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.