In and around the foothills of Jebel Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak at 4167 m, are numerous villages that have been remained largely unaffected by the outside world. With their traditional architecture intact, these villages cling to the side of the mountains, seemingly carved into the rock in layers of terraces that appear to defy gravity. This challenging weekend trek to the summit of Mount Toubkal takes us from the bustling souks and exotic sights of Marrakech to the remote and arid High Atlas Mountain range.
Our route is on a mixture of rocky and sandy paths, passing traditional Berber villages, grassy meadows, isolated patches of snow and flowing rivers. Our tough final ascent starts before sunrise and takes us across boulders and rough scree to the top of North Africa where we will enjoy breathtaking panoramic views to the east and west over the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains. To the south, the Sahara stretches out below us and to the north, the plains of Morocco.