Morocco Madness

Well, back to Morocco - this time working as an International Mountain Leader and Photographer for Wilderness Medical Training (these guys run excellent and very popular training courses for laymen and medics alike)

27 Medics on an Expedition Medicine Conference - a few days of lectures and training sessions followed by a trip up Mt Toubkal - at 4167m, the highest peak in North Africa. A trekking peak with two or three options for ascent routes it's always a great trip and very "do-able" in a few days (I flew out monday and back thursday because of other work commitments!)

The Kasbah de Toubkal at Imlil, 1800m

After a night in Imlil, we spend a day climbing up to one of the three refuges at 3200m- a long ascent up the valley passing through "authentic" berber habitations. The hut is locally run and has normal alpine bunks and good food. Everything arrives on Donkey and mule and there's a large tent town outside as the huts book up well in advance.

We cover various training subjects on the way - navigation, group management, rope skills, river crossings and others - making it a useful part of the expedition training for a medic.

The next day we split into groups and head up the big hill. This can be a long day with lots of adventures on the way but it's a beautiful ascent through volcanic rocks as the sun gets higher in the sky.

The summit is marked with a metal pyramid that we had to ourselves after taking a slightly later start than many from the hut.

Everyone to the top for another year!

Awesome views across the Atlas mountains in all directions. Then, taking a slightly different route to start, we descend back to the hut for a last night of bunk beds before heading back down to Imlil and on to Marrakesh the next day.

Imlil Village

The last few steps to the Kasbah

A great bunch of people and another amazing place to visit. Morocco is such a friendly country it's always a pleasure to spend time there. As for what next for me? Watch this space....