I've just completed the Mount Toubkal hike in October 2024. I chose to tag an extra day/night to the trip so I had some time to explore Marrakech on arrival. The hotel was great, staff friendly with a good breakfast and swimming pool. Our mountain guide Aziz met the group of 14 in the hotel on the morning of the hike, clearly explaining the itinerary and what to expect on the mountains. The drive to the mountains was around 1.5 hours and we arrived at our starting point in Imil. Here we began meandering our way to basecamp, this section of the walk is quite straightforward following the mule tracks and there are plenty of small huts into the mountains where you can restock on water, buy snacks or souvenirs (roughly every hour!). Our Chef Ali, cooked lunch on the mountain which was incredible, fresh and tasty. I think camping at basecamp is the better option than staying in the refuge, having the freedom of the tent and the team cook and serve meals was a wonderful experience. You are also able to use the toilet and shower facilities at the refuge and refuel with water and snacks. It was an early start on summit day, leaving camp at 6am. This section of the hike is a lot more technical but our leader Aziz ensured a steady pace and reassured the whole group, he brought knowledge and laughter to the mountains. The route isn't super busy which makes it very pleasurable and the views are spectacular. Reaching the summit is a real highlight, marvelling at the stunning scenery and plenty of opportunities to take photos. The walk back to basecamp is steep but again we took it steady as a group. Aziz always checking everyone was ok. Staying another night at basecamp was bliss, allowing time to recover, sleep and again enjoy the delights of Chef Ali's food. The final day was the walk back to Imil and finishing with lunch again cooked by the Chef in the village. The whole experience was one that will stay with me forever. The hospitality and knowledge of the Berbers, the mountain guide and assistant guide Rashid was sublime, I couldn't have asked for another more. Aziz also kindly arranged a restaurant back in Marrakech for our final meal as a group. Don't hesitate to book this trip, I whole heartedly enjoyed every minute. My advice would be consider what you pack, of course you need plenty of layers in the mountains but don't carry anything unnecessarily as what's not in your daypack is carried by the mules, they are very well looked after but you do still feel for them (especially in the heat). Also you don't need huge amounts of snacks as the meals were plentiful (almost too much food) and again water is regularly available to buy in the mountains. Thank you, Explore, Aziz, Rashid and the whole team who made this such a memorable adventure.
