Introduction

On 22nd February, 2014, we set out on a journey to the snow & ice covered High Atlas Mountains in Morocco to climb North Africa's highest peak. Our trek starts from Imlil (1800m above Sea Level), a small town 67km south of Marrakech. Located at the head of the Mizane Valley, it's access from Marrakech by road makes it an ideal gateway to the Mountains.   

From Imlil, we will set out through the valley on mountain paths to the Neltner Refuge (3207m), a popular Base Camp set at the heart of the High Atlas Range (Orange route on the map below), where we will spend 3 nights.

From the refuge, on the first day we will first attempt to summit Mt. Toubkal, set at 4167m (Blue route), as the highest peak of the Atlas Mountains, returning to the Refuge after the climb. The following day, we will climb the second highest peak of Timesguida Ouanoukrim, at altitude 4088m  (Green route), again returning to the Refuge. On the third day, we climb to Tizi Ouanoums, a high mountain pass set at a height of 3665m (Purple route) which overlooks the Lac (lake) D'Ifni. We then return to the Refuge and continue down all the way back to Imlil where our expedition will end .

The treks of the High Atlas Mountains winter expedition

DAY 1: It Begins !!....

After months of planning & prepping, the day finally arrives. Yup, Kavita & I are on our way to Morocco to conquer the snow & ice covered summit of Mt. Toubkal (4167m), the highest peak in the High Atlas mountain range in North Africa.

The Atlas Mountains run the northwestern stretch of Africa extending about 2,500 km through Algeria, Morocco & Tunisia. The bulk of the high peaks, collectively known as the High Atlas, is in Morocco, easily accessible from Marrakech.

During the winter months, most of the high peaks (3000m & higher) are covered in ice/snow, with temperatures below freezing and the snow line ranging from 2000m-3500m depending on the weather conditions on any given day.

Our weather forecast at different altitudes as we climb up the mountain over the next few days is as follows. Weather conditions on a mountain are generally unpredictable and can change at suddenly at any time. You can view the latest updates here : 

http://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Toubkal/forecasts/4167

Training for the climb has been fairly intensive. After the 1-Day Ben Nevis Winter Challenge in January 2014, we increased the frequency from 3 sessions to 4 continuous consecutive sessions at the gym to simulate the 5/6 days of trekking on the mountain. Our self-designed training sessions, perfected over the years, is a complex but structured combination of Cardio Vascular (for Stamina) and Weights Training (for Strength) routines within each session, with training cycles of increasing intensity. Fast recovery after each training session is equally important to avoid excessive soreness & fatigue. The key to Mountain Climbing is to find the perfect balance of Stamina and Strength for a given body size, whilst keeping your weight low as much as possible. 

The challenge on this mountain is going to be altitude and the prolonged exposure to sub-zero temperatures under strenuous conditions. This is the first time we are climbing to a height of over 2000m so we may be experience to Altitude Sickness. It will be interesting to see how our bodies cope with it.

I have been having cold showers back home for the past 4 weeks. I adopted a similar process when I went Ice Diving (Scuba) under the frozen White Sea within the Arctic Circle in Russia back in 2008 and it proved most effective in conditioning the body to prolonged cold temperatures. But then Mountain Climbing is a lot harder than diving. Let's hope it proves as effective again !!

DAY 2 : On Our Way to The Mountains

After a 3 and a half hour plane journey from London Gatwick Airport, we find ourselves in the city of Marrakech. The temperature is a comfortable 25-26 degrees. Evenings dip to a chilling 17-19 degrees.

The local currency is the Morrocan Dirham (MAD) which is generally around 13 MAD to the GBP. Moneycorp at Gatwick was offering an outrageous rate of 10.21 MAD !! We managed to secure a much better rate of 12.95 MAD (over 20% better than Gatwick !!) at the exchange Bureau at Marrakech's Menara airport. The rate in the town centre was even better at 13.25 MAD.

 The city is split into 5 districts. Our basic hotel is in the district of Guilez in the 'new' Marrakech. Over the past 36 hours, we've just been walking around the city(warming up for the trek), soaking in the atmosphere of this vibrant city whilst seeping Morrocan Tea at busy roadside cafes and trying out the local food watching the locals and tourists alike go about their business. 

We returned back to the hotel late afternoon and packed up our Day Sacks and duffle bags with all our kit. We will be carrying our day sacks. The kit bags will be carried by mules halfway up to the mountain and then by porters from thereon. Our suitcases will be left behind in storage at the hotel.

We rendevouz'ed with our guide and the rest of the group in a local restaurant last night. There are 9 of us, Mohammed (the Exodus Guide) Vicky, Duncan (from Surrey), Jack (Norfolk), Ingver (Reyjavik, Iceland), Kavita & myself. The other two, John (North Devon) and Simon (Yorkshire) joined us later as their flight from Gatwick was delayed 90 mins.

At 13:30 today, we will all be huddled up in a minibus with our kit bags and head out into the mountains to Imlil, the village at the heart of the Atlas Mountains. We spent the morning stocking up on last minutes items such as batteries, dry snacks and a local SIM card for the iPad so I can continue blogging on the moun

DAY 3: Road to Imlil

Got a SIM card for the IPad 3 from Marco Telecom (GSM Network Service Provider). 20 MAD (£1.50)  for the card plus 100 MAD (about  £8) for 1Gb of 3G data (valid for 1 month) is relatively cheap compared to back home in the UK. The shop didn't have a nano-SIM, but had a rather useful tool to clip-cut it from the standard size SIM. 

The Plaza in Guilez on Mohammed V Avenue, where you will find some international brand shops such as Zara, New Yorker. There is also a McDonalds Fast Food restaurant at the end of the Plaza, visible in the bottom left. The Marco Telecom shop is directly opposite the plaza.

The Wi-Fi service in Marrakech, although free at the hotels and in various food/drink establishments across the city, is notoriously slow. With free wifi comes greater usage, more connections and therefore less bandwidth available per connection for data transfer. Hence the slow speed.

It's probably more efficient to use a 3G SIM card. Apparently, there is 3G coverage on the mountains too !!

The journey from Marrakech (459m above sea level)  to the town of Imlil in the South took about 1.5 hrs on the main trunk road to the town of Tarouddant further to the south. The road is well tarmaced and safe for the most part, meandering around the low hills with steep drops on one side as we gain altitude towards the heart of the Atlas Mountains.  

The land is sparsely populated with most people within easy reach of the trunk road alongside which they setup up small shops or stalls to sell their goods and wares.

About an hour or so later,  we get our first close up view of the snow covered peaks as the clouds briefly lifted up. We turn off the main trunk road and head on to Asni. We make a brief stop at the town Asni to pick up some bread. Another 30 mins further up the road and we reach Imlil (1600 +SL) where the tarmac ends and our trek starts. 

Cafe in Asni selling tagine dishes, slowly cooked to perfection over hot charcoals contained in pots

Our kit bags get transferred from the minibus to a smaller van which will take them up via a dirt track to the gite (local lodge) at Arroumd (or Aremd, 1820m), a local village where we will be spending the night. Meanwhile, we put on our day-sacks and start trekking up the zig zag path that cut through the village of Imlil up to the gite.

The dirt track from Imlil to our gite in Aremd. The cluster of houses on the hillside is one of the villages of the vicinity.

60 mins later, we arrived at the gite, which was basically a three story building with a breakfast/lounge area on the ground floor, bedrooms (with 3 single beds each), communal shower rooms and toilets on the first floor and a balcony area with more sleeping quarters on the second floor. Slightly removed from the bedrooms was a large living/dining room with a log fireplace. 

We collected our kit bags and settled ourselves into our rooms (John, Simon & Ingver in room 1, Kavi and I in the middle room, Vicky, Duncan & Jack in the third). The hosts offered us some much needed Moroccan tea and biscuits while Mohammed (our guide) briefed us on what you expect over the next 4 days. He then headed back to his home in the local village. 

Mohammed, our Mountain Guide, giving us a briefing of the trip and the paths we will trekking over the next 4 days

The day started to get colder as the evening wore on and the clouds dropped lower again. A taste of what was to come further up the mountain. The temperature outside had dropped to 7 oC. We spent most of the remaining part of the day in the living area where it was relative warm (10/11 oC) due to the log fire. Dinner was served by the in-house cook at 18:30. We had Morrocan soup (made from lentils, rice and spices) and bread to start off with, followed by a huge chicken tagine laid with steaming potatoes, corgettes, peas & sweet carrots. Bland as it was, we scoffed it down gratefully. Cold makes you hungry.... and less fussy. Moroccan tea was served shortly after with orange slices topped with cinnamon powder (quite delicious). 

After the meal, some of us settled down with our books, kindles or iPads. I intended to update the blog with the days events. Unfortunately the promised 3G data service was not available this far out from Marrakech. There was not much hope of getting any 3G service deep in the mountains. Ingver & I therefore took the opportunity to take night pictures of the village instead. 

A night shot of the village of Aremd

We have an 8:00am trekking start the next day, so by 20:30 we were all in our bedrooms. 

DAY 4: Trek To the Refuge

After a cold restless night and a hearty breakfast of porridge and bread in the gite's ground floor, we were ready to start our 11km trek to the Neltner Refuge, set at the heart of the High Atlas Mountains. Two of the the three mules that will carry our kit bags as far as the small shrine at Sidi Chamharouch, had already arrived and were being loaded. From there on porters will carry out kit bags to the Refuge.

Breakfast at the gite in Aremd

 

A muleteer loading up our kit bags. The mules will carry the bags as far as Sidi Chamharouch

At around 08:00, We donned our back packs and set off on foot down the path that cuts across a dry stony bed of an ancient lake in this part of the Mizane Valley. The valley itself was carved out by a huge glacier millions of years ago. The dry bed is strewn with loose rocks deposited by flash floods that created a lake in the valley. The hill on which one the villages stands is actually the huge rock deposit of these flash floods. Mohammed tells me that that some point in the past, the far end of the lake broke banks and the water slowly began to drain out, leaving the dry bed. The locals use huge sieves to separate fine sediment from rocks in the bed to make new houses in the villages.

The dry river bed of the Mizane Valley

Part of the land in the area belongs to the locals as is evident by the terraced fields and irrigated plots on the slopes on each side of the valley. The mountains however belong as a National Heritage to the state of Morocco.

The two mules. led by a muleteer, overtook us as we crossed the dry bed, carrying three bags of equipment each. The third mule could be seen coming up the path far behind, carry additional supplies.

Having crossed the dry bed, we trek up the zig-zag path on the eastern slope of the valley. We have our first break stop at a cafe located further up the slope, offering amazing views of the Mizane Valley floor that we just crossed. After a cup of Moroccan Tea at the cafe, we headed on up the path towards Sidi Chamharouch, a settlement further up the Mizane valley that has grown around a domed shrine and a place of Pilgrimage for many muslims. Here we crossed the river Mizane by a foot bridge, effectively ending up on the other opposite side of the valley. We made another stop at a cafe offering Morrocan Soup and freshly squeezed orange juice. This is as far as the mules will go. Our kit bags and supplies get unloaded and transferred to local porters who will carry them the rest of the way as far as the Neltner Refuge. 

The cafe at Sidi Chamharouch.

The snowline also begins here. The zig-zag path up the slope of the valley becomes a little trickier with large sections covered in snow. Mohammed had asked us to carry our crampons in our day sacks in case the snow had hardened into ice, but it was still soft so no need to put them on.  We continue up the path that follows the valley. From this point, it was more or less a 3 hour straight run path (with a few up & downs) to the Refuge, with spectacular views of the Mizane river running through the valley floor and the snow covered slopes on the opposite side.

Sidi Chamharouch is also the end of a ski run directly from the refuge. Skiers come down the valley from the refuge on the opposite slopes as far as the shrine and then hire porters or mules to carry their skies all the way back to Imlil. After 30 minutes or so we saw the first skiers of the day coming down.

Crossing the slopes above Sidi Chamharouch

We stopped twice more before we made the final approach to the Refuge, which was to be our home and Base Camp for the next three nights. The Refuges (there are two right next to each other, Mouflon & Neltner), large brick build structures, can be seen from the approach about 30 minutes before you arrive there, offering a great respite from the weary trek of the past 5.5 hours. At approximately 14:00, we finally arrive at Neltner Refuge.

The final approach to the Toubkal refuges

The compound of the Neltner Refuge was bustling with activity and quite overwhelming, littered with kit bags, equipment, skiers, trekkers, guides, porters & support staff going about their business. It was a direct contrast to the quiet & peaceful walk up from Imlil.

Our kit bags had been brought up in advance by the porters (they are fast !!), stacked on one side of the main doorway. Mohammed told us to collect our bags, remove and leave our trekking shoes on the shelves in the dry room and head up to our allocated dorm room. All the dorm rooms were named after the peaks of the Atlas Mountains. Ours was the Ouanoumkrim (4088m), one of the peaks we were going to climb. 

The Toubkal Refuges, Mouflon in the foreground and Neltner set behind it. The isolated building to the right is the mountain weather station sending data back to Marrakech

The refuges were set on the open valley floor with towering mountains on both sides. There were three floors in the Neltner Refuge. The ground floor housed the main entrance and registration booth, the servery, two dining areas (with log fire stoves), a dry room, a living room (also with log fire stove) and sleeping quarters for the guides, cooks and support staff. The first floor housed dorm rooms for the guests. There was access to the balcony area from the floor. All the toilets (traditional squatting as well as modern sitting toilets) and shower rooms were in the lower ground floor.

There were four dorm rooms all with a varying number of wood framed bunk beds with mattresses and cubby holed shelves for our kit bags. Our group was in the smallest dorm room with 6 bunk beds with mattresses, shunted right next to each other, sleeping 12 people. We would be occupying 8 beds. 4 members of another group, due to arrive later, will be sharing the room with us.

Our Dorm Room, the "Ouanoukrim"

It was quite ovewhelming, as we all tried to select our beds and cubby holes, unpack our bags and  generally settle down for the night in the small room. The refuge was full. Three groups were due to leave today, but 5 more will be arriving soon. A total of approximately 70 people would be housed in the refuge for the next 2/3 nights.

At 14:00, lunch was served for us in one of the dining rooms. Moroccan soup, followed by a main course of salad, pasta & tuna.

After lunch we were free to explore the refuge at leisure. Some of our group went out on to the balcony to soak up the late afternoon sun, others went to the dorm room to catch get some shut eye. I took the opportunity to prepare my day sack for the next day and top up the water camel back bladder with more water (purchased at 12 MAD per 1.5l bottle at the refuge). I don't like to leave things to the last minute. There's more chance of forgetting something that could be important, making the climb more difficult than it already is.

There was a small selection of confectionery and soft drinks available for purchase at the refuge. The price was at least twice as much as in Marrakech. But then it would be. Everything at the refuge would is brought up the mountain path from Imlil, initially by mules as far as Sidi chamharouch and thereafter by porters. It's the only way to transport things this far up into the mountains. The cost of this is bound to be significant and therefore reflected in the purchase price.

There was a great deal of trust at the refuge, which I found quite remarkable.  If you wanted to purchase something, you simply asked for it at the front window (or in the case of water, grabbed a bottle) and marked a tally for that item against your name on a list. Even if you had a hot shower (10 MAD) or shared the warmth of the log fire (firewood was 10 MAD per kg), you simply marked it up. On your last day, you settled your bill. No one checked up on you to see if you had a hot shower or sat by the fireplace in the living room.

I realised after a couple of days that there was an amazing ethos of honesty about the whole place which I found quite humbling. There was also a great deal of respect for each others property at the refuge. No one stole your equipment or personal belongings. All guests were there for a common purpose and we all understood what it would feel like if someone took your things, even if by mistake. The support staff also have no desire or intent to take  your things, as any incidents of theft would only reflect badly on the refuge and negatively affect the only stream of income that keeps this place afloat and sustain their livelihood.

At 15:00, we were to meet Mohammed & Hussein for a crash course in Self Arresting techniques using the ice axe. This was mandatory and essential. I had already learnt these techniques during our winter climb of Ben Nevis, so this gave me a chance to perfect the techniques. With our crampons on and ice axes in hand, we followed Mohammed to a steep slope covered in snow where he practically demonstrated the technique and each of the members of the group repeated them one after the other. He showed us how to wedge the adze end of the axe in the cup of the shoulder and use the pick end to dig into the snow/ice to slow down or stop slippage in the event of a fall on the slopes. He showed us four Self arrest techniques : Sliding down a slope on the stomach feet first; sliding down on your back, feet first; Sliding down on stomach, head first and finally using the ice axe handle as an anchor in the event that the axe was not initially in the right position. A most useful exercise as it could one day save our lives !! 

Practising Self-Arrest Techniques

Tea with biscuits was served around 17:00. While we were all together, Mohammed took the opportunity to brief us on the expected events of the next day. We were to be up at 6:00 am for breakfast at 6.30am, ready to depart for the climb to Toubkal by 7:00am.

Dinner was served at 19:00. There was more tasty Moroccan soup, followed by a chicken tagine topped with vegetables and boiled eggs. After the evening meal, we all moved from our dining room to the living room to make space for the next group to dine, where we served a special ribena flavoured tea, that apparently helps you to sleep. Meanwhile, Ingver had been out in the cold taking pictures of the night sky. He managed to capture a stunning image of a shooting star leaving a beautiful trail in the Eastern sky on on a 90 sec bulb exposure.

Chicken Tagine with Vegetables & Boiled Eggs

I had never worked with long exposures in dark environments before, so this seemed the perfect time to learn. I managed to capture a couple of shooting stars that burnt out quickly as soon as they entered the atmosphere. Sadly, not quite the same clarity as Ingver's picture, but a useful learning experience.

I was the last to retire to our dorm around 20:30. The others were already snuggled in their sleeping bags with their books, iPads or kindles. I set my alarm for the next morning, put on my foam ear-plugs and settled down in my sleeping bag to try and get some sleep.
     

DAY 5: Climb to Toubkal (4167m)

Woke up with a buzzing sound. It was the 05.45 am alarm on my iPhone. It had been a very difficult night. With all the snoring in the dorm room and the frequent visits to the cold toilets down in the lower ground floor, I had not managed to get more than a couple of hours sleep. I Shook off the last remnants of a deep sleep and put on my base and mid layers while still in the sleeping bag to maintain body heat. The others in my group were stirring too.

A group from one of the other dorms had been scheduled to wake up earlier and was now ready to start their climb. I went outside to check the temperature. It was still dark and cold. The snow had iced up. Looks like it's going to be a crampon day from the start. Decided to stick to two layers only and add extra layers if required.

The body tends to warm up considerable after the first 15-30 minutes of trekking. It's better to start off with a few layers and then add more layers as required after this initial period. Too many layers from the onset will make the body really hot and sweaty. If you then start removing layers, you will feel clammy and cold.

Breakfast at 6.30 was porridge or muesli. It tasted delicious with honey or jam. After some last minute preparations and visit to the toilets, We were all set to go by 7.00 am. Mohammed instructed us to put on our crampons, which took another 15 minutes.

It is extremely important to have the right type of crampons for the type of trekking boot you are wearing. Your safety depends on these contraptions as there are the one thing that keep you rooted to the icy ground. Your entire body will rely on the firm and secure footing of your crampons. Very much alike snow chains on car tyres.

There is a wealth of information on the internet about the various types. Choosing a brand (Grivel, Black Diamond, Camp etc) is more down to personal preference and budget. Kavi & I were considering buying the Grivel G12 (12 points) crampons back in the UK, but could not justify the cost on owning a pair, using it once for the Atlas Mountains and then not using them again for at least another year. The same applied to the ice axe. We decided instead to hire them at a fraction of the purchase cost. We had a choice of hiring them on the trek while in Morocco, or back at home before we left. If you hire them in the UK, you have to consider the weight of carrying them as part of your baggage allowance (although good crampons and axe do not weight much). After making some initial inquiries while still in the UK, I determined that they predominantly use the Camp range in Morocco, a make that I was not partial to. So we decided to hire them in the UK. It would also give us a chance to try them on and make sure they were the correct size and fully operational before we left, rather be left at the mercy of whatever crampons they handed out in Morocco.

 

The Black Diamond Serac 12-point crampons and Grivel Munro 55cm ice axes. Having a good pair of crampons & ice axe is absolutely essential when trekking on steep slopes of ice/snow

We hired the crampons and axes from a company based in Cardiff, www.expeditionkithire.co.uk. The kit hire was most reasonably priced for a pair of Black Diamond Serac clip crampons (12 stainless steel points) and two Grivel Munro 55cm ice axes. Protective storage bags for the crampons (so the points don't rip/damage other equipment in the day sack)were also thrown in for free.

At 7.15am we set out on a circuitous route to the steep piste overlooking the refuge. We will be crossing 4 cols and climbing up the last 200m along the northwest ridge of Mt. Toubkal. 

Hussein makes an adjustment to Jack's crampons. All loose straps should be tied to prevent catching on the points

As we approached the steep piste (approx. 45-50 degrees incline), we paused to make sure our crampons were secure and adjust clothing layers. The last thing you want is for a crampon to come loose or the strap to get caught on the sharp points, tripping you over and sending you tumbling down the slope !! It is good practise to check your crampons every 30 minutes. Your life may depend on it. We also won't be stopping again until we have cleared the steep incline above us due to the risk of loose overhead rocks rolling down on us. After about 45 minutes, we clear the incline and take a well deserved 5 minute break near some large boulders on a small flat plain. 

The route up through the steep approaches to the cols was physically strenuous, chilling and seemed never ending. As we went through the third col, my fingers and  ears got very cold. I could just about feel the tips. I had a spare set of gloves in the day sack, but didn't want to stop and break the pace. Just then the morning sun crept up over the horizon of the col and showered us with warmth and renewed vigour. The view of the sun shining down the col was amazing. The good feeling didn't last for too long though. The next leg up was a steep and arduous climb up along the western edge of the col,littered with large boulders and scree all in the colder shadow of the western peak where there was no sunlight. I did not look forward to it. As we started off on it, I decided not to look up and just keep my head down and focus on my feet, watching each step one at a time.
 

The sun rises over the col on the way to Mt. Toubkal

The climb up the cols through the snow seemed to take for ever. We finally reached a point on the mountain where there wasn't much snow. We removed our crampons and packed them away in the day sack and continued up the zig zags on the scree slope for another 30 minutes.

The last 150m felt the hardest. As you approach the peak, you realise you are going to make it and drop your resolve and determination. Each step becomes a struggle. I looked back and saw Kavi taking one small step at a time. For a brief moment, I felt like Samwise Gamjee from The Lord of the Rings, whispering encouragement to Frodo on the last stage of the climb to mount doom to destroy the one ring. Exhausted as I was, tears well up in my eyes behind my sunglasses, as I realised the enormity of what we were just about to accomplish. 

The Scree slopes of Mt. Toubkal. The Trig Point is on the other side of the peak

We reached the peak at 11:15. It was cold, but clear. We stayed there for about 30 mins taking pictures and a well deserved rest. Mohammed offered us bread and cheese for snacks, but I was too excited and busy taking photographs from all the different directions. By the time I had finished, the food was all packed up and the group was getting ready to go down. No worries. I still had my Snickers Bar to keep me going.

 

The group made it !!

 

The view to the South from the peak of Toubkal

We left the summit at around 11:45, heading back down the way we came up. The climb down is always quicker than the climb up. It's logical, I suppose, as gravity is now working with you rather than against you. We put on crampons once again as we approached the snow fields. You need to take a great deal of care walking down in snow/ice with crampons. Not only is the quicker pace a risk factor, but there is also a tendency to become light footed on the step down, increasing the risk of a slip. The noon sun also started melting the snow, 

The view to the West of Toubkal, overlooking Ouanoukrim

making it softer and increasing the chances of the weaker top layers of the snow collapsing under the weight of your step with half your leg disappearing in the snow before it's hits more compacted snow or ice underneath to support your weight. All these factors increase the chance of you tripping or falling over and injuring yourself. You must be vigilant to the movement of snow under your feet, taking care to firm up one foot in the snow before you lift the other to take the next step. It gets easier after practice.

 
At around 1:30, the refuges came back into sight, a long way down below us. They looked so small from up here. Sighting the Base Camp quickened the pace. Once again we had to cover the piste on the steep incline overlooking the refuge, but this time going downhill. We soon reached the river plain that ran through the valley. The refuges were located on the other side of the river so we had to cross the snow covered plain to get to them. The river flow under the plain melts the bottom layer of snow creating fragile and treacherous snow bridges which may not be able to hold your weight. You have to take great care crossing snow bridges. If the snow is not compact enough over the flowing water, it could collapse under your weight leaving you stuck in the snow with your feet dangling over the flowing water. Or worse still, the whole bridge collapses, dropping you into the cold water below and leaving you totally soaked and cold to the bone !!

 

The Toubkal Refuges far down in the valley, as seen from the descent approach from the Toubkal peak

The lower ground floor of the refuge houses the washrooms

Thankfully, no such tragedy befell us as we carefully negotiated the snow bridge under the expert guidance of Mohammed. 10 minutes later, we strut into Base Camp, around 14:00, having achieved the day's objective.

After a spot of lunch, I set about preparing the drinking water for the next day's climb. I had already purchased three bottles of water to fill up our camel-back water bladders for the trek today and was feeling guilty about the plastic waste I had already created. It does not get recycled. There is no incentive for the porters to take it back to Imlil, so it all gets buried somewhere on the mountain. To avoid creating any more plastic waste, I decided to use the Clorine Dioxide purification tablets I had brought over from the UK to chlorinate the tap water at the refuge, which was sourced through pipework from the mountain streams. One small tablet is used to purify 1 litre of water. Kavi & I required 6 litres in total for our 3 litre sized water bladders.

 

The first peak trek usually gives you a good indication of what you need to carry in your day sack the next day. I had been comfortable with two layers from start to finish, so decided to lighten the load of the day sack by not taking any fleece layers. I also got rid of the snow goggles and mp3 player as Mohammed did not want us to listen to any music on the climbs. With the day sack prepared, I took the opportunity to take a refreshing warm shower and have a cold wet shave at the refuge. I felt alive and clean again. There was just enough time left to soak in the remaining late afternoon sun on the balcony area of the refuge, before the chill set in again.
 

The evening wore on, very much the same as the previous night, with making new friends and sharing experiences with members from other groups.
Tea was served as usual at 17:00 and dinner at 17:30. I was looking forward to going to bed early, not having had much sleep the previous night. We were all bed-bound were 20:30. Lights outs.

DAY 6: Climb to Timesguida Ouanoukrim (4088m)

A restless night again. The temperature in the dorm room just wasn't quite right to get a restful night's sleep. There is no heating in the room, so it's cold when you go to bed. Several times during the night, with 12 bodies all huddled up in a small room, the temperature rises to the point where it's too hot to sleep and you get woken up. Someone opens a window and cold air rushes back into the room, chilling the air. The temperatures in the room fluctuates throughout the night, reducing any chances of getting a good night's rest. Add to that the dull ache of tired muscles and sleep is virtually non-existence. 2-3 hours of broken sleep.
 

There were six bunk beds in our dorm room with mattresses, sleeping 12.

The alarm went off at 05:45. I was keen to wake up early and make sure I had plenty of time to complete my toilet duties BEFORE we set off on the mountain. It was going to be a long day, and it most certainly won't be pleasant to GO on the mountains !! A slight pang of mild pain in the abdomen when I woke up worried me. A warning of things to come ??

We set off on our way through ice & snow to the peak of Timesguida Ouanoukrim (4088m) at 07:17. They were 7 of us (plus two guides). Jack had blisters on his feet from the previous day's trek and was not able to walk properly. We headed off in a southerly direction towards the prominent col Tizi n'Ouagane (3,730m), between the peak of Toubkal and Ouanoukrim. We could not actually see the peak of Ouanoukrim from the refuge, but I knew it was basically on the western flank (true right) of the mountains.  

 

Making our way down the valley southwards (behind us), towards Tizi n'Ouagane (3,730m)

About 45 minutes into the trek, Vicky expressed concern with her knee which she had injured a few weeks before the trek. She didn't feel she would make it all the way to the top. Looks like the group was going to have to split. Mohammed offered her the option of going as far as the col and then turning back for the refuge. Duncan (vicky's partner) and Ingver decided to take that option, while Peter, John, Kavita & I powered on ahead in the snow with Hussein.

My abdomen started to feel uncomfortable again, flagging the first signs of possible diarrhoea. How bad was it going to be ? Could I control it all the way to the top and back ? As we trekked deeper into the valley, the sensation grew and I knew that I would have to GO at some point soon. It's a good thing I had toilet paper in my day sack !!

We stopped an hour later for rest and I took the opportunity to relieve the discomfort and empty my bowels behind a rock in the vast open spaces of the valley, with huge mountains bearing witness to my transgression. When you gotta go, YOU GOTTA GO !! At least I covered it with rocks so it wouldn't all fly around in the wind !! I spent the next hour trying to figure out what may caused the mild diarrhoea. I took a pill of Imodium to try and stop it from happening again. Was it the water treatment ?  Was I dehydrated ? Or was my body just too exhausted ?

 

The col (saddle) of Tizi n'Ouagane. You can just about make out an earlier group approaching the col through the snowfields further up the track

As we progressed further towards the col, the valley got narrower. Our path, littered with boulders and rocks, got steeper as we approached the col. I could now see another group ahead of us further up the path, slowly climbing the steep incline leading up to the col. It suddenly dawned on me that things were just about to get to get tougher. I looked back and looked across the beautiful vista of the mountains on either side of the valley we had just crossed through. Mohammed and the others who were behind us were nowhere to be seen. They must have turned back quite some time ago. There is now only one option for us....To move forward and follow Hussein, the one remaining guide, all the way to the top.

The climb up the incline to the col was exhausting. We trundled through deep snow for about 2 hours the, the gradient steepening to 50-60 degrees. On  either side of us the towering peaks were bathed in the light of the morning sun. In was indeed a moment of great relief when we finally stepped out of the shadows and into the sunlight near the top of the col. We made our way towards the western flank of the col and stopped for rest at the bottom on an arete, in awe of the stunning views to the South on the other side of the col. We removed our crampons and put them away, not requiring them for the next part of the climb.

 

At the top of the col, we bear right and make our way up the shoulder of the Ouanoukrim mountains

From this point on, it was a 45 minutes scramble up the steep incline of the arete to get to the the plateau leading up to the twin peaks of Ouanoukrim. Hussein asked each one of us if we were happy to continue further. John, Kavi & I were committed to go on, all the way to the top. Peter reluctantly agreed at first, but changed his mind and decided to go no further when he saw the incline of the climb. He didn't feel comfortable scrambling over loose rocks with steep drops into the valleys on either side of the arete. Hussein tethered Kavita to himself with a think rope over the scrambling section so he could arrest her fall, should she slip off the arete. John & I were left to our own devices. John had scrambled before, but it was my first experience of rock climbing !!

 

Hussein tethers himself to Kavi, as we prepare to scramble up the steep arete as far up as the peaked point visible in the upper half of the picture.

The stunning views to the South from the arete ridge

Scrambling was fascinating. The whole experience of looking for niches in the rocks to hold on to, or step into, was intriguing. It was like trying to solve a puzzle.....find the next reliable hold before letting go of the previous one. A great deal of physical strength and dexterity is required to haul yourself up to the next niche, sometimes having to overstretch yourself and trusting the rock to hold you. We were so preoccupied with climbing, that we didn't even get a chance to think of the precarious position we were in. It definitely isn't for the faint-hearted, especially if you don't have a head for heights, as all you could see were steep drops on either side, with no sight of the bottom. You just have to steel yourself and focus on finding secure holds, one at a time. Somehow you find the energy and determination to get through it.
 
It was a moment of joy when we finally reached the top of the arete ridge. We couldn't believe we had just done it. We could now see the twin peaks. Ras Ouanoukrim (4083m) directly in front of us, and Timesguida Ouanoukrim (4088m) much further in the background. We were obviously heading for the higher one...5 metres makes all the difference, even if it takes twice as long !!

 

The peak of Ras Ouanoukrim (4,085m). The twin peak of Timesguida Ouanakrim (4,088m) is to the left, out of frame

For the next 90 mins, we made our way across the upper snowfields, heading in the general direction of Timesguida Ouanoukrim. Behind, the beautiful peak of Toubkal towered over us. We could just about make out the triangular trig point at the top of the mountain. It was hard to believe that we had climbed there the previous day. The trig point looked so small, almost invisible to the naked eye. It certainly brought things into perspective. The enormous mountain looked close, yet the peak was so far away.

 

The peak of Mt. Toubkal (4,167m) which we had climbed the previous day provides a stunning backdrop

It was now 12 noon. It was nearly 5 hours since we had left the refuge. John & Hussein raced on towards the peak. Kavi had slowed down considerable due to exhaustion, and the gap between the head and tail of our little group lengthened. I kept in the middle, keeping an eye on both Hussein and Kavi at the same time. The gap lengthened so much that at one point we lost complete sight of Hussein and John as they dropped down below the shoulder of Ras Ouanoukrim. The path was not obvious in the snow, but I just about the taint of fresh footprints on the white snow, heading more or less towards the peak.

It was another 45 minutes before we reached the scree line that marked the final approach to the peak. My abdomen discomfort hadn't completely dissipated over the past few hours. It had intensified gradually and it seemed I would have to empty my bowels again on the mountain. Halfway up the scree slope I had to stop and repeat the ritual I had performed further down the mountain. There were plenty of rocks here to hide my transgression.

 

Kavita starts the climb up the scree slope, the final approach to the Timesguida Ouanoukrim peak (behind me)

The cairn marking the peak of T. Ouanoukrim

The view to the South from the peak

Kavita had overtaken me while I had stopped and was now nearing the peak. 15 minutes later I made it to the cairn. We congratulated each other on achieving what we had set out to do. It was a momentous and immensely satisfying sensation.

What goes up, must come down. We had just spent 6 hours getting to the summit. How long would it take to get down ??!! The others back at the refuge must be having lunch. Some sort of warm tagine or pasta with salad. I will have to make do with a snickers bar. And what about Peter ? Surely, he wasn't still waiting for us at the bottom of the arete below the scrambling zone ? Unlikely. He probably made his way back to the refuge hitching with another group.

 

The way down is always quicker. Now that you have summited, you find yourself renewed with vigour. You just want to get back to base as quickly as possible. The pace quickens. Gravity helps too. We cleared the scree line and made our way back to the top of the arete across the snowfields, elated at what we had accomplished today. The climb to T. Ouanoukrim had been harder than Toubkal. Bagging two of the highest peaks of the Atlas Mountains in two consequent days was an amazing achievement, given that Kavi & I had only been mountaineering seriously for 9 months. The multiple consecutive climbs to Ben Nevis and Snowdon back in June 2013 had really paid off.

About an hour after from the summit, we reached the top of the arete. After a short break, Hussein roped up Kavi as we scrambled down the arete. 30 minutes later, we cleared the most dangerous part and stopped briefly to put on our crampons. It will be snow/ice walking all the way down to the refuge.

We kept a quick & stead pace, retracing our steps back to the refuge, stopping a few more times for rest. About an hour later, Hussein pointed out the steep incline we will be climbing to the pass of Tizi n'ouanoums (3,665m) the following day. It looked insurmountable at the moment, but tomorrow will bring it's own set of challenges.

 

On the back across the valley to the Toubkal refuges

As we made our way into the compound of the refuge we were hailed by the rest of our group members who were soaking in the sun on the balcony area of the refuge. It had taken us approximately 3 hours after leaving the summit of Timesguida Ouanoukrim, more or less half the time it took for us to get there from the refuge. we had been out on the mountains for 9 hours !! We had missed lunch at 14:00, but the cook was kind enough to make another tagine for the four of us. I wasn't particularly hungry on account of my sensitive stomach, but felt obliged to partake in the celebration meal.

 
This was to be our last night at the refuge. The following day we were going to climb to the pass of Tizi n' Ouanoums (3,665m) in the morning, return to the refuge for lunch and immediately depart to trek back to Imlil. It was going to be a long day, in theory, 10 hours of trekking. As we discussed the following days schedule over a dinner of chicken & chips (with rice & fried aubergines), some of our group members decided not to climb to the pass and save their energy for the inevitable journey back to Imlil.

Tomorrow was going to be a challenging day and I needed a good night's rest. I didn't want any abdomen issues on the climb, so drank as much bottled water as I could to flush out my digestive system. I stopped all liquids, including tea, at 17:00, so I wouldn't have to wake up repeatedly to use the toilets during the night. For a change, I was the first to go to bed, at 19:30.