Toubkal Climb - Long Weekend

Fabulous weekend. Itinerary was spot on - challenging but met our expectations. Excellent leaders/support team and lovely food. Camping at base camp was comfortable but sanitation was very basic so that was a bit of a challenge at times as toliets at refuge were a good 15 minute trek away. Early rise to summit was an amazing experience. We were part of a lovely small group which helped make the weekend memorable - I hope to come and do it again with my son next year.

Amazing experience walking to top of Mt Toubkal. The tour leader Youssef and his colleague Mustapha were friendly, professional and very knowledgeable about the area. The support team were also excellent, food was fantastic. Tents were pitched up waiting for us when we arrived at the ‘base camp’ , foam mattress provided to sleep on. I was very glad I had a 4 season sleeping bag as the temperature really dropped at night. Met a lovely group of fellow adventurers. Hard work, but amazing experience!

I recently completed the Mount Toubkal Weekend Trek and had a hugely enjoyable experience. The trip was well organised, with good communication from Explore both before and during the trek. The 3-day route was scenic, challenging, and absolutely stunning – a fantastic way to experience the beauty of the Atlas Mountains. Our group was a great mix of people, and the camaraderie definitely added to the experience. It might be helpful in future if Explore could facilitate an online introduction a week or so beforehand – it would have been nice to connect before meeting in person. Our guide was excellent – friendly, competent, and clearly experienced. He looked after the group well throughout the trek. The campsites were comfortable and ready upon arrival, and the food was exceptional – the support team really worked miracles with the limited resources. We never went hungry and the meals were always plentiful. That said, there were a couple of things that could be improved... The transfer from the airport was around 45 minutes late, which wasn’t ideal. Also, more food on Summit day would have been advisable – breakfast was at 4am (at which time the group wasn't that hungry) and we didn't return to camp until around 2pm. Food could have been provided during the trek to the summit or we could have been told to bring plenty with us. Lastly, tipping was a bit awkward. Within 10 minutes of arriving at the hotel, I was told I needed to provide £40 to my guide the next morning for tips. While I had no problem tipping and was happy to do so, it would have been far better to include this information clearly in the itinerary so everyone could be prepared and not leave it up to the guide to ask for this. Despite those minor issues, the trek was an unforgettable experience and one I would absolutely recommend.

I would highly recommend the long weekend trip climbing Mount Toubkal, with Explore, which has it all; adventure, challenges, stunning scenery, fabulous food and hospitality and the best guides, Hisham and Farid. The itinerary was perfect, starting with a chance for relaxation by the pool at the hotel in Marrakech, a chance to meet our fellow hikers, followed by a slow walk up to base camp from the pretty village of Imlil. The first day was a nice slow pace as we climbed up through the mountains, giving us chance to enjoy the scenery and have plenty of stops to catch our breathe, when needed. We camped a little distance from the Refuge, which I think was a nicer experience. The food provided was plentiful and delicious! Day two was the challenge of summitting the mountain - ours guides Hisham and Farid were amazing, ensuring that the differing levels of the group were accommodated for, but still keeping a good group moral and ensuring we summitted together as a group. We had plenty of time to bask in our achievement at the top, before heading back down to camp. The day was really challenging physically and emotionally, but the such a sense of achievement. The evening was topped off with Berber songs performed by our amazing crew, using pots, pans and water containers! The final day, we retraced our steps back down through the mountains to Imlil, where we had a really lovely shaded lunch with the whole team, which was a perfect end to our adventure and a great chance to thank all of the staff that made our trip so enjoyable and run smoothly.