Climbing Jebel Toubkal

If that doesn’t sound challenging enough, try a winter trek. Climbing Toubkal is pretty much a year round option, with the long winter season stretching from October to April. Trekking at this time usually requires crampons and ice axes. It’s tough going, but most guided winter treks are designed for anyone who is fit, even if new to winter walking, and guides provide training as you go. In high summer, a Toubkal trek brings relief from the heat, but only once you’re above 3,000m. Marrakech can hit 42°C in July and August, with the the lower valleys of the High Atlas in the high 30°Cs, too. At medium altitudes days are hot and the nights warm, so you need to get really high before it feels cold, and be prepared for trekking in warm to hot conditions for the most part. You should also factor in the altitude. You’ll be trekking to a height of over 4,000m and anything over around 2,500m carries the risk of Acute Mountain Sickness.

Joining a guided small group trek is the only way to tackle Toubkal. Guides manage the pace, help you acclimatise to the altitude and on winter treks teach you how to walk in snowy conditions, and sometimes cut steps into the snow or lay ropes. They can help interpret when you meet the friendly Berber people that live in the valleys of the High Atlas, and will explain more about life in the mountains, bringing a layer of cultural insight into an outdoors adventure.