Supporting local tourism and local communities 

Since the devasting earthquake in Morocco in 2023, local tourism in the remote High Atlas Mountains has been impacted greatly as many local communities and livelihoods in this area rely on tourism. Together with Virgin Airlines, we donated a lot of kit to the local communities in the High Atlas to help them rebuild their lives. We also support the Eve Branson Foundation who create opportunities for local people in the High Atlas Mountains which can make a meaningful difference to their families and community. The Foundation have developed initiatives in four key areas of support: artisanal training; environment; healthcare and education. 

We’re also passionate about exploring off the beaten track routes in order to help communities who are in the shadow of mainstream tourist destinations. We also aim to create an adventure which is about discovery, immersing yourself in fascinating environments, customs and cultures and provides an understanding of history and people. On this trek you have the unique opportunity to connect with local people in a meaningful way, the true essence of travel.

We’ve crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of the Mt Toubkal Winter Trek, and donate a % from each trip to our environmental charity partner, Cool Earth.

What’s the number?
It works out on average at 221kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, leaders, crew and office operations.

The only thing not included is travel to Morocco. Given that our beloved guests travel from all parts of the UK for this adventure we have no way of reliably knowing their travel plans therefore we’re unable to include an individual number in the figure on display here.

What does the number mean?
To give you a snapshot of the numbers:

• Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you).
• A return economy class flight London – New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
• 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air over a period of 5 – 10 years.

On joining us for the Mt Toubkal Summer Trek, you will receive all the exciting trip info via our free mobile travel app. You’ll have access to your itinerary, trip countdown, live updates, contact info, weather forecasts, know before you go trip info, kit lists and much more at the touch of a button 24 hours a day via your mobile phone. No more unnecessary use of reams of paper and the need of carrying around documents with you. The app is free to download and all info is customary to your adventure ahead. A’ppy days.

With being a small family business we pride ourselves with providing personal, professional and friendly service. We appreciate that everyone has different levels of experience and reasons for wishing to embark on the Mt Toubkal Summer Trek and therefore require varying levels of support and guidance. We’re here to help you every step of the way from the moment you join the flock all the way through to completing the challenge and beyond. Jim and Sue’s knowledge and expertise stems from dozens of years of travelling and exploring the destinations that we visit in order to fully support you in the lead up to your adventure.

Plus with Chief Ewe, Jim, having previously lived in Morocco, we can help you with plenty of tips and recommendations of things to do and see, places to explore & stay and suggestions on where to eat & drink once you’ve joined us for this exciting trek.

The group flights for this trip will include airport transfers in Marrakech. There is a fixed-time group transfer from Marrakech Airport (RAK) to your accommodation in Imlil.

All nationalities require a full passport that must be valid for 3 months beyond the intended length of stay in Morocco. For the latest entry requirements in to Morocco, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco/entry-requirements.

British nationals do not require a visa to enter Morocco for the purpose of tourism for up to 3 months. For the latest entry requirements, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco/entry-requirements.

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance is an important part of any booking. It is compulsory that everyone who travels with us has taken out adequate travel insurance which includes, among other things, cover for the full value of your trip, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, trekking to an altitude of 4167 metres, personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects and flight delays cover.

For UK residents we have partnered with Campbell & Irvine Direct to provide you with a travel insurance. If you would like to obtain cover for your trip please feel free to contact specialist Insurance Brokers, Campbell Irvine Direct for a quote.

You must send your Travel Insurance Policy to Adventurous Ewe no less than one month prior to departure.

Global Rescue Membership

For peace of mind whilst trekking in the mountains, Global Rescue provides short term membership giving access to travel, security, medical advisory and evacuation services up to $US500,000.  They’re a specialised field rescue company, and assist from the point of illness or injury by getting you to the closest and most appropriate medical facilities to get stabilised. Once fit to fly if you require additional inpatient treatment Global Rescue will further evacuate and repatriate to your home hospital on record. These services are all covered through their upfront membership fee with no claims process.  For more info, please click here. 

Vaccinations

There are currently no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations include: Tetanus, Typhoid and Hepatitis A.

For the most up to date information on vaccinations, please consult with your GP or travel healthcare practitioner 6 – 8 weeks in advance of travel. For up to date vaccination information please check the NHS government website ‘Fit for Travel’.

Severe allergies
If you have a severe allergy please inform us at the time of booking. We will do all we can to help, but unfortunately we are unable to guarantee an allergy free environment on this trip. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as ‘adrenaline auto-injectors’ are not carried as standard by AE leaders and crew. Whilst your leader is aware of our trekkers medical history, please also inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

Adventurous Ewe puts the safety and well-being of you, our leaders & crew and the communities we visit at the centre of all our operations, always. Your safety and well-being is our top priority.

The Mt Toubkal Summer Trek is intentionally challenging and requires individual preparation as the trip is designed to take you out of your every-day comfort zone and achieve something incredible. Rest assured we have a thorough Safety Management System, indepth risk assessments and risk management systems in place.

You will be accompanied by your Adventurous Ewe Leader for groups over 7 people and Local Mountain Guide. Our Leaders are First Aid trained and have extensive experience in leading groups in this region. They will be ultimately responsible for your safety on this trip.

Many national governments provide a regularly updated advice service on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Travel advice website for their latest travel information before departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all areas your itinerary covers.

We also ask that you please ensure you use your antibacterial hand gel at all times to minimise the spread of any germs throughout your fellow flock of trekkers!

For more info, please visit our Safety and Well-being page. 

An Adventurous Ewe UK Leader will accompany groups of over 10+ people and is an experienced high-altitude leader. Leaders have been carefully selected to ensure you have the best experience with a bit of humour thrown in for good measure. Your Leader will be Wilderness First Aid trained too.

Your Local Leader is a key part to this trip. They are all expertly trained and experienced in every field of this high-altitude trek, bilingual (English and Arabic) and qualified in first aid and/or Wilderness First responder. They also have a huge passion for what they do and have plenty of knowledge ready to share with you. They are responsible for ensuring the complete safety, wellbeing and enjoyment of the team whilst also retaining a flexible and fun attitude. The Leaders have radio and satellite phone contact with base, the local office and Adventurous Ewe’s HQ.

We pride ourselves in small group travel to minimise the impact on the environment and to make your experience more authentic and safe.

You are most welcome to join this trip as a group of family, friends, colleagues, a private group or as a solo traveller.

A bespoke trek training programme will be provided when join the team for this adventure to help you with your preparations together with some top tips.

We also have exclusive offers with our Training Partners and Communities – Her Spirit and Strength and Movement Coach, Peter Lant. For more info, please visit our Training and Preparation page.

The more you are prepared, the more you will enjoy the trek.

Our motto is: Train hard, smile harder and enjoy the journey!

A full kit list will be provided when you book onto this Toubkal Trek. Good kit can make the difference between a fantastic adventure and an uncomfortable one. Well worn in waterproof hiking boots are essential together with a good quality waterproof jacket AND trousers.

An exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code will be provided for the independent outdoor retailers.

Rest assured any equipment that we supply will be hygienically cleaned and sanitised.

Trekking experience and trek grading – ‘Tough’

This is a strenuous trek in a remote area of North Africa. It is graded ‘Tough’ due to the warm conditions and high-altitude trekking. The trip is designed for confident trekkers who are looking for a short yet rewarding mountain ascent. Although this trek is not technically difficult, you should be an experienced walker as trails can be very stony. Most routes follow mule trails but there are some rough paths that involve walking on scree. All 5 days walking include full porterage and you should be prepared for a couple of long days with some boulders and steep sections (maximum 8-9 hours).

The temperature at particular times of year can make a difference to how tough this trek feels. Please note that during the summer months of July and August, Morocco can get very hot during therefore departures during this time may not be suitable if you struggle with the heat. In addition, please be prepared for some stormy weather during the summer months. There can also be snow patches in late April/early May and from the end of September. We will advise no more than two weeks before departure if extra equipment/clothing is necessary. As with any trek in mountainous/high altitude areas, safety is paramount and your leader will always make decisions to amend the itineraries to ensure the safety of the whole group. 

Trekking to the summit of North Africa’s highest mountain (maximum 4167m) involves walking and sleeping at altitude, therefore altitude sickness is a possibility. Your base camp is at 3,208m and therefore mild symptoms may be experienced, such as headaches, nausea and loss of appetite. The best way to adjust to altitude is to walk slowly, rest as often as possible and drink plenty of water! Rest assured your Leader is experienced in high altitude trekking and will advise you accordingly if you are starting to feel the effects of altitude.

During the main summer months temperatures in Marrakech can be very high (33 – 42ºC), as are some of the lower valleys of the High Atlas, however in the mountains you can expect daytime temperatures above 2500m to be around 20 ºC to 25ºC. At night, the temperature, even at the Neltner Refuge, is unlikely to fall below freezing. The weather is usually good at the time of our departures. However it’s good to remember that mountainous weather is difficult to predict. Occasional rain or even short-lived storms are not uncommon, so best to be prepared for all. In April/May and occasionally in October there may be some snow lying at higher altitudes.

We recommend that you check the mountain weather forecast in the days leading up to your trek by clicking here.

Guesthouse (2 nights twin/multi share rooms) and camping (2 person tents)
We’ve sourced our accommodation very carefully in Imlil and picked a locally owned guesthouse in line with the Adventurous Ewe style of travel, but please note that service and accommodation in Morocco may be different to western standards. The rooms are on a twin or multi share basis. Whilst some rooms have ensuites, others have a shared bathroom.

Your campsites are serviced by a mountain refuge giving you access to their facilities. You will be required to bring your own sleeping mat and sleeping bag. Most camping chores will be done for you and a single tent can be organised for you on request at an additional cost. Please let us know prior to departure if you would prefer a 1 person tent.

Single travellers
Our group trips are designed for shared accommodation in order to keep the cost at a minimum for you. Single rooms and tents may be organised for an additional cost however this is dependent on accommodation availability. Single travellers share with people of the same gender in accommodation ranging from twin to multi-share. For more info or to request a single room/tent, please get in touch with us at info@adventurousewe.co.uk.

4 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 4 dinners included

On your trek the food is a mixture of local and Western, all purchased locally and cooked for you by your trek cook. Breakfasts are continental style, with tea and coffee, orange juice, cereal, bread, jam and honey. Lunches will be provided on the days of trekking. Dinner will be provided in the guesthouse and mountain refuge. Dinner usually consists of rice, pasta, couscous, with a vegetable stew (or tagine) and maybe some meat (usually chicken, lamb or beef). Meat is not prominent on the menu. All dishes come with traditional sauces which are rarely (spicy) hot. To round off dinner, there is the usual range of hot drinks.

Vegetarians can be catered for but there is a fairly limited choice of cous cous and tajine or omelettes. This is particularly the case during the more rural or trekking sections of the trip. Please note that if you have any special dietary requirements you should inform Adventurous Ewe at info@adventurousewe.co.uk prior to the trip. If you have a specific medical/dietary need (i.e. coeliac or vegan) you may find it helpful to bring some items of food with you from home. 

It is not recommended to drink untreated water from the taps. You should take purification tablets or a filter bottle (such as a Water-To-Go bottle) to treat your water. We do not encourage the purchasing of single use plastic bottles. Bottled water can be purchased throughout the trip, but we strongly discourage buying these as it contributes to plastic waste. Please note recycling is not fully established in Morocco so plastic bottles are an increasing waste problem.

Adventurous Ewe has partnered with Water-to-Go, a filtration system that eliminates over 99.99% of all microbiological contaminants from any non-salt water source – for more info please click here.

As a thank ewe for joining us and to help reduce our plastic foot-print, Adventurous Ewe trekkers will receive a free Water-to-Go bottle when departing for our Mt Toubkal Summer Trek. And better still, 15% of the purchase value for replacement filters will be donated to our environmental charity partner, Cool Earth. Please help us reduce the volume of single use plastic in this environment.

There are two payment options for this challenge.

All payment options have an initial £95 non-refundable deposit on sign up.

Self-Funding option – you pay £95 deposit and £850 balance

Pay a £95 deposit upfront and £850 remaining balance 4 weeks before your challenge. Please raise as much as possible for Men’s Minds Matter.

Minimum Sponsorship option – you only pay £95 deposit

Pay a £95 deposit and fundraise a minimum of £1700 for Men’s Minds Matter, with 80% (£1360) due 8 weeks before your challenge and the remaining 20% (£340) due 4 weeks after your challenge. Men’s Minds Matter will then pay the cost of your challenge of £850. If you raise more than the minimum, Men’s Minds Matter can help more men in crisis.

Book & Travel with Confidence
As well as carefully crafting amazing and meaningful adventures across the planet, we’ve made booking them as flexible, safe and as simple as possible. 

For the latest info regarding booking and travelling with Adventurous Ewe, please visit our website and see our T&C’s.

All your Mt Toubkal Summer trip info will be sent to you through a travel mobile app via Vamoos which is free to download. You will receive an email from Adventurous Ewe with your personalised log in code for this app. For the latest and greatest from the land of adventures, simply follow us on:

Facebook: @adventurousewe
Instagram: adventurousewe
Youtube: Adventurous Ewe
LinkedIn: company/adventurous-ewe-ltd

You’re most welcome to use the hashtags
#ewecandoit #thisflockrock

We are very excited to have teamed up with leading climate change charity Cool Earth, who share our mission to protect the planet’s precious environment in a sustainable manner. The future of rainforest protection is where everyone makes a difference to climate change! We invest a % of our revenue into supporting critical conservation projects around the world through Cool Earth.

You are most welcome to help make a difference too by sparing a few pennies. Please give what you can and help save the world’s rainforests today by clicking here. Just £2.50 will save 10 trees and lock up 10 tonnes of CO2. Together, we can all make a difference in helping preserve this precious and wonderful planet. Thank-ewe