This Article first appeared in
AAC(UK) Newsletter 182
published Summer 2009
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Touching Toubkal (4167m) North Africa’s highest peak in winter…
by Steve Mann
The High Atlas rise sheer from dusty plains, a 90-minute taxi ride from Marrakech. Six other clients, the assistant guide Helen and I extricated ourselves from two third-hand Mercedes taxis at the end of the tarmac, in the small Berber village of Imlil 1740m. We met up with our guide Des, at the Café Soleil and had a final gear sort and coffee. We were doing a circular trek between two valleys, culminating in the ascent of Jebel Toubkal 4167m.
Carrying just day packs we made our way up a gentle side valley overlooking flat roofed mud houses brightened by vivid red splashes of colour from drying carpets. Our main packs, along with food for the trip were carried on a couple of healthy looking mules and we halted together at 2489m on the scrubby Mzik col for a picnic lunch. Morocco has been described as “a cold country with lots of sun”, so in winter bring crampons, ice axes, down jackets, good sleeping bags, sunglasses and lots of instant chocolate.
After lunch we descended for an hour or so past small terraced fields into the village of Tizi Oussem and arrived at a simple stone built pension at 1900m. Its terrace has a spectacular view across the rooftops down the valley to the northern plains and the impressively large and jagged mountain Tazaghart 3974m at the head of the valley. But as soon as the sun dipped behind these, the temperature dropped equally rapidly and we retired indoors for a meal prepared by our travelling cook and fixer, Hassan.
The next morning we followed a good trail up the valley through scattered juniper trees past the empty huts of summer pastures before hitting the snowline. The route ahead looked impassable but a shadowy gorge gave somewhat icy access. We escaped the head of the gorge and got our first sight of the CAF Refuge Lepiney 2950-3000m, which appeared very small against the cliffs of the Tazaghart Plateau. After a tiring rising traverse we arrived at the Refuge to find that it was indeed very small – luckily we had sole use of it and settled into the roof space where mattresses were provided. The mules had turned back at the first icy section and our kit would be carried by a handful of porters for the next couple of days over the steepest section of the trip.
The weather forecast was for clear mornings, building cloud and snow in the afternoons with the chance of a significant front from the north on our summit day. The aim of day three was to cross over the Tadat col 3750m to gain the Mizane valley that was the base for climbing Toubkal. Setting off at 8am, we climbed slopes of powder snow above the main gully. After a couple of mildly exposed situations and a dead end, we eventually broke out into welcome sun- shine. The variation in fitness and experience in the group was starting to tell in some quarters and it was with some relief that we joined our porters at the windswept stony col. To the right of our lunch stop, an impressive rock pillar (Tadat) protected the ridge up to Biguinoussene 4007m, which we had hoped to climb; but the weather had closed in while we were lunching and so we headed directly down to the Refuge Mouflon 3165m. This turned out to be a good decision as the descent was down a steep gully system, filled with knee-deep powder snow and it was a cold and tired group that trick- led into the Refuge as the afternoon snow started to fall.
There are two refuges at the head of the Mizane valley; the CAF Refuge Toubkal that is old and damp but has some heating and the private Refuge Mouflon that is new, palatial but freezing cold. No meals are provided but self-catering is possible at both huts and there are extensive camping areas for the summer months. Next day before breakfast I stepped outside to see how much snow had fallen through the night and was met with a vista of blue sky, white mountains and no wind. The initial pull up from the refuge is the steepest part of the South Cwm route up Toubkal and I found it hard to get into a steady rhythm, or maybe it is just old age? After a rise of around 300m, the steep slope gives way to a hanging valley that looks directly down onto the two refuges. Half a mile of gentle cwm ends in zigzags up to an upper boulder field where we halted briefly in the sun, as there was an icy wind.
Thirty conversationless minutes further on we arrived at the upper edge of a line of cliffs. Clouds boiled up impressively along the edge and there were areas of thin windslab dotted with small boulders. The final slopes looked reasonably close but there was a false summit to delay our celebrations. The highest point in North Africa is crowned with a large metal pyramid covered with multilingual graffiti and has the true feel of a high, cold place lording it over the clouds and lesser peaks. Des confirmed that it was one of the coldest times he had been on the summit and so after photographing each other and the resident buntings we headed down.
Descending back to the refuge, the weather started to close in, but not before I saw that there were plenty of gullies, ridges, some icefalls and a high plateau that would make a stay of several days at the refuges worthwhile. More overnight snow made the first part of the walk out a delight of dry powder and blue skies. Our 5 day circular route was completed at Imlil and another taxi ride back to the fleshpots of old Marrakech…
For more information see www.toubkalmountainguides.com and www.caf-maroc.com
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Last updated: 22 May 2009