UK Mountains Expedition Report

Let's take it as read that I travelled to Gatwick, caught a plane and magically arrived in Marrakech. Getting through Moroccan customs is a slow and tedious experience; passport, boarding card and destination hotel were required, plus what my job was in the UK! Finally through and my luggage had beaten me to it - a first. I made my way to the exit of the airport and was somewhat surprised to see yet another scanner! Yes, your bags have to be scanned on exit too. Pretty sure that's never happened before.

I located Omar, my lift and as it turns out, our lead guide for the trip and then enjoyed a twenty minute drive to the hotel, watching the traffic - yes, I was in Africa!

Room located, bags dropped I walked into the Old Town about 25 minutes or so. On the way, I learned a very valuable lesson - zebra crossings and the green man most definitely do not give you any kind of safe passage across the road, especially from moped riders who seem to ignore just about everything and every road rule.

Once in the old town, there is a huge open square where I found two useful things: somewhere to change money (at 12.2 Dirhams to the pound) and a very cheap cafe: chicken panini and chips plus a drink for 35 Dirhams (about £3). After that excitement I took a walk around the markets and soon realised two things: shop keepers hassle you like mad, and it's very easy to head down very narrow, quiet and dare I say it, slightly intimidating alley ways. I retraced and headed back, unfortunately passing a little too close to the snake charmers - one of whom wanted to put one around my neck for photo - no thanks mate!

I managed to successfully navigate back to the hotel where I spent time sorting my gear, then down for a drink and water restock. The tap water is most definitely not for drinking. Having nothing much to do, I decided to explore in the opposite direction to the market and had a wander around but by 5pm it was starting to get cold so I headed back, making a note of the Pizza Hut near to the hotel.

I met up with the rest of the team over and after breakfast which was continental style - no bacon and egg butties here! Our team are Chris (Team Leader), Tommy and Kathryn, Matt and Sarah, Lawrence, Chris (mate from Yorkshire) and myself. We had a team briefing of how things would progress for the next couple of days and by 10am were loading the mini bus for the drive to Imlil village, which is approximately a 2-hour drive from Marrakech. We had a couple of stops on the way for photos and coffee/cake.

At Imlil we enjoyed our first, of about a zillion cups of Berber tea followed by an excellent lunch sat outside in the sunshine. After that, we went for an afternoon acclimatisation walk up to the waterfalls, a popular destination clearly judging by the number of souvenir sellers along the way. We were told that over 90% of the village population is involved in the tourist industry, centred obviously around Toubkal. Even though it was sunny, there was a chill in the air. I wore trekking shoes, my lightweight Fjallraven trousers, T-Shirt and Stellar Softshell jacket. I was warm enough, but only just. Nothing too strenuous and we circled around the valley and back into the village to the lodge. Chris wanted to do a kit check to confirm we had everything. Imlil is a bit like Namche Bazzar in that you can buy just about anything you need to climb a mountain. All good, we relaxed until dinner at 7pm.

The evening cooled off noticeably and we were all dressed in warm jackets for dinner, the dining room seemingly the coldest room in the lodge! Dinner was a superb Tagine and we were all well fed. After dinner, more or less straight to bed as there was nothing much to do, it was quite cold and we all knew, sleep would not come easy as we were already around 1,800m altitude.

A fairly leisurely start with breakfast around 8:45. There was porridge but of course I didn't bother with it, instead I had pancakes (cold) and eggs (warm).

Our destination today was Tasserimoute at 2,640m. We walked out of Imlil via a series of paths that wound their way through the labyrinth of finished and unfinished houses, eventually onto open ground. The path was steadily up, never steep but continuous and quite slippery in places due to its scree like nature.

The landscape unfolded as we ascended and the village got steadily smaller. At one point we were passed by two guys on a mule - they were our cooks and the mule carried lunch! Eventually we came to a plateau with a small brick building - this would be our lunch stop, but first the small matter of the final 100m or so of vertical ascent to the summit. We soon crested the rise and sat in glorious sunshine enjoying the spectacular view all around. We mused over which way the coast was and agreed it was due West.

Time to descend and sit in yet more sun for lunch. I have to admit, it was considerably warmer than I'd expected and rather regretted carrying warm and windproof layers. I'm pretty sure I could have got away with a T-shirt instead of a thermal top and of course, not being a hat man, also regretted not bringing my Tilly. Oh well, the rolled up balaclava worked well enough. This would be an ongoing theme where at times it would be baking hot and at other times, freezing cold.

After lunch, we headed back down retracing our steps. It took three hours up and two down, mostly not including stops. Back at the lodge, we all took advantage of the hot showers - probably the last until Friday. Dinner again was superb and we retired afterwards, we have a long day tomorrow.

With an 8:30 breakfast and 9:30 start, there was no urgency. The walk up was a long one, taking over five hours plus stops. The majority was steady up with one long flat section past a football pitch. At regular intervals we came across small shops and cafes, even stopping at one for coffee and Snickers. I must admit to feeling slightly light headed on the way up and a bit tired at the refuge. I'd worn my trekking shoes and lightweight trousers on the way up, but now changed to my winter trousers and a thermal top, rather than a T-shirt with my Stellar softshell. We sorted our dormitory, then went outside for crampon and ice axe practise which made me feel quite cold. Additional gloves, beanie and waterproofs were added.

Back to the dorm afterwards to sort gear before dinner and briefing at 7pm. Chicken was the choice this evening with spaghetti. Nothing much after dinner as we have an early start for our summit attempt. One thing of note, it is considerably warmer in the refuge than it was down in the lodge, two main reasons; lots more people generally and the fact that they have a couple of fires going. Also in the dormitory, whilst at the lodge I had my (three season) sleeping bag and thermal liner, up here I didn't need the liner and still felt warm. One serious downside though, is that the toilet is down two flights of stairs which made for tedious trips.

Breakfast was 6am with a 7am start. I wore my Scarpa Manta boots with double socks and crampons. Stellar winter trousers and over-trousers. Stellar thermal top and mid-layer, plus Rab waterproof jacket (as a windproof). Gloves of choice were the Black Diamond ones and I had my beanie and crash helmet. I added my down jacket and balaclava on the way up as it got colder.

Out of the hut, it goes steeply up to start and we had our axes ready. Past there, it eases a little and walking poles can be used, but by now we'd gained 150m in around 40 minutes which was quite a pace. I did find it a little quick so adopted my own. Onward and upward. By now it was light enough to turn off the head torches. The path never relents but was always good on firm snow and we made excellent progress.

By about 3,800m I was feeling the effects of altitude and effort and did wonder if I would make it. Chris (Team leader) spotted this and helped a lot, as did Omar and Hassan, even resorting to taking my rucsac for me - previously unheard of. I gave it willingly which just shows what a poor state I was in. The final section of rocks and up to the pyramid I was almost on my knees but supported by Omar and Hassan I made the final steps to stand on the summit and I soon felt a bit better. It had taken around five hours from the refuge. Like all summits, we weren't there for long. It was cold, but didn't feel as cold as expected. Minus fifteen was predicted. The sky, like every day up to now was bright blue with barely a cloud. We enjoyed the views and of course, the obligatory photos.

Of course the summit is only half the battle and we had the long descent. I felt totally drained and it was a major effort to keep my legs working, but down we came. In the shade it was incredibly cold, but in the sunshine, quite warm. Finally the hut came into view and we were soon back, just three hours after leaving the summit.

I was totally exhausted and sat around trying to summon the energy to even take off my boots. Finally done I went inside and dumped my gear. It was around 3pm and lunch was served but I couldn't eat anything. I had also developed a cold so was sneezing like a crazy man. I went and lay down and slept like a baby for three hours. Dinner was at 7pm. I managed some, but not much. Afterwards we had a group chat, some electing to go for an early walk in the morning, others opting for a late breakfast. I was one of the latter!

I hate making excuses for performance, but on reflection, I am convinced that I had a cold prior to summit day and it only manifested itself after the big climb. It would go a long way to explaining my poor performance as I felt I'd done enough fitness training in the weeks and months building up to the trip and acclimatisation has never been a problem for me.

By the time I woke, those out on the early walk had long gone. After a brief breakfast I completed my packing. We are descending to Imlil today, a day early but it is a preferable place to be compared to the lodge and it gets the descent out of the way. It does mean of course that we can have a shower a day earlier which can only be a good thing.

We set off after a superb lunch prepared by our own incredible chef. Not surprisingly, going down was a lot easier and we made good progress, stopping a couple of times on the way, once at a random cafe and the second at Sidi Chamharouch, a holy village (to Muslims) which comprises a few shops and houses but has a grave under a large rock. The grave is Sidi (Saint) Chamharouch who was apparently a Jinn (genie). The actual history seems sketchy but Muslims travel to the village for blessings, particularly to help with ailments. We didn't see the actual shrine and in any case would not have been allowed in as we are not Muslims. We made do with a restorative coffee instead. On the way down, it did occur to me that if people could make the journey up to the holy village then they were possibly not as bad as they thought, but then, by way of explanation, we passed a number of groups of people riding on donkeys.

The rest of the walk down was uneventful and we were soon back at the lodge for tea and cake, followed by hot showers. Dinner was a pretty spectacular chicken skewers and chips, thoroughly enjoyed by all. As it was our last night in Imlil we sat up until 10pm, previously unheard of. My sleep was okay, but as usual, woke a few times during the night.

As we were down a day early, there was no rush to get off. Some elected to go for a walk, but I was feeling so rough with my cold, as was Chris (Team Leader) that we stayed at the lodge whilst the others went off. Apparently Sarah also stayed behind but slept the entire morning so we didn't see her.

During a quiet moment, I mused over whether Morocco was an expensive country. In Marrakech I had pizza and coke for £5. I had a Panini and drink in the market for £3. In the mountains, a half litre water bottle is £1 and up at the refuge, a large water bottle, can of Sprite and a Mars Bar was £6. A small coffee on the trail was just over £1 so I think, all in all, yes, pretty cheap. As for tips, well we had all agreed that Omar and his team were first rate. Hassan, the other guide could not have done more and the cook, who came to the hut with us, produced food that was beyond anyones wildest expectations. We each contributed 600 Dirhams (about £50).

With the others now back from their walk, we completed our packing and bought our bags down for loading. I had shared with Chris and bided my time as he crammed his gear into his bag and with some effort, closing the zipper. That done, I casually mentioned that he had forgotten his wash bag! He took it in good spirit, marching into the bathroom to collect both that and his towel. I can't help but think one day, revenge will be had!

After a final lunch in Imlil where Chris managed to round off the trip by breaking a plate and rather hilariously, almost falling over with the surprise, we said our farewells to the excellent team that Omar had put together. Tips were handed out, then we packed our gear onto the mini bus and drove back to Marrakech. As we descended, it warmed up nicely and we arrived at the hotel in a very pleasant afternoon sunshine.

We said our final goodbye to Omar and headed to our respective rooms for a couple of hours relaxation, shower and to dig our clean clothes, in my case that had been left at the hotel. We'd had a recommendation of a restaurant near the main Souk; the Mabrouka Rooftop. It was superb! Some had Tagine, others, myself included, went for Pizza and chips. It also sold beer and wine so we enjoyed a celebratory drink or two and a very pleasant evening with newly made and hopefully long-lasting friends, bought together by the mutual hardship, some discomfort and most certainly delight and satisfaction of climbing Moroccos highest peak.

Dinner done, we strolled back to the hotel, once more, risking life and limb crossing the ever busy roads with ever impatient drivers and motorcyclists.

A few met for breakfast and we said our goodbyes. Chris and I took a walk into the market area as his flight pickup wasn't until 6pm. We explored the Souk in greater detail than I had on my first day, which was great fun. We stopped for coffee and enjoyed a rooftop break from the street sellers, although the steps up were so steep a Health and Safety man would have had heart failure! The coffee was strong, silty and black, but enjoyable all the same. From there, we found another rooftop cafe for lunch where we had a view of the mosque we had passed on the way in, and took a compass bearing so that we would at least head roughly in the right direction when we tried to find our way out.

By luck or good judgement, we came back to the main Souk street and were soon in the large open area again. On the way out, we did a spot of haggling for some carvings and came away satisfied with our purchases. Back to the hotel to spend the afternoon reading until it was time for Chris to depart.

After Chris had left I wandered down to find somewhere for dinner. That done, the rest of the evening was spent repacking and hoping I'd got the balance right between hand luggage and big bag.

Omar picked me up at 11am for the short ride to the airport and I was soon dropping off my bag (22.6kg out of an allowable 23kg!). A boring couple of hours followed by a standard flight home and long drive back from the airport in miserable weather, the adventure was complete.

Even in the Souk at night, it feels quite safe. Basically, there are a lot of shop sellers who want your money for their goods so they hassle but only verbally. There are so many people around anyway that there are no issues and I did see quite a bit of police presence even during the short journey from the hotel to the Souk.

Souks seem very random, but you soon realise there are 'departments'. Some areas selling jewellery, watches and such, others are for leather goods; clothes, bags etc and still others for food and drink. The leather goods are spectacular with some incredible bags, jackets and belts. In amongst this is unbelievable cruelty. I'm no fan of snakes but to see a guy walking around swinging one like a piece of string was sickening. We saw monkeys who clearly had no idea where they were, cages of tortoise, piled one on top of another, totally unable to move and bowls of shark egg cases, known as mermaids purses, used, no doubt, for crushing and extracting the egg/content for some sort of 'traditional' medicine.

These markets have been around for probably hundreds of years and nothing will ever change the mindset but it would be nice to think that if no one gave money to the snake charmers or had their photos taken with monkeys, or bought a tortoise it would naturally die out, but sadly people obviously do all of those things which keeps it going.

The roads are dangerous! Crossing them is risky. The cars will stop at red lights but should you be half way across when they change, they will come at you! Mopeds may or may not stop so don't expect them too, even if you are on a zebra crossing.

Being a closed currency, it is better to change in-country if you want to use Moroccan Dirhams. I changed £200 into Dirhams and that was more than enough, so barring really expensive gifts, I fully expected to be changing money back again at the airport, and in fact that's exactly what I did. It was far more formal than the Souk and took quite a bit longer. Also, they have no coins so if the money you have isn't a multiple of five when it's changed back, don't be surprised to have it rounded (down of course!). If you have the luxury of choice, see which comes closest, Sterling or Euros. The Souk money changers give a slightly better value than the airport and are perfectly safe to use. One comment about money changing: It is perfectly possible to use only Euros for the entire trip, at a ten to one exchange rate (2025 prices) and it should not come as a surprise, although it does, to receive both Euros and Dirhams in change when paying for something.

There are no visa requirements for Morocco from the UK but expect to be delayed getting through the Customs at the airport, and also, you need to know the hotel you are staying at - sounds obvious but if, like me, you were on an organised tour, you may not know, relying on the in-country team to take you to the correct one.