Location: High Atlas, Morocco

Height: 4,167m AMSL

Date Summited: March 20th, 2014, at 8:30  (MAR) – local time

Expedition: Solo

Route: South Cym

Précis:

Located in the scenic High Atlas, Jbel Toubkal is the highest mountain in North Africa. Toubkal is one of the most memorable climb, owing to the wonderful culture of the Berbers and the beauty of the mountain. It was also my first solo. Climbing Toubkal at the end of the winter season meant that the mountain was absolutely untouched, with very little traffic at the refuge below. It also meant that it as covered with good snow, which made the climb extremely pleasant in an alpine environment. The villages of Mizik and Armoud are great bases from which to set up for the day hike to the refuge at the base of Toubkal. I reached the summit at 8:30, and with no one in sight, I stayed there for a while, until I initiated the descent, where I came across the first climbers. Toubkal is extremely fun to climb in the winter! However, the climb is a bit more technical given snow and ice, but a climber with moderate experience will find the perfect climb period to be winter.

Solo at the summit of Jbel Toubkal

Panorama from the summit looking North

Panorama from the summit looking South

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