UKH

It is my 50th in early 2025 and I’m thinking of a winter trip to Marrakesh and the High Atlas. There seem to be a few operators that offer a guided winter ascent of Toubkal. Don’t feel like I need guiding, but having someone else sort out the logistics will be helpful.

My assumption is that this is a non-technical walk which just requires basic ice axe and crampon skills. My wife very much isn’t a climber and generally not keen on heights, but is fit, happy to walk up big hills and has a bit of experience of winter walking with ice ace and crampon.

Should I expect any surprises?

In reply to The New NickB: You have to use a local guide nowadays, they check on the way up.

In reply to The New NickB:

Hey dude! I’m heading to Toubkal in March if you fancy it? I already have my guide sorted(recommended by a fair few people and he’s local!) I was gonna be going solo but would be great to meet some likeminded people! Somebody commented on my own UKC post tagging your post!

In reply to The New NickB:

I went in 2017 to Toubkal and went back in 2018 and 2019 ice climbing in the same area. All three trips were guided and all were a great time. You will definitely enjoy it and your wife should be fine especially with some experience of winter walking. Choose a trip that allows you to acclimatise properly and happy 50th for 2025. 

In reply to The New NickB:

I was there earlier this year and the interpretation of 'guide' is extremely liberal. I would recommend going to the Bureau and stressing that you want someone very good and fit. We went from Imlil to the summit in a day, and planned to do Timsguida the following morning, so they allocated us a guide who was very on it and fit, Mohammid. Some of the 'guides' we ran into were pretty ropey though. We were told that basically anyone from the area who decides they want to guide can call themselves one.

In reply to The New NickB:

I would recommend going up via the North cwm and then traversing the main Toubkal ridge and descend the main southern route, we didn’t see anyone else from the huts go up this way so had it to ourselves. Interesting plane wreck too. 
Like others have said some guides are not so keen on routes that aren’t the main one so better to make your plans clear from the off. 

In reply to The New NickB:

I was up there exactly 30 years ago but things have doubtless changed. It was a simple case of walking up to the Neltner refuge at c.3000m and booking in. It was full of French paragliders but the guardian let excess people sleep on the floor. The walk up was very straightforward if laborious as I wasn't acclimatised and I feel the effects of altitude lower down than most folk. There was very little snow, maybe a couple of patches to cross but I can't really remember. I don't recall anything remotely sketchy, though erosion could have changed that.

Anyway, you'll love it, it feels like another world and if you get up there early before the haze sets in the views over the Atlas towards the desert are stunning. It was incredibly clear and very cold when I was up there. Went up mostly in the dark with all the paragliders, walked back down on my own. Great watching them fly off.

In reply to The New NickB:

www.lmgtreksandexpeditions.com/mount-toubkal

Been on Toubkal with those guys. We had awesome trip, good food and overall great time in Morocco. 

In reply to The New NickB:

Went there earlier this year. Did the north cwm route.

we tried to get through without a guide but got stopped at the checkpoint and had to haggle with a passing group to get included.

Was good fun especially in a cold spring so meant there was some interesting walking with crampons but nothing technical at all.

In reply to The New NickB:

Thanks everyone. I’ll bear in mind comments about choosing a guide carefully. Would be nice to do an interesting route, especially different routes up and down.

Not been to North Africa before, so likely to be an interesting experience regardless.