‘Fancy coming to Morocco and climbing a 4000m peak Zach?’

These were the words I heard from Head Yeti Andy that made my heart leap out from my chest just thinking about it. I smiled back and said ‘Sure, I'm in’ although inside I was thinking ‘What the bloody norah have I done’. I’d been walking since I was a young lad with my dad and siblings to places like the Brecon Beacons but this was a completely different challenge.

The lead up to the trip was full of anxiety for me. I was inexperienced and out of my depth, (catching COVID beforehand definitely didn’t help). Hundreds of questions were flying around my head like what equipment do I need? How will I feel at altitude? Do I need to take Diamox…also what is Diamox? Luckily I was in good hands and my questions were soon answered and my nerves were put to rest by EverTrek. This gave me some much-needed reassurance and self-belief that I could go on this adventure, and that ultimately I would smash it.Stepping off the plane into a new and vibrant culture is quite the experience. Although it’s only just over a 3 hour flight from the UK, you feel like you're on the other side of the planet as your senses are triggered in many different ways. The sights, the smells and the noises of Marrakesh are truly something else. Although we were here for the mountains, we had an awesome opportunity to see a bit of the city beforehand. It would have been such a shame to go straight there and miss all of the fantastic parts of Marrakesh and I was super happy to explore the hidden gems of the city. We were showed around by a local guide who soon lead us down these narrow streets and hidden markets and gave gave us a great insight into the city’s history and culture. A highlight for me was walking around and through the souks (Markets) and doing a little bartering was an experience to say the least! Especially with a guy in our group called Tam from Scotland. His bantering with the shop sellers took bartering to an entirely different level which was impressive to see!This day was vital for me personally, I am quite an introverted person and this time spent bonding and having a laugh with the fellow EverTrekkers really made me feel comfortable with the challenge ahead. One pointer for any fellow introverts! Don’t worry! You will have amazing people around you and they always have your back, so relax. have fun and you will have a great experience! You’re in good hands!

It was this evening at the lodge that I honestly felt at my lowest, I was tired, feeling anxious about the summit day, cold and unable to bring myself to eat much. I believe this was partly due to dehydration and a bit of heat exhaustion. Safe to say I struggled with the heat earlier in the journey and thinking back, I didn't drink enough, so again, and I know I say this but it’s soooooooooo important, keep hydrated!

After having a more in depth tutorial from the guides on how to walk with crampons and how to correctly hold the ice axe I felt at ease and was ready to go! Lets do this!

At last, it was time for the big day! The real challenge. The summit of Mount Toubkal. I was excited and nervous at the same time. We left at the cover of darkness, ice axe in hand and crampons on our feet as we started our walk at 4am in pitch black. The only sound was the crunch of my Crampon spikes digging deep into the ice and snow trying to find some grip as my guide and fellow team mates headlamps shined ahead. Looking up I could see some trekkers who had started early and they looked like little lights going up the mountain valley. We took it slow and steady as we started to ascend. It felt surreal to me, something completely out of the ordinary. As the sun rose and we started to really gain some altitude, I stopped, turned around and looked back at the views. Something that will stay with me forever as the light of the sun touched the tops of the peaks in the first light of what was going to be a special day. Truly awesome!

We were about half way up as we stopped for a breather. It was at this point that I started to think about some things, started to reflect on the trek itself and realised just how much I was struggling. I’ve never felt anything like it. I didn’t realize I was even crying at that point as I wiped away the tears rolling down my cheek. It’s moments like that where you’re looking towards the end goal, and it seems so far away and out of reach. Your mind then starts to spiral and could go anywhere. Something that kept me going was the group. I found that the importance of being with a group helps keep your mind on track. I just needed that friendly push sometimes to get up and keep going, which I got from Andy and from the rest of the team.

Then after what seemed like an eternity but was more like a couple of hours of uphill trekking in the snow and a lot of heavy breathing we made it! The 'Roof of the North' at an altitude of 4167 meters. What a relief and a massive sense of achievement to get there. It really was a special moment. There were many hugs and high fives as we enjoyed the views down to the Sahara desert as well as down towards Marrakesh in the distance. All enjoy with a swig of whiskey shared with my team mates. Incredible.

After spending a bit of time on the summit we started the long descent down to the refuge and eventually getting back to Imlil lodge after several hours of leg aching trekking! The descent from the summit was 1000m back to the refuge and then another 1300m back to Imlil just to give you a sense of how long it is.

I slept for a long time that night and after a good rest, I was right as rain to enjoy the last day of relaxation and returning to Marrakech for a well-earned pint.

Looking back, I am immensely proud of myself for even attempting this adventure and even more so that I made it. It was without a doubt the biggest struggle of my life but I learned so much about myself through the challenging moments. Could I have trained more, yes, would I drink more, yes, would I go back again, absolutely.

I hope that gives you some insight into the journey to summiting Toubkal. If you’re looking to get yourself booked in go for it. You won’t regret it. What a story you will have to tell!

P.S - If you want to see this amazing adventure on film, check out Mt Toubkal: First Ascent!