Mt Toubkal – The Long Way

In October 2024, I took on the challenge to summit Mt Toubkal but not by the normal route like most people do. Instead, I picked the long way. The full trek was 6 days long, covered over 85 miles, and took me all over the beautiful Atlas Mountains before reaching the final summit of Mt Toubkal.

I joined a guided group with 10 of us in total, led by Kandoo. The weather during the whole trip was amazing, very hot, and perfect for trekking. Every day brought different landscapes, small villages, and stunning scenery all around.

But this trip wasn’t easy at all. On the very first day, I developed a huge blister on the back of my heel. It never had a chance to heal and only got worse each day. The blister even started bleeding, but I had no choice but to keep pushing for the next 6 days to reach the summit. My mindset was very strong — I told myself I would summit no matter what before I go home. The group was very supportive and provided blister pads, but sadly they didn’t help much.

The days were getting harder and harder, not only from the constant walking and climbing but also from the pain of my blister. Even with that, I was still the fastest trekker in the group during most of the trek, but on the final summit day, I was the slowest because the pain was so bad. I was only 10 minutes behind the group reaching the summit, but honestly, the result was brilliant and I’m proud of myself. I would do it all over again but next time I will look after my feet better to avoid blisters. This was a great lesson learned, especially for my future bigger expeditions where things like blisters can affect me much more seriously.

Reaching the summit of Mt Toubkal was the best moment of the trip. Standing at 4,167m (even if it’s not extremely high compared to big mountains), I watched the sunrise slowly appear, and the strong orange sun came out across the mountains it was stunning. I felt so proud because this is the highest mountain in North Africa, Morocco, and a big achievement for me personally.

The reason why I chose the long way was to keep myself fit and challenge myself, as I am training for the Seven Summits including Mount Everest. It was wise to pick the harder route to help prepare myself for what’s ahead.

I also learned a lot from this trip, not just about blisters, but the experience of sleeping in tents each night under the clear sky was something I will never forget. Every night I went to bed looking at billions of stars the night skies were beautiful and peaceful.

I highly recommend this trek to others. Even though it’s classed as easier because of the lower altitude compared to other mountains, it’s still a tough challenge with stunning views and a big achievement when you reach the summit. 100% worth it.