1. Marrakech to Imlil (1,740m) to Sidi Chamarouch to Toubkal Refuge (3,207m)
The drive: an early pickup at your Marrakech hotel, then about 1.5 hours south over the Haouz Plain and through Asni village to Imlil at 1,740m, the way into Toubkal National Park. Your licensed mountain guide waits here, along with the mule team taking charge of your main bag.
On foot: the path leads up the Ait Mizane Valley between terraced fields and walnut groves, with Berber villages holding the hillsides above. The path runs through Aremd village, crosses the river and climbs to the shrine at Sidi Chamarouch (2,310m), a place of pilgrimage next to a waterfall. Lunch is a picnic here, with the valley below you.
The night: the ascent steepens over rocky ground, altitude adding up steadily, until you reach the mountain refuge at 3,207m. Beds are in a dormitory. Dinner is eaten there.
2. Refuge (3,207m) to Summit (4,167m) to Refuge to Imlil to Marrakech
Total 9-11 hours. Ascent +960m. Descent -2,427m. Around 13km. Summit at dawn.
The push: breakfast at 5:30 AM and away in the dark. The line takes the south cirque and crosses a stream just above the refuge, then works up through scree and boulder fields. The walking itself is uncomplicated. What makes it hard is the altitude and the loose rock underfoot. In winter you are on packed snow and ice, with crampons and axe in use. After 3 to 4 hours of steady work you top the ridge and step onto the summit plateau.
The top: 4,167 metres. The highest ground in North Africa, and a triangular summit pyramid marks it. The view goes all the way round, the High Atlas and the Marrakech plain to the north, the Anti-Atlas and the fringe of the Sahara to the south, snowy ridges east and west. You get about 45 minutes up there. In winter that time is cut short, as camera batteries die quickly in the cold.
The way down: back down to the refuge for lunch, and then the whole descent to Imlil, along the same route past Sidi Chamarouch and down the valley. Your driver is waiting at Imlil for the transfer to Marrakech, where you arrive in the early evening.