Between 21st and 28th February 2025 we hosted our Mount Toubkal in Winter expedition. I was joined by the Grandfather / Grandson duo Paul and Owen.
Day 1 - After an early flight from Manchester, we'd landed in Marrakech by midday. We left the airport and after a short wait we were collected by our transfer which would take us directly out to the Atlas mountains. The drive lasts roughly 90 minutes as it slowly climbs towards the village of Imlil at 1800m, followed by the village we'd be staying at, Aroumd (2000m). Upon arrival it was a case of just settling in, shaking off the travel and soaking up the epic views.
Day 2 - We enjoyed a superb opening trekking day. Our guide Mustapha kindly asked me where I'd been for this acclimatisation / shake out walk previously and took us to some new trails.
The whole walk was superb, with rolling trails leading us to the climb up to the pass (Tiz n Tamatert). From here we then ascended a further 300m to the subsidiary top of Aourirt n Ouassif (approx 2600m asl.)
Here we enjoyed amazing views and a picnic lunch before descending on mostly different trails back around to the village of Aroumd.
In total, we walked 16km with 1200m ascent.
Day 3 - The aim of the day was to get to the Toubkal Refuge at 3200m. We left the refuge at about 8:30am, with the aim of making use of the cooler valley temps, and also getting to the refuge at a sensible time for some lunch. The walk starts with fairly flat trails which we ate up easily. After just over one hour we reached Sidi Chamharouch, a sacred dwelling. We continued well and ate up the terrain almost too easily! At the half way point we stopped for some freshly squeezed orange juice, and this powered us to the refuge in a time of about 4 hours total!
Once in the refuge we enjoyed a lunch of pasta, salad and bread. Now refuelled, we got our winter kit on and had a play around on the slopes just outside the refuge. Neither Paul or Owen had walked in crampons before, or used an ice axe, so it was ace to be able to show them this ahead of the walking days.
After some discussion with Paul and then Mustapha, we opted to pull our Toubkal summit day forwards one day. Paul was uncertain he'd be able to descend from Toubkal summit to Aroumd (2000m of descent) in one go so our new itinerary would break this.
After dinner, we made our final preparations and got to bed in hope we'd catch a few hours ahead of our 3am alarm call.
Day 4 - We set off at 4am from the refuge and were one of the first teams on the mountain. Our guide set a solid pace, and we kept up well, eating up the metres as we climbed higher and higher.
Paul started to tire, but some encouragement and his own determination kept him moving forward towards the summit. As we reached the pass before turning onto the final summit ridge, the sun was cut by a gorgeous orange glow. Now, being beaten a bit by the wind, we continued onward with the summit pyramid getting tantalisingly close. About 15 minutes from the summit, the sun broke over the horizon, offering up a sensational scene of orange peaks and the shadow of Toubkal on the horizon.
At 7:15am we reached the summit and had it all to ourselves! After the usual round of emotional hugs and summit snaps we started our descent. Paul's legs / ankles sure weren't happy, so our decision to call it at the refuge was a great one.
With us arriving back by 9am, with energy to spare, I pitched it to Owen to head and do 'Ras', another nearby 4000m peak, and actually (on our new itinerary) what were meant to do tomorrow before descending. He was very keen and after a bite to eat we set off with our guide. We got to just shy of 4000m on the peak before Owen ran out of juice and quite sensibly thought we should use the remaining energy for descending back. A wise young man for sure, making one of the hardest decisions in mountaineering.
Day 5 - Thanks to our shift around of the itinerary, all we had to do today was descend from the refuge (3200m) down to Aroumd (2000m). Our sleep had obviously been highly restorative as we accomplished this in just 3 hours with a break for yet more freshly squeezed orange juice (IYKYK)
It's great to bring another successful trek to a close, and this trip has been exceedingly rewarding for me. I first met Paul (Grandad) and Owen (Grandson) in 2015 when we hosted our 'Blencathra by Moonlight' fundraiser for the earthquake appeal in Nepal. At the time Owen was waist high and just 6 years old. Over the years, social media has kept me in touch with Paul, and I was chuffed when him and Owen wanted to come on this trip to Toubkal. Despite (oddly) having not hit our usual minimum number of people to run the trip, I confirmed it as I knew what this trip meant to Paul. He described it as 'one last big trip together'. The last 13 months haven't been kind to Paul health wise, and coming into the expedition, he was uncertain of his capabilities, but was keen to do what he could. His main priority was to see Owen get the chance to succeed.
Day 1 brought some doubts for Paul with his breathing, but on day 2, he performed much better, despite the fact we were going even higher in altitude.
Yesterday, we set off for the summit of Toubkal and I followed Paul up the mountain as we gained the metres. There were times when he felt he wasn't going to make it, but a quick pep talk would get him going. As we gained the summit ridge, he had to really dig in. He would often stop and hang over his poles. Here was a man fighting to summit (pictured). Upward we strode, with Paul giving it his all. Even metres from the summit he was forced to stop and chug in some air.
But, he made it, and with that there was the rewarding scene of Grandfather and Grandson embracing each other on the summit of North Africa's tallest peak. I knew both were equally proud of each other, and the memories made together yesterday will last forever.
I won't be making a habit of running trips with just 2 people, but for me, this has been a privilege. Thank you.
Days 6 - 8
This is the R&R phase of the expedition, and a chance to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of Marrakech. On the morning of day 6 we were driven back to Marrakech, where we spent plenty of time replenishing calories, having a few beers, and walking the streets and Souks. It's always to finish up an expedition with a bit of time to explore the surroundings. This was another superb expedition and I can't wait to get back already.
Want to do this expedition? Join us in Feb 2026! Click Here
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