VERY TOUGH LONG WEEKEND Mount Toubkal - Highest Peak in North Africa (4167m)

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Welcome to the captivating Atlas Mountains where we embark upon a high altitude adventure to summit North Africa’s highest mountain peak - the mighty Jebel Toubkal (4167 m). Admire the exceptional beauty of the Moroccan Atlas mountain range while immersed in the traditional Moroccan culture in a spectacular long weekend of tough and exhilarating hiking. A stunning short trip especially developed for fit adventurers keen to challenge themselves and hike up North Africa’s highest summit and enjoy traditional Berber hospitality. And to top it all off, we’ve added a night in Marrakech at a central Moroccan style Riad.

This trip is also great training for Kilimanjaro and Nepal being very tough and such high altitude

ONLY 1 DAY OFF WORK REQUIRED - we’ve designed this as a long weekend adventure

This trip is run with local Mountain guides and the trip has been designed and planned especially for Outdooraholics so that you will have the chance to explore the area on a much deeper level as well as to truly experience its beauty and uniqueness with the help of the local guides.

Trip Highlights:

• Incredible short break and hiking to the top of Mt. Toubkal (4167 m) in the magnificent Atlas mountains

• Experience Berber hospitality at Toubkal Mountain Refuge

• Taste traditional Moroccan cuisine

• See a traditional Berber mountain village in the heart of the High Atlas almost at the shadow of Mt. Toubkal

• Stay at a traditional Moroccan-style Riad in the heart of Marrakech

• Short trip easy to be extended, should you want to stay in Morocco extra days

• As with all of our foreign trips we keep numbers small, intimate and fun and this trip is limited to just 12 hikers!

Photos - All photos were taken by Outdooraholics on previous trips so are the actual views that you will see from the route that you'll be hiking

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Holiday Description

On this 3 day Moroccan exploration, we will challenge ourselves with an ascent of Jebel Toubkal (4167 m) nestled in the Atlas Mountain Range and the highest mountain in North Africa. We’ll experience Berber culture and Moroccan cuisine in Toubkal Mountain refuge before we hike to the summit. We then have time to explore Marrakech and stay in a centrally located traditional Riad.

The Toubkal adventure in the High Atlas starts from the Marrakech airport - we’ll be picked up and driven to Imlil village where our hike begins. Once our luggage is loaded on the mules, we begin the ascent to the Toubkal Mountain Refuge (3207 m) where we’ll spend our first night high in the mountains. Next morning is the exhilarating climbing of Mt. Toubkal followed by descent down to the refuge for lunch. After our meal, we descend to Imlil and get a transfer to Marrakech for our traditional Riad stay in the heart of the city. In the evening, you’ll have some time on your hands for a stroll around central Marrakech and a bit of exploration.

An exceptional long weekend packed with stunning landscapes, rich Moroccan culture and local cuisine.

This location is so great that Sir Richard Branson has bought a villa here and we actually met him on the trails in October 2017 (photo below)

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Difficulty, twisty roads and footwear

Although it’s a short trip, the hikes are very tough mountain hikes on steep paths with rocks and boulders for long sections and on the second day about 10 to 12 hours of solid hiking. There are also long ascents and descents. This is a trip only suitable for very fit and experienced hikers. This is our toughest hiking trip.

Hiking boots with ankle protection are essential due to the rough, uneven and rocky terrain - you will have to climb over boulders and rocks. You should be prepared for early starts and late finishes, this trip is exhilarating but exhausting and is not for everyone.

Altitude Warning

Please note that we are hiking to a high altitude which effects everyone differently, you may get some mild signs of altitude sickness. We are spending our first night at the Neltner Refuge which is at 3207m which will help with acclimatisation, the following day we then hike to the summit, approx 1000m of ascent, on reaching the summit we will usually descend within about 15 to 30 minutes. There are tablets available that you can buy in advance to help reduce or eliminate the effects of altitude sickness - we cannot advise on this but please see your Doctor for details. Should you experience signs of Acute Mountain Sickness like headaches, nausea, dizziness or breathing difficulties, you should consult your guide immediately and you may need to descend back to the Mountain Hut - although this is rare.

*Please note that your luggage while hiking will be transferred by mules. Therefore, there is a luggage limit of 15kg per person, but about 10kg should be aimed for and please pack into a large rucksack (no suitcases or hard bags please).

ITINERARY

Saturday 22nd September

Saturday's hike: Imlil to Toubkal (Neltner) Refuge
Distance: 8 miles (Approx. 12 km)
Ascent: Approx 1500m
Grading: Tough - Mountain - tough and long hike - click here for more details (https://www.meetup.com/Outdooraholics/pages/11840782/Hike_Gradings/)
Hiking time: About 5-6 hours of actual hiking

Our private transfer will pick us up from Marrakech Menara Airport and take us to the village of Imlil. At Imlil we’ll load our luggage on the mules and start our hike having lunch about 1 hour in. Rising through the secluded Atlas mountains and through several picturesque passes, we will reach the small traditional Mountain Refuge under the top of Mt.Toubkal - Neltner Refuge (3207 m), where we will spend the night. Please note: The Refuge is a mountain hut and is basic accommodation in large mixed gender dormitories with bunk beds. Food here is very simple.

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Sunday 23rd September

Sunday's hike: Toubkal (Neltner) Refuge - Mt. Toubkal - Imlil
Distance: 13 miles (Approx. 21 km)
Ascent: Approx 1000m
Descent: 2468m
Grading: Tough - Mountain - very steep hike scrambling over rocks and boulders in places - click here for more details (https://www.meetup.com/Outdooraholics/pages/11840782/Hike_Gradings/)
Hiking time: About 10 to 12 hours of actual hiking

Today we make the ascent of mt. Toubkal (4167 m). We wake at about 3:00am and after a quick breakfast, we start our ascent in dark aiming to hit the summit to see sunrise - which depends on the group pace. Passing boulders and accompanied by magnificent views of several peaks, in 3 to 4 hours of walking, we arrive at the distinctive metal tripod which marks the summit. The summit rewards with spectacular views on every side - we’ll see incredible high Atlas peaks, and admire stunning views of the Atlas range along with far-reaching views towards the Sahara Desert - truly memorable sights.

Descending Toubkal, we come down to the Refuge for lunch and then to Imlil, where we get a transfer back to Marrakech for our traditional Riad stay and an evening to explore Marrakech. Please note - the Riad in Marrakech is a basic but well located guest house. Please don't expect Western Europe Hotel standards

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Monday 24th September

Our long weekend trip ends after breakfast. Should you want to stay more days, feel free to arrange these for yourself. You could also book a later flight in the evening to spend another day in Marrakech. Alternatively it works well to come out on Friday, have time Friday in Marrakech and then meet the group on Saturday

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Click here for the discussion forum
https://www.meetup.com/Outdooraholics/messages/boards/thread/51550217

Payment

To join us please RSVP Yes and pay by PayPal. All trip payments are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Once full payment has been received for the trip and the trip is sold out (full), then you may try to sell your space to a member of the same sex by advertising it for sale on this page.

For details of how to advertise a fully paid for space for sale (and the process of selling/buying it) please click this link:
https://www.meetup.com/Outdooraholics/pages/FAQ/

Food

A simple breakfast and lunch are provided as well as dinner at the Neltner Refuge. On the night in Marrakech you can explore and find your own choice of restaurant for dinner. Vegetarian food can be catered for, but will be a more limited choice. Some dietary requirements such as gluten free, nut free cannot be catered for. Anyone with any dietary requirements other than vegetarian must contact us to enquire before making a booking and we will check if it can be catered for.

The price includes:

• Experienced English speaking local guide

• Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast and lunch, Monday breakfast

• 1 night stay at Toubkal Mountain Refuge in mixed gender dormitories (simple accommodation)

• 1 night stay in Marrakech in a basic but functional Traditional Moroccan Riad

• Airport transfer upon arrival

• Full porterage on hiking days for up to 15kg of luggage

• All transport as per the itinerary

• Local taxes

The price doesn’t include:

• Flights

• Drinks and Personal expenses

• Breakfast on the day of arrival

• Dinner in Marrakech

• Transport to the Airport for the outbound flight (buses cost a few pounds)

• Tips for local guide and their staff

• In the unlikely event of snow crampon hire of 7 Euros

• Travel insurance – this is essential that you take out and you will need to provide a copy of this on the trip

• Valid documents - you will also need to ensure you have all valid documents to visit this country including a passport and possibly Visa if you require one.

Insurance

It is a requirement of participating in all Outdooraholics trips outside the UK that you have valid travel insurance that covers the cost of emergency medical treatment and also specifically the activity of hiking (up to 4200m in this case). It is also recommended that this covers illness, cancellation and curtailment. You will be required to provide a copy of this on the trip and without it we cannot accept you onto the trip and no refund will be due in this case.
Outdooraholics cannot verify policies or what they cover so please confirm this with your insurer and the guide accepting your policy is not an indication that we confirm it is valid or covers what we list, only your insurers can confirm this.
There are lots of insurers who cover hiking, for example the BMC: https://www.thebmc.co.uk/insurance

Suggested flights - ALL times are in local time to the town, i.e. the times listed for Morocco are in Morocco local time.

Please note: It is critical that you are not late as we will be getting a minibus transfer to the start of our hike and hiking to the first nights accommodation. Therefore, sadly if you miss our departure from Marrakech, you will miss the Mount Toubkal hike.

The trip starts at Marrakech Airport and ends in Marrakech at our final Hotel and you are welcome to choose any flights that you wish. We suggest a group flight below – if you arrive earlier you are welcome to wait for our timed transfer at 10:30am, however if you arrive after this it will not be possible to join this trip as we will be hiking a few hours to our first night accommodation. It is therefore essential to either use the group flight or to arrive the day before the trip starts.

Please note: the below is for guidance only, it is your responsibility to pick the most suitable flight to meet your requirements and also to book your own details correctly and accordingly. Outdooraholics cannot take responsibility for any problems or cancellations with your flight.

Recommended: If holiday permits, it is recommended to come on Friday, stay in Marrakech and enjoy the city, and then meet the group at the airport on Saturday

Out:

22nd September 2018
Ryanair 6:45am London Luton (LTN) to Marrakech (RAK) 10:30am
Flight: FR3506

Return:

Entirely your choice, but anything on 24th September, the below flight will get you back to Luton with Ryanair:

24th September 2018
Ryanair 10:55am Marrakech (RAK) to London Luton (LTN) 14:30pm
Flight: FR3507

Flights with Ryanair as at 17th July are £199 - book soon before they rise!

Safety

The hikes are led by experienced and trained guides. Outdoor activities involve a risk of personal injury. Please come with hiking footwear and suitable hiking clothes such as warm clothes, waterproof jacket and trousers in case of rain - for more info please click here (http://www.londonhiking.co.uk/clothing.html)

Terms and Conditions

By signing up to or attending this event you agree to the Terms and Conditions below: https://www.meetup.com/Outdooraholics/pages/TermsConditions/

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Errors and Omissions Excepted