I have a pretty severe fear of heights, no problems with planes but stick me on a cliff and I have to go down on all fours, look over a shear drop and my legs turn to jelly. I did Toubkal as a challenge to myself.
The descriptions on site were pretty good as far as stamina and fitness but I couldn't find too much detail on the height or exposure aspect so I would like to put that right. I viewed hundreds of photos but couldn't get a true impression.
So I will try to give my assessment for those of you who are in two minds... I set out very apprehensive but for the first two days it was a very gentle easy trek. As we approached the empty village on day two we were aware that we were to climb to a couple of patches of snow high up, ahead of us, didn't look two difficult and wasn't, easy trekking on good paths. There was the one large waterfall, looked about 150 feet high and we had to go up the side of it, started to worry but the mules had gone ahead. Looking at it from the bottom, as with every forward view we had, I could never work out how we could get up there without climbing or at the very least scrambling, but as always I was wrong, There is absolutely no climbing or scrambling on this trek. If the mules have been there so can you.
If you take the extra peak walks I can't guarantee that, the mules didn't go on these and nor did I.
Second night in a basic refuge or shed, but it has a light bulb and an outside loo, with a view, don't expect anything else or you will be disappointed, it's what you came for.
Next day we knew there was a high trek and when we came over a bluff and looked at this scree valley going right up ahead of us over a saddle between two peaks my heart and almost my breakfast was in my mouth. How on earth could we go over that without climbing? it looked so shear. Then Hassan pointed out little pin pricks zig zagging up the scree, donkeys and people, a long steady trek with no great exposure until, 90 zig-zags later, the very top when we broach the saddle, still no shear drops just very high with great views. There were never any cliffs that you could fall off!
A long walk down the side of a valley with views of Toubkal above us to keep you company for the afternoon, before reaching base camp a far better equipped hostel with 3 toilets one is actually European style, the women loved it.
No sleep that night, sweating and panic attacks when I closed my eyes, because as usual I could not see how we would reach the top without climbing and the mules weren't with us. Up early and off by 6am, 6 layers of clothes and up we went, uphill scree trekking for 4 hours looking at pins on the horizon, people clambering around rocks! Not for me I thought, then we came to a rest spot below the top, a saddle but I could see a shear drop so I didn't go to the edge to look at the 1.5km drop! you don't have to! Others did and took photos.
Looking up I could see Toubkal and people walking around a thin crescent ridge with the shear drop off to the right. No way! Not for me. Told Hassan and he said no problem.
They set off, but not up the ridge, so I went to look around the next corner with them, open track OK, next corner, open track OK, another wide scree area, at least 20 meters wide, so I walked up the middle and there it was the top, no shear drops, it was high, great views, wide exposure but I was there. If I wanted I could have gone and looked over shear drops but I didn't. I was there on top!. Even had group photos and a picnic.
A slow walk down looking down to where we had come from, no problems.
Eat a hearty supper and slept like a log, tickled pink with myself. The worst part in the initial days was not knowing and thinking the worse.
Over all a great experience met a great group of people and chuffed that I did it and taught myself a lesson. Don't think the worst.
from 72 reviews.
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