the entire period that you are travelling for, including the return journey home. It should cover medical and personal accident risks, and should include repatriation costs and air ambulance or helicopter rescue services, where appropriate. We are happy to help you if you have any queries about this or have any difficulties.
Tribal Tracks has 100% Financial Protection and has a trust account with the Protected Trust Service, member number 5566.
This means that all client monies paid to Tribal Tracks are held in our dedicated trust account, which is supervised by an independent trustee. This means that in the very unlikely event that Tribal Tracks ceases to trade, your money is safe. For more information, please visit this link. Any flights booked for you by Tribal Tracks will be ATOL protected under our own ATOL certificate.
Tribal Tracks considers the safety of all of its participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have thorough safety systems in place.
In the event of an injury, we have an evacuation plan in place for all elements of the trek route. We do ask that you look after yourself during the trek in the following way, as this will help avoid unnecessary problems:
We know that the unexpected can happen.
While you are away, things can happen at home and people may need to get in contact with you. This can be tricky when you are in remote areas. So, shortly before departure, we provide you with an Emergency Procedure document to distribute to your nearest and dearest. This sets out how to contact Tribal Tracks and the steps Tribal Tracks will then take to get in contact with you.
It is really important that you are well prepared for your physical challenge and that you are confident that you will be able to fully participate.
Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely partake in the trek, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to step out of the trek. Although this is a very rare occurrence, by booking this trip you agree to section 11 of our Booking Conditions which clearly states that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these circumstances, we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred.
At Tribal Tracks, Responsible Travel is enormously important to us, and our commitment to responsible travel is evidenced in every itinerary that we prepare.
Core to our business is the belief that holidays can and should be enjoyable to the traveller but should be conducted in a socially, environmentally and economically responsible manner which brings benefit to local communities. This is implemented through a variety of measures which can be found in our Responsible Travel policy - http://www.tribaltracks.co.uk/responsible-travel-policy. We encourage you to read this and to play your own part in travelling responsibly.
Trip Details
Trip Details
The trek is a challenge. We will be walking for a long time over sometimes challenging terrain with steep ascents and descents.
The best way to build endurance fitness is to start with some gentle walks and gradually build up both the distance and duration over the next few months. In the last 2 months, we would recommend to go out and do long days, ideally in the hills, to build up the strength in your legs. About a week before the trek, limit any training to short walks – you want to have fresh legs at the start!
For the trek you should be comfortable trekking between 6 - 8 hours per day, but remember we have all day to achieve the distances and will not be going at racing snake pace. It may sound obvious, but make sure that you are walking properly, hitting the ground with your heel first, then rolling onto your toe, which pushes you onto the next step (this will help reduce the risk of shin splints and tendon pulls). Walk with your head up, eyes forward and shoulders level.
It is a good idea to develop a level of cardiovascular fitness (exercising and strengthening your heart and lungs). This comes from running, cycling or swimming for between 20 minutes and an hour, and will really help develop your endurance fitness. Three sessions a week is normally advised, increasing time and distance over time.
Replicate conditions in training i.e., use all the kit you will be using and try your walking poles if you want to use them.
It is important to pack so that you know where everything is. Separating kit into different packing cubes, or even plastic bags can really help with this. You can pack by item (eg socks and pants in one cube, tops in another etc) or by day, putting your entire outfit for that day together in one place. Taking an extra bag or cube to separate dirty kit is a great idea.
You will have two bags on the trip - your main bag and your back pack.
You should operate on the basis that you will not have access to your main bag during the day and while you are trekking. This means that it is important to have everything you need in your back pack. Waterproofs should go in the bottom, together with an extra layer, sunscreen and sunglasses, plus hat and gloves (if you are in a colder climate). You should also have your water bottles, and any specific snacks, medicines or first aid items you want to take, such as zinc tape and blister plasters. Baby wipes/toilet roll and nappy sacks are also essential for going to the toilet while you are trekking - we will explain more in the pre-departure briefing!
In the event of an injury, we have an evacuation plan in place for all elements of the trek route. We do ask that you look after yourself during the trek in the following way, as this will help avoid unnecessary problems:
We will brief you in the pre-departure briefing as to the catering specifically for your trip. However, as a guide, each morning you will be provided with a very filling local breakfast, usually accompanied by tea or coffee. Lunch will be during your trek and will be prepared by the team of cooks or we will utilise local restaurants or teahouses. Food will always be ample and tasty. If wild camping, dinner will be in the dining tent and will be traditional, freshly prepared food. If you are staying in a hotel or teahouse, dinner will be served there. Water, tea and coffee will be served and alcohol will usually not be available, although there will be some exceptions. We will provide 4 litres of drinking water per person per day. You will need to fill up 2 litres at breakfast and another 2 litres at lunchtime.
Please ensure that you have notified us before departure if you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies as we can cater for most.
Please inform us of any dietary requirements or allergies before you travel, and preferably at the time of booking. We can cater for almost all diets, so please just let us know. We can't cater for you if we don't know what you need!
You will sleep in shared tents (unless a single supplement has been requested). Mattresses are provided, which makes it much more comfortable! There will be a central dining tent available with rugs and lights where the group can get together in the evening, share stories and enjoy meals. There will also be an open fire wherever it is possible.
Sleeping bags are designed to work by trapping your body heat in the down surrounding you. If you wear lots of layers, your body heat will not be able to escape as effectively, and you will be cold. Wearing a thin thermal layer is ideal. It does sound counter intuitive, but we promise that it works!
Putting your clothes for the next day in the bottom of your sleeping bag will also help with warmth, as it will fill up any spare space around your feet, and it will mean your clothes are nicely warmed up in the morning.
If you find it difficult to sleep without a pillow, we recommend that you take a travel pillow and a regular pillowcase with you. Put your pillow in the pillow case, and use your down jacket/layers to fill out the pillowcase, you will end up with a pretty decent pillow!
And as for stuff or roll when it comes to packing your bag away? We are very much in the stuff camp!
There will be early morning starts, typically around 0600 - 0700hrs, so that the team can set off on the trek in good time. It is important that you pack up your kit before breakfast and leave your bag outside your tent or accommodation so that the crew can load them onto the jeeps and/or mules. There will be a freshly cooked lunch provided on your trek route. The aim is to get into camp before sunset if possible, when you can enjoy a hot drink and snacks. It is important that you change into your thermals and put layers on when you get into camp as the temperatures can drop sharply and you need to keep warm.
In the morning, the Tribal Tracks leader will wake up the group. When you hear the call, please begin to get ready, and pack all your kit away in your 'main bag' before breakfast. Put this bag outside your tent or accommodation as the crew can then begin to break down the tents/load the luggage. Ensure that you have all that you need in your backpack for the day, as you will not have access to your main bag until the next camp (see 'What do I put in my backpack?).
When you arrive into camp, it is important to get changed into different clothes, usually the ones that you will be wearing the next day. Even if you have had dry weather, you will have been sweating, and your clothes will be damp. As the sun sets and the air cools, you will quickly feel cold. Before this, you will want to freshen up and we recommend the 'baby wipe bath'. As there are no showers while on the trek, having a freshen up with a baby wipe will help keep you clean and will make you feel much better, before you put your clean clothes on. Unpack your sleeping bag and get everything out that you need for nighttime, such as your warm hat, jacket, head torch and book. Sort out your back pack for the next day by removing rubbish and replenishing snacks etc.
Doing this before dinner will mean you can get into your sleeping bag quickly, when it is likely to feel cold.
There will be a toilet tent and water supplied for washing in the morning where we can. There are no shower facilities provided during the trek and there will be no toilets either, but there will be a toilet tent in camp in the evenings and mornings. In the pre-departure briefing, we will tell you all that you need to know about how to deal with this.
For up-to-date vaccinations information please visit the NHS website ‘Fit for Travel’ at: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk. The Tribal Tracks team are travel professionals, but we are not medical experts, and we would encourage you to visit your GP or travel nurse to discuss vaccination requirements. Please remember to take your itinerary with you so that they can see where you will be travelling. You should make an appointment at least 3-4 months before you travel.
In addition, please note that information on vaccinations can change at short notice; we recommend that you contact your Medical Professional or a Travel Health Clinic at least 8 weeks prior to departure for the most up to date information.
We recommend that you bring a multi-region adapter plug with you. There will be no facility to recharge electrical items on the trek, so we recommend you bring a power bank to top up the charge. We also recommend putting your phone on Airplane mode during the day to save on power.
Using your mobile overseas can sometimes attract unwelcome, very high tariffs. We recommend that you check with your network provider before you travel, but if in doubt, keep your phone switched to Airplane mode and use it only when there is WiFi. Reception can also be patchy, and unreliable, particularly in remote areas, which is why we carry a satellite phone with us. Please let your nearest and dearest know about this, and warn them that you may not be able to be in regular contact.
We ask that your luggage is kept to the absolute minimum. We will tell you the weights that you should not exceed, but usually, your main bag should not exceed 23kgs in weight.
It is important that you wear, or take your trekking boots with you in your hand luggage on the flight, as they are vital for the trek and cannot be replaced in the event of lost luggage.
We recommend leaving behind items such as high value jewellery, watches etc. Your passport and money should be always kept on you.
Trekking at high altitude (generally above 2500 metres) involves additional risk not normally associated with lower level treks. This is not something that should prevent you from undertaking a trek to our higher destinations, but it makes sense to learn about the dangers inherent in trekking at high altitude and also the ‘golden rules' to prevent Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).
For each of our trips, you can find the maximum altitudes listed on the web site and in the itineraries. You should read the itinerary carefully and use your own judgement to gauge whether your chosen trip is suitable for your level of experience. If you have any doubts at all you should contact us and we are happy to discuss the trip with you.
You can acclimatise to altitude by the process known as acclimatisation. The most important rule is to gain height slowly and it is generally accepted that the maximum safe altitude gain in any one day is 500 metres once above 2500 metres. Where this is not possible, then it is important to have a rest or acclimatisation day at the new altitude before gaining further height. All our itineraries follow this rule. In general the maxim ‘climb high and sleep low' applies. It is perfectly acceptable (and even beneficial to your acclimatisation) to climb higher than 500 metres above your last camp (for example when crossing a high pass) as long as the increase in sleeping altitude remains within the above rule. All of our itineraries are carefully designed to build in optimum acclimatisation.
There is a link between daily fluid intake and successful acclimatisation and you must pay particular attention to hydration during trekking at high altitudes. On treks to 3000 metres and above most people will need to drink between 5 and 6 litres each day to achieve suitable hydration levels and you must adopt a responsible approach to achieving this target. It goes without saying that as alcohol is a diuretic, it is not recommended that you drink alcohol while at altitude.
Before embarking on a trek to high altitude it is important that you familiarise yourself with the signs and symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and that you report any illness to your tip leader straight away. See the links at the bottom of this page for further reading on AMS.
There are a number of untested herbal remedies which claim to prevent mountain sickness. However, only one drug is currently known to have a useful role in preventing AMS and to be safe for this purpose: acetazolamide (Diamox). We recommend that you carry Diamox in your first aid kit for treks where you spend an extended period above 4000m. Diamox can only be obtained from a medical professional on prescription and it is important that you first consult your own doctor so that you know there are no contra indications with other medicines you may be taking and that you do not have an allergy to acetazolamide. Diamox commonly causes some minor side effects, such as tingling fingers and toes, or a metallic taste in the mouth, but more severe reactions are rare. On trek, the decision whether or not and when, you should take Diamox as with any drug, will rest solely with you. If you intend to take Diamox, you must familiarise yourself with the appropriate dosage and regime prior to coming on the trip. The links at the bottom of this page will provide further information on the use of Diamox as an aid to acclimatisation.
Travelling to high altitudes is not something you need to be scared of. Every year thousands of people enjoy the most amazing experiences in the world's greatest mountain ranges. Altitude sickness is entirely preventable if you follow the very simple rules and procedures detailed above. Please make sure you are aware of these before you travel. However, please be assured that we have emergency procedures in place in the event that someone does experience AMS.
For further reading on the above issues we recommend the following websites:
http://www.altitude.org/altitude_sickness.php
Trip Details
If you want to spend more time in Marrakech, or in the High Atlas mountains themselves, extensions can be arranged. It is also possible to fly from regional centres if London Gatwick is inaccessible for you. Please just let us know.
Let’s get you on the right track!
