Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.
day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | info | video
Toubkal is by far the most popular and important trekking destination in Morocco for serious hikers.
It’s easily accessible from Marrakesh.
Unhappily I couldn’t find either camping fuel nor english language hiking guidebook for Toubkal in Marrakesh.
Lonely Planet said there were good gear shops in the trailhead town of Imlil (1740m).
My hostel in Marrakesh told me where to find the shared cabs to Imlil. But that turned out to be my greatest navigational challenge. Shared taxis sprawl across several streets. A tout finally took me to the right one.
In 2018 locals paid 35 Dirham to get the 64km to Imlil. Foreigners 50 Dirham. ($5.40) Cost seemed to be non-negotiable.
Vans don’t leave until full … plus 3-5 more people.
It’s less than 2 hours from the hot city to the much cooler High Atlas mountains.
Imlil is an impressive and popular tourist town.
Unfortunately the best gear shop in town — Atlas Extreme — was closed when I arrive. For an hour? A day? A Week? None of the neighbours seemed to know.
I’d wanted this guidebook for the trip. But Trailblazer doesn’t sell a digital version. I needed a paper copy.
I managed to get some used stove fuel and the map of the region instead at a tiny stall. The map ($10 plus) was fairly useless. It doesn’t show the circuit route. I did have the 5 page Lonely Planet description on my phone. And I did have little maps like this.
Not wanting to wait around, I got off on to the “trail” as quickly as possible.
It was a hot, sunny day. I saw very few water sources.
Why was I walking on a paved road?
Only one stretch took me off-road and up through a village.
These mountains are massive.
I looked forwards to getting away from the heat.
On this excellent road I saw very few vehicles. A lot of sheep.
I walked up this valley past Berber villages Talate n’Chaoute, Tamguist and Ouaneskra.
Many locals ran out to greet me urging I stay in their homes or camp in their yards. I was unimpressed by most explaining that I planned to hike until 7pm.
Finally I passed a young man with a Canada cap. Stopping to chat with that group I met a guesthouse manager named Aziz. I liked him instantly. Everyone who passed by had a friendly word with him. Popular and charismatic.
I decided to “comp” at Gite Entre Les Vallees. Aziz was surprised I didn’t want instead to sleep in any of the 13 empty beds he had inside.
His location is ideal. A new bridge is being built across the river right next door. Soon he’ll have all the traffic.
Before dinner I went for a walk on the other side of the valley to try to see my route for the next day. It looked intimidating.
I still had no idea which of those passes was the one I’d need to cross.
I did meet some French hikers who’d come up with a rent-a-car to climb a peak on this side of the valley. Acclimatization. It was over 3000m.
The first time I went to take a photo of a Berber woman in the fields she called up to me NO PHOTOS. I respected that injunction for the rest of the trip.
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