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I have to rate this as one of my best, of many, Exodus Trips. Like all good Tagines, it had all the right ingredients to be a success, and it really was. The itinerary, weather, group members, the guides, food , transport were all amazing. The only slight blot was the accommodation at the Refuge but then that is almost as infamous as the Atlas Mountains themselves, and its strange way added to the adventure!
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Each day seemed to offer something special , Even the short 1.5 hr is trip from Marrakech was exciting as the White, Snow covered Atlas mountains could easily be be seen on the horizon as we drove through Marrakech down the fantastic Avenue Mohammed VI roadway despite the group enjoying the warmth of the Winter Sun. The adventure and highlights needless to say racked up when we arrived in the Mountains, where we were met with lots of smiling faces and copious amounts of Sweet Mint Tea. This was also our first insight to the wonderful Mountain food that would keep us fuelled for the next few days ( and a few days more!). Indeed every activity seemed to be punctuated by fresh food and tea!.The first morning we trekked up from the Gite to the Refuge and enjoyed lunch before we had our first “crampon” walk up to a wonderful ridge (some groups seem to do this on the last day but I think our option was best – it filled the afternoon and made the last day more enjoyable) . The Next day the plan was to Summit Jebel Toubkal 4167m /Toubkal West 4030m .. just in case the weather closed in .. which it didn’t ! ….. This was paced by our wonderful guide just perfect … and it seemed , like every other day he had ordered the whole mountain to ourselves ! We had wondered what the next day would bring, and felt rather odd that the key summit had already been conquered but in reality the trek to Timesguida Ouanoukrim 4089m and Ras Ouanoukrim 4083m was even more interesting and varied – involving a small amount of safe ( but exciting for those that hadn’t done any ) scrambling in crampons followed by a wonderful decent down a steep gully in deep snow.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our Group Leader , The Mountain Guide and our Chef ( who provides all the food at both the Gite and Refuge) were a great team and made us all very welcome. They had the experience and expertise to spot a loose crampon at 100m and when to stop and drink some more tea!
They were wonderful characters who were a credit to a wonderful Country –The country, its lifestyle and its people were so much better than I had ever expected.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The trip isnt that hard - if you can do Snowdon ( not via the train ) Nevis etc then you should cope with the trip - Altidude isnt much of an issue as you dont stay high for very long ( albeit you might huff and puff a bit more at the top than you would otherwise do)
Take Wet Wipes !! - You would have to be very brave to Shower at the refuge! They are also useful close to the nose when visiting the basic toilet area.
Take a book /ipod etc and a warm sleeping bag ( though our room actually got quite warm at night with 8 people warming it up !! ) which reminds me - EAR PLUGS !!
I didnt hire any kit but those that did - the quality was good ( indeed NEW I think)
Dont miss the opprtunity of the local Hammam after the trek - A highlight and much fun!
We took a long route back to Marrachech - I would suggest you insist the same - wonderful views and peaceful!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If in doubt.... then do it ...Novice or old dog you will enjoy it - Its like having a Second Alpine Summer Trip!!
I have to rate this as one of my best, of many, Exodus Trips. Like all good Tagines, it had all the right ingredients to be a success, and it really was. The itinerary, weather, group members, the guides, food , transport were all amazing. The only slight blot was the accommodation at the Refuge but then that is almost as infamous as the Atlas Mountains themselves, and its strange way added to the adventure!
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Each day seemed to offer something special , Even the short 1.5 hr is trip from Marrakech was exciting as the White, Snow covered Atlas mountains could easily be be seen on the horizon as we drove through Marrakech down the fantastic Avenue Mohammed VI roadway despite the group enjoying the warmth of the Winter Sun. The adventure and highlights needless to say racked up when we arrived in the Mountains, where we were met with lots of smiling faces and copious amounts of Sweet Mint Tea. This was also our first insight to the wonderful Mountain food that would keep us fuelled for the next few days ( and a few days more!). Indeed every activity seemed to be punctuated by fresh food and tea!.The first morning we trekked up from the Gite to the Refuge and enjoyed lunch before we had our first “crampon” walk up to a wonderful ridge (some groups seem to do this on the last day but I think our option was best – it filled the afternoon and made the last day more enjoyable) . The Next day the plan was to Summit Jebel Toubkal 4167m /Toubkal West 4030m .. just in case the weather closed in .. which it didn’t ! ….. This was paced by our wonderful guide just perfect … and it seemed , like every other day he had ordered the whole mountain to ourselves ! We had wondered what the next day would bring, and felt rather odd that the key summit had already been conquered but in reality the trek to Timesguida Ouanoukrim 4089m and Ras Ouanoukrim 4083m was even more interesting and varied – involving a small amount of safe ( but exciting for those that hadn’t done any ) scrambling in crampons followed by a wonderful decent down a steep gully in deep snow.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our Group Leader , The Mountain Guide and our Chef ( who provides all the food at both the Gite and Refuge) were a great team and made us all very welcome. They had the experience and expertise to spot a loose crampon at 100m and when to stop and drink some more tea!
They were wonderful characters who were a credit to a wonderful Country –The country, its lifestyle and its people were so much better than I had ever expected.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The trip isnt that hard - if you can do Snowdon ( not via the train ) Nevis etc then you should cope with the trip - Altidude isnt much of an issue as you dont stay high for very long ( albeit you might huff and puff a bit more at the top than you would otherwise do)
Take Wet Wipes !! - You would have to be very brave to Shower at the refuge! They are also useful close to the nose when visiting the basic toilet area.
Take a book /ipod etc and a warm sleeping bag ( though our room actually got quite warm at night with 8 people warming it up !! ) which reminds me - EAR PLUGS !!
I didnt hire any kit but those that did - the quality was good ( indeed NEW I think)
Dont miss the opprtunity of the local Hammam after the trek - A highlight and much fun!
We took a long route back to Marrachech - I would suggest you insist the same - wonderful views and peaceful!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If in doubt.... then do it ...Novice or old dog you will enjoy it - Its like having a Second Alpine Summer Trip!!
Rhodri Roberts
MT TOUBKAL WINTER CLIMB
Written
I had a ball! Morocco was amazing not what i expected, a nice surprise. The holiday was organised very well by Exodus i thought Marrakech was just the right mixture of culture and fun. The climb to the top of the two summits was gruelling but extremely rewarding! I met a group of fab people and we all got on really well. I would definately visit Morocco again.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Standing on the summit of Jebel Toubkal.
The climb to the summit was gruelling, traversing snow and ice with crampons was demanding coupled to ascending in altitute, but that adds to the sense of achievement when you reach the summit.
What did you think of your group leader?
Great, i was less fit and suffered more with altitiute than the rest of the group but he was very patient and always engaged me in conversation. He was also very knowledgeable on the history and culture of Morocco.
Couldnt fault the group leader.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Approach the trip with confidence and optimism and you'll have a great time.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks very much for organising a great adventure!
A great trip that was made all the better by picture perfect weather and good company. Reasonably challenging walking in some of the best scenary on the planet. Marrakech is an amazing starting and ending place for the trip - initially somewhere I thought would just be a place to pass through but it is a fanastic city full of culture. Well worth exploring - especially if you enjoy shopping.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Climbing Toubkal was inspiring but Jebel Ouanakrim was as rewarding and more of an enjoyable climb if not a few metres lower.
Standing on a summit is always a highlight of this type of trip and the trip included two summits which both posed different challenges.
What did you think of your group leader?
The two Mohameds worked very well together - utlising their different skills. We were made to feel very welcome by all of the team and despite Mo2's limited english, he joined in with card games, evening activities and took us to dinner on the final night - a real character. Mo1 was brilliant, keeping everyone together and recognising that we all had our better and worse times on the trip.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Do this trip in the winter! Such magical surroundings whilst the whole area is covered in snow. Don't worry if you have no previous experience of using crampons or ice axe - there is plenty of opportunity to get used to them and by the end of the trip it feels strange walking about without crampons!
The refuge is very basic and standards of hygiene are not great in the bathroom areas. This is fine as long as you are expecting it - read the reviews and the trip notes as they do mention this. Hot water is available at times but is very limited. Shower when you can!
Take chocolate - thanks to the rest of the group who all came really prepared with lots of great quality chocolate to share. This was really great each day when we stopped - especially at the summits.
Alcohol is really hard to come by in Marrakech and generally very expensive. A little research can find places to get a drink but don't expect restaurants to have alcohol readily available - especially near the main square.
Take gaiters - although they are only optional on the trip notes - you will be walking in deep snow so invaluable.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The fitter you are the more enjoyable any trip like this is. This trip is rated as Tough purely because you are in crampons and ice axes are used every day. This seems a high rating for this trip compared with other trips.
Fantastic value for money and extremely well organised. One very slight niggle - we didn't have a welcome meeting until 30 minutes before leaving for the mountains on day 2 - we all felt we would have preferred a welcome meeting/briefing on the evening of day 1 so that we still had the morning of day 2 to get any additional supplies and also spend a bit of time getting to know each other after meeting formerly.
It was certainly a tough and demanding hike and you need to be confident about your level of fitness. However I would confirm that previous experience of use of crampons and ice axes is not necessary.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Undoubtedly reaching the top of Toubkal, especially as the visibility was outstanding and the snow covered scenery breathtaking.
What did you think of your group leader?
Hassan was very efficient and confidence inspiring. Not only did he know everything you needed to know about the mountains but he was from the local village which we used at the beginning and end of the trek so that was a guarantee against unexpected surprises
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be prepared for a lot of snow! Shortly before our departure there had been a very heavy snowfall so we reached the snow line at just over 2000 metres. It also meant that beyond the hut some of the walking was on fresh deep snow - I frequently sank in up to my knees or beyond so was grateful to have lots of energy bars with me!
Take gaiters. As indicated the snow in places was very deep and the last thing you needed wass soaking boots, especially as the possibilities for drying them out in the hut were limited.
Make sure you take on plenty of fluid, to help deal with the altitude but also to counter the effects of abundant perspiration on the way up the montain. In the hut the toilets were two floors down from the dormitories but it was better to have to get up during the night than to get seriously dehydrated on the mountain!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
As I said above it was a tough hike especially with all the recent snow but that also made the scenery all the more beautiful. The hut was ok but very damp in the dormitory and you needed all your warm weather gear for sitting around. I think it would have been a bit depressing getting cooped up all day if the weather had been bad and it was not possible to venture out.
I thought the food on trek was excellent and abundant, though the meat eaters in the group felt it was rather too vegetarian.
The Lac d'Ini was a little disappointing but it was an exhilarating trek to get up there!
Our group leader gave us an indication of a specific figure for tips for cook, porters and second guide for which most of us were very grateful, though the overall amount - including a sum at our discretion for the group leader - was about half as much again as the amount mentioned in the Trip Notes (though there were only seven of us in the group).
Richard Smith
MT TOUBKAL WINTER CLIMB
Written
A good introduction to using crampons and ice axe, not as beutiful as the trip to Morroco I did before but it is the middle of winter.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The ascent of the second peak beat the ascent of Toubkal as the scenery and variety of the ascent was alot more impressive.
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent, very professional and explained the safty aspects of walking on snow or ice. Perhaps his dry sense of humour was down to spending alot of time with exodus clients.
The trek was great and the Atlas Mountains are as beautiful as you imagine, particularly whilst covered in snow. The itinerary was manageable even without much special training, although it merits the 'difficult' ranking.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
You'll do this trip for the mountaineering, not for the food or the experience that you'll have of Marrakech. The itinerary was perfect for a short break and for those seeking a challenge, such as climbing to a high altitude or trying out crampons.
The food wasn't poor but wasn't tasty or what you might already know as Moroccan. There were tagine's and couscous but the spices are left out because the tourists apparently don't like them. As a foodie, this was a little disappointing. It didn't get in the way of a good time though, as the mountains as such an amazing setting.
The lodge is well placed as the base for three nights and the treks are intense but leave you with a good part of the day just to stare into the snowy vista, read a book, play cards with your new travel mates or sleep off the exertion.
What did you think of your group leader?
The group leader was superb. He's worked for Exodus for 17 years and knows this trek extremely well. He's completely safety focussed and is not at all blase' after all these years working similar tours, which was refreshing. He was always available to answer questions, help with crampons and to encourage the group along their challenge. I've had various treks with other companies and guides and this was certainly the best I'd had.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Read the trip notes more carefully than you think you already have. Most of our group hadn't realised we'd be in the same lodge for three nights, or that the trek would be entirely on snow for three out of the five days. Our fault, and there was nothing wrong with it, but it was a surprise.
Also don't expect to experience Marrakech. You'll arrive late at night and start the drive out to the Atlas the next day. Whilst the hotel isn't in a bad location, the Hotels we had are not in the Medina and are on a noisy road with Macdonalds and Pizza Hut nearby. You can make it to the main square, but not very leisurely. I added on extra time and stayed in a Riad within the Medina to get to the more beautiful side of the city
from 43 reviews.
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