Climbing Toubkal When Things Go Wrong | Morocco’s Highest Mountain

Everything went wrong while climbing Mount Toubkal — Morocco’s highest mountain and North Africa’s highest peak at 4,167m. The trek began in Imlil, in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, with a five-hour hike to camp near the Toubkal Refuge. Sometimes climbs go wrong because of weather, altitude, illness, injury, political unrest or circumstances beyond your control. And sometimes, the problem is your guide. During the hike from Imlil, my guide argued that I had to buy my own water, despite water being included in my agreement with the company. With no internet, I couldn’t resolve it until we reached base camp and I contacted the owner. He confirmed the water was included. That was only the beginning. We were camping away from the busy Toubkal Refuge, which sounded ideal — quieter and less crowded. Instead, our camp was surrounded by donkey piss and human excrement. The cooking water was contaminated, and I spent most of the night violently sick and vomiting. Before our 4:00am departure, I managed two boiled eggs and some water. Otherwise, I climbed on an empty stomach. Then my guide began struggling. We were the slowest team on the mountain. He even made me stop so he could pray, which was just an excuse to rest. Two hours into the climb, he physically couldn’t continue and quit. I continued alone. After pushing for another 50 minutes, I reached the 4,167m summit just 10 minutes before sunrise. My guide was the only person I saw that morning who failed to reach the top. By the time I arrived, other tourists already knew him as the guide who couldn’t climb. Mountain guides carry enormous responsibility. Weather changes, people get sick, injuries happen and mountains are unpredictable. But fitness, preparation, professionalism and understanding your responsibilities are within a guide’s control. My guide was completely incompetent and unprofessional. As you get older, you need to train properly and be honest about what you’re capable of. If you can’t be honest with yourself, how can you expect others to trust you? Fortunately, I know how to follow sketchy mountain trails solo, even at night. Despite everything that went wrong, the sunrise from the summit was spectacular. After descending to camp and managing a light lunch, we packed up and walked five hours back to Imlil that same afternoon. A very long day in the High Atlas — and definitely not the climb I expected. 📍 Mount Toubkal, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco ⛰️ Elevation: 4,167m 🥾 Route: Imlil – Toubkal Refuge/Base Camp – Summit – Imlil 🌍 Highest mountain in Morocco and North Africa This video documents my personal experience and the decisions I made during this climb. Mountain conditions, individual experience and guiding standards can vary. This is not advice or a recommendation for others to attempt the same climb or make the same decisions. #MountToubkal #Toubkal #Morocco #HighAtlas #HighAtlasMountains #Imlil #ToubkalTrek #ClimbingMountToubkal #MoroccoTravel #HikingMorocco