Read time – 5 minutes
Mount Toubkal: the highest point in North Africa is an achievement for any hiker. Its popularity is boosted by its accessibility – achievable in just three days, this 4,167m beauty is a favourite with peak baggers in need of an escape. Want to know if Toubkal is for you? We’ve collected together some of our favourite posts from our Instagram followers to give you an idea of what it’s like. These are all photos taken on our trips over the past year or so – this is the real deal. If you’re on Instagram yourself, follow us for inspirational images from all over the world, and hashtag your own top travel snaps with #exodustravels and you could be featured too.
Toubkal Trek Day One
First off, you head out of the bustle of Marrakech towards the Atlas Mountains where you begin the trek.
A photo posted by SnellyKat • Katie Snell (@dharmapoweryoga) on Oct 5, 2016 at 2:14pm PDT
You begin your ascent from the village of Imlil. The trail is wide and easy to follow, at a steady gradient that leads you quickly away from the valley and towards the mountains.
A photo posted by Eleanor Fazan (@fazanagram) on Oct 3, 2016 at 2:06pm PDT
You soon find yourself in the middle of the mountains. You share the paths with a few other walkers, donkeys and mules carrying luggage, and the occasional local Berber who wanders past.
Little donkey on a dusty road #adventure #morocco #exodustravels #exodustravels #toubkal #4167m
A photo posted by Eleanor Fazan (@fazanagram) on Oct 5, 2016 at 2:07am PDT
Eventually you make it to the refuge, your home for the night at 3,207m.
A photo posted by Eleanor Fazan (@fazanagram) on Oct 3, 2016 at 11:11pm PDT
Toubkal Trek Day Two – Summit Day
This is it, the day you summit Toubkal. You begin early, as the light of the dawn hits the very highest peaks, transforming them from looming shadows to luminescent triangles.
A photo posted by Gina (@brightyounganything) on Oct 10, 2016 at 4:46am PDT
The ascent is long and unrelenting. It’s usually four hours of uphill walking, mainly in the shadow of the valley as the sun climbs with you. When you step into the sun and the first warm rays hit your face, it’s a revelation. It’s not long after the sun comes out that you reach the ridge. And the views… well. We will let them speak for themselves.
A photo posted by Eleanor Fazan (@fazanagram) on Oct 3, 2016 at 11:59pm PDT
Feeling fired up and ready to tackle that last little bit, you’re ready to follow the ridge. The gradient slackens off as you conquer those last few steps of the final push to the summit, the triangle of the summit bobbing in and out of view. It looks so close yet feels so far. Then suddenly, you make it.
A photo posted by James (@jamessilverstone) on Oct 4, 2016 at 12:39pm PDT
A photo posted by Gina (@brightyounganything) on Jun 21, 2016 at 3:13am PDT
A photo posted by James (@jamessilverstone) on Oct 9, 2016 at 3:22am PDT
It might just be the best feeling in the world.
Literally #jumpingforjoy #abovetheclouds #adventure #morocco #mounttoubkal #summit
A photo posted by Eleanor Fazan (@fazanagram) on Oct 5, 2016 at 1:04am PDT
And of course, it was worth it.
A photo posted by James (@jamessilverstone) on Oct 6, 2016 at 9:19am PDT
All that remains is to come back down. But even as you descend, you know you’ll be on a high for quite some time.
Trek Toubkal Yourself
If you’ve never trekked a big summit before then this could be for you. Often hailed as the ideal for the first timer, Mount Toubkal is a persistent favourite with walkers hoping to head for new heights and go to altitude for the first time. The views from the summit are reward enough for any landscape lover. Trek Toubkal.
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