Mt Toubkal from imlil

we return for the second time to imlil to make the climb to Toubkal.first time in Feb was much snow and not prepared with equipment.
since the last time in Imlil and the sad events of the attacks on the mountains .
YOU MUST TAKE A GUIDE AND PASSPORT CONTROL THREE TIMES WITH POLICE ON ROUTE.
you can find a guide all over the village. we were offered 900dm from our rRad , but asked in town and easy to haggle down to 600dm, poss less if you want to , but we were happy with our guide ...this price was for two days, as we take one night at the refuge Club Alpine.

We met our guide Hammed at 10am in center of village to start climb..follow out of village towards the water falls , take left track up to road that leads to Aroumd..here you find the first control with police..passports and guide ..or you go no further..we saw people avoiding the control other side of the valley, but could be locals ?
Trail is easy to follow and nothing technical, slowly rising all the time..you reach the sacred rock and village of Chamharouch..nice place to stop for water /food ..and second police control point..
the trail climbs more steep out of village and then into the long valley trail that leads to the refuges..three of them
we took a night in the Club Alpine..260dm each for dorm rooms , dinner and breakfast..refuge was busy, clean , we took our own sleeping bags, but blankets were provided..for myself i slept just with blanket...so make your choice if you sleep warm and do not want to cary sleeping bag. Good food was served at 6.30 pm..soup. chicken,rise,bread ,melon and mint tea..perfect.
Dont expect much sleep as were woke at 3am in morning to start the climb at 4 am
after breakfast ..with head torches on ..we followed our guide up the last 1200mts to summit. climb was amazing to look down and see all the lights from people below making the climb.
more steep than the first day and rocks and scree but ok all the way..getting cold near the summit poss -3 (oct) Hammed our guide took steady pace stopping for rest and food .
OK..WARNING.
Altitude sickness..read up on the affects..were are used to climbing high pyrenese..this would be our highest accent..
100 mts from summit and i hit a wall ..no warning as i was feeling good up to this point...sun was rising, wonderfull views.i could see the summit..head ache, nauser, and loss of energy..had to sit down a few times..not sure if i was going to make it..shock to the body and mind..took rest ,food and with my wife and guide .made it to the summit !!
You think it wont happen.. could see other people with same situation...
we were lucky with the weather as days before much cloud and days after the same...
stayed at the summit for awhile and then the long decent down to the fefuge..rest up for food and coffee and then continued the same route back to Imlil..2700mt down in day..legs were a bit tired !!

our guide ..contact Gite Tizi Mizik www.trektoubkal.com ask for Hammed.