🇲🇦 December N. African Hiking Toukbal

Happy December!

I did not think it was possible to do Hut to Hut hiking in December, but I stumbled upon a guided hiking hut to hut tour of Mount Toukbal in Morocco near Marrakech so we went and had a blast!

Toukbal : Beginner’s Mountaineering

I’ll be writing up a guide to it in January…but first thing: it’s illegal to go without a paid guide. I met a lovely German lady Ayla that didn’t know this and she had to hire a local Imlil guide from her hostel and wasted a day trying to find one *and it was pricier and had a less delicious travelling cook.

And: It’s 4,167 m (13,671 ft). So altitude is a problem. 5 people that tried to ascend the day we went were unable to make it and had to turn around due to altitude sickness.

Tips for hiking Toukbal 4,167 meters peak: 2.5 Days Trip

• Do not do this in 1 day from Marrakech - the altitude will be a problem.

• Hire a guide or tour group ahead of time to save money and get the yummiest food. They will have mules bring up all the food and cooking stuff and a cook will make all your meals.

• Bring really warm footwear or heated socks even if the valleys are warm

• Plan not to sleep at the Toukbal Refuge - get more sleep prior as it’s pretty full all the time

• Give yourself a night to sleep in Imlil to get used to the elevation before hiking to refuge and sleeping. You’ll depart around 5 am to reach peak for sunrise.

• Recover at a Hammam in Marrakech the day after

• Do NOT do this in height of summer - too hot in valley.

Lessons Learned:

Definitely find a knowledgeable guide from Imlil. You can do it one-on-one or save money by going in a group like we did. We had fun meeting other hikers and really enjoyed it.

We were not prepared with warm enough footwear. It somewhat made my daughter’s experience poor as her feet were COLD. After a 2.5 hour ascent in the dark (where my headlamp battery died) about 40 hikers actually all cuddled on top of each other like puppies to stay out of ice and wind prior to the ascent.

My guide said it was only a 6/10 wind situation, so it probably will be pretty cold and windy most of the time at the top.

After getting home I looked into something to improve the situation for next time (because there def will be a next time, this area is so pretty) and I researched heated socks….They can be turned off and on with bluetooth and have 3 levels. It’s really only near the top you’ll want and/or need them.

Read ➡️ Best Heated Socks for Hiking and Skiing

Prefer Video? Check out What a 3,000 meter high hut is like in Morocco! Hint: The best part???? Definitely the refuge puppies!!!!

Toubkal Refuge (see what it looks like and my daughter’s favorite part of the hike)

I’ll be writing up the full guide and youtube in January. You can hike it all year but in the height of winter you’ll likely need crampons.

Remember: You MUST have a guide. There are a lot of them and it’s a great way to support the local rural economy.

We used Skyhook to book and found the service to be really great…they picked us up at the Marrakech airport and arranged all the things (food hotels guides mules water). We just showed up and that’s cool for your first time and if you want to meet other hikers.

Here’s the Morocco trips they offer: summer, winter, luxury, combined with Sahara and they also have some yoga stuff too. I’ve noticed that in Morocco there is a thriving “guide” culture and it’s inexpensive.

If you have your own small group you could probably just go direct to the local agency and save 10-15%.

Here’s an assortment of self guided treks that don’t require as much planning ahead as the popular Alta Via 1 and Tour du Mont Blanc.

✈️ This is my favorite kind of hiking tour! These are best accessed from Innsbruck, Austria or Munich, Germany.

• 8 days Culinary Hiking Tour: This hut-to-hut hiking tour in Austria and Switzerland offers mouthwatering food by top chefs, breathtaking scenery, a good calorie burn, and can be customized to meet any fitness and comfort level.

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• 6 Days Hut to Hut Tour: This family-friendly hiking tour in a lesser-known area of the Alps offers well-cared for trails, spectacular scenery, no crowds, and easy access from Innsbruck, with options for family-sized rooms in the huts, although it's best to avoid late-June and early September due to snow.
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• 3 Days Culinary Hiking Tour: This hut-to-hut hiking tour in one of Austria's premier hiking regions offers mouthwatering food by top chefs, breathtaking scenery, a good calorie burn, and can be customized to meet any fitness and comfort level, although it's best to avoid late-June and early September due to snow.
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• 8 Days Bike Tour Across Alps: This beginner-friendly bicycle tour across the Alps follows a historic Roman trading route, offers impressive views, and ends at Lake Garda, with the option to skip uphill passages by taking a shuttle at an additional cost, starting in Garmisch, Germany and passing through Austria and vineyards in Italy, with well-established signage and routing that makes the tour enjoyable for cyclists of all levels.
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