I have travelled around the world twice, seen many countries and have trekked to Mount Everest base camp in Nepal, but I had never visited any countries in Africa. I also live in Keswick and have summited many mountains in the Lake District.  So when I was given the opportunity to go to Morocco and climb the highest mountain in North Africa, Mount Toubkal - I jumped at the chance!

During the one week trek we walked over many passes and saw some amazing views of the Atlas Mountains and the biggest blue lake in the central part of the Atlas at Lac Ifni. However the highlight of the trip was summit day.

Summit Day – 13th June 2013

It was 5am when we began our trek from the Neltner Refuge for the big summit of Mount Toubkal. We had our head torches on as it was still dark and I don’t think I have ever seen so many stars. It was pleasant to walk in the cool fresh air as we began our steep ascent. Over the next hour the light began to change as the sun rose. We saw some amazing views of the rugged orangey mountains.

We were in the shade for most of the steep zigzag path until we reached the final ridge where we could see the famous tripod on the summit. As we came into the sunlight we could instantly feel the warmth of the sun and stopped to take in the amazing views of the surrounding mountains and Toubkal summit.

So, we had the final twenty minute trek along the ridge to the top.  The anticipation of reaching the highest summit in North Africa really added a true sense of excitement in the group. We had walked over mountain passes now for almost a week and had bonded really well as a group; we looked out for each other and enjoyed each others company. So as you can imagine it was a great atmosphere as we walked the last few metres to the tripod.

We hit the top and everyone cheered and congratulated each other. The weather was perfect with blue skies, warm sun and a slight comfortable breeze, we took off our jackets to enjoy the cool air. So there we were in our t-shirts enjoying the panoramic views and reflecting on what we had achieved, everyone was in good spirits. We then positioned ourselves in front of the famous tripod for our group photo.

I was really looking forward to standing on the top of Mount Toubkal and to share the experience with a group of like minded people. It really did add an extra sense of excitement to the adventure.

We finished the week off with a day in Marrakech and enjoyed the culture of the buzzing city and famous Djemaa-el-Fna square. On our final night we had a meal and went to a bar a few drinks to celebrate a successful and fun trip.

What can I say, if you’re looking for the challenge of an excellent walking week in a unique country with lots of culture then you can’t go wrong in booking KE's One Week Mount Toubkal Trek – Quite simply - awesome!

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