Jbel Toubkhal, Morocco

Jbel Toubkhal is the highest mountain in Morocco, and in North Africa. It is a worthy inclusion to the world's Must Do Treks.

Trekking Jbel Toubkhal, Morocco - 4167m

Jbel Toubkhal is the highest mountain in North Africa so is a popular trekking peak. It offers the challenge of tackling a 4000m peak without any technical challenges, set amidst beautiful scenery in a fascinating country. What's more, it can be done in a couple of days so can even be completed in a long weekend trip, which makes it far more accessible than peaks such as Kilimanjaro.

There are many possible routes which lead trekkers towards an ascent of Jbel Toubkhal and these can take anything from 2-7 days, often providing superb lower altitude trekking which acts as good acclimatisation for an ascent of Toubkhal. However, whichever route you approach the mountain from, most people climb to the summit via the South Cwm.

In light of this, the route described here is the most simple route, trekking from the village of Imlil to the Neltler Hut and then summiting from there. It should be noted that any trekkers attempting this route are advised to spend some time acclimatising beforehand in order to combat altitude sickness and maximise their chances of summit success.

Jbel Toubkhal - Trekking Routes

Jbel Toubkhal from Imlil via the Neltler Hut

Length: 2-3 days
Highest Altitude: 4167m
Difficulty: Challenging
Getting there: From Marrakech, it is easy to reach Imlil either by a private taxi (around £50) or by public bus to Asni, followed by a local taxi to Imlil. The distance is just 65km.

Day 1 - Imlil (1800m) to the Neltler Hut (3250m)

Although this trek takes 5-7 hours, it is worth leaving Imlil before 10am to maximise your time in the mountains and to ensure that you arrive at the hut before dark. This will also give you a reasonable chance of getting a hot shower at the Neltler Hut!

The trek gains 1400m of altitude over around 10km distance as you climb from Imlil to the hut. Despite this, it is a reasonably straightforward day, and not too challenging if you have a mule carrying most of your kit!

The route from Imlil goes south towards the village of Arnoud, climbing into the flat flood plain. Crossing the plain, a good trail, marked by splotches of paint on rocks, then continues towards the hut. The trail offers good views both towards Toubkhal and back down the valley. After a couple of hours, you pass the holy village of Sidi. There are a few basic shops there, and it is not hard to get a refreshing mint tea from one of the cafes!

Continuing on from here, the trail switchbacks up a steeper section before leveling out a bit. At this point, the Neltler Hut comes into view, surrounded by an impressive array of rugged mountains. From here on in, you simply follow the trail towards the hut.

On arrival, the warden will allocate you a sleeping space. There are dorm rooms as well as space to pitch tents outside. There is a basic shop with snack food and drinks, and an open fire in the dining area. It's a basic mountain hut but acceptable for the location and comparable to many huts in the Alps. Now that yiu are there, it is time to enjoy a heart evening meal (cooked by either you or your guide/cook - no meals provided by the hut), then get an early night ahead of your summit attemp the next day.

Day 2 - Neltner Hut to Jbel Toubkhal (4167m); Return to Imlil

Details will be added shortly

Trekking Jbel Toubkhal, Morocco - 4167m. Highest peak in North Africa.