Mt Toubkal Climb

We've now been back from Morocco for some time, so it's about time I contacted you again to thank you and your team for organising what was, I believe, a most successful adventure. All the Chetwynde School Sixth Formers, and Gill and I, loved it.Mohamed and Abdullah, the local mountain guides, were great andinspired the group with confidence. I must also mention the cooking staff who did a brilliant job at all altitudes! Please see below for the comments on our wonderful group leader Rich Astridge. Again, thank you.Andy

This Exodus Mount Toubkal trip is a little longer than some and I feel it is much better for it. The route undertaken allows for good altitude acclimatisation over the common two day itinery direct from Imlil village. I/we found the estimated walking times on the trip notes to be quite conservative, our group must have been pretty speedy. Most days we arrived at camp at least an hour under the estimate. The camps themselves are wild camps with no on site facilities other than a portaloo toilet tent. Local people or team members did bring bottled water and fizzy drinks to the camp for purchase, with an altitude price premium. The tents used were by Salewa and a good size, they seemed quite new. At Toubkal base camp our camp was set up a few hundred metres downhill of the two constructed mountain refuges, across a stream. It was a short, few minutes, walk to the refuge where you could use (for a small charge) the showers or buy snacks, water and fizzy drinks from the kiosk shop. During the trek all food is provided and it was very good, my only slight criticism is that maybe there could have been some more variety but I also fully understand we were on a mountain... where Tesco don't deliver. For any trip like this we often find ourselves deliberarting over the best kit and clothing to take. My departure was 6th August. It was blazing hot in Marrakech and on our last full day in the Medina it was 47C. On the low slopes of the first day of hiking it was 41C. On summit day we started off before dawn and it was 18C. Heavy thermal gear (and sleeping bag) was not required. I did not need my hybrid fleece jacket at all but we are all different. A long sleeve heavy merino t-shirt and wind jacket was as heavy as I went on summit day. What took me by surprise was the rain. Don't forget your rain gear. In the afternoon of our summit day there was a torrential rain storm for maybe two hours of non stop very heavy rain. In fact every afternoon in the mountains there was short lived rain and thunder. I don't know if this pattern was a high summer thing or all year round. I'm not the biggest user of walking poles ever but was glad I brought them for the summit decent. It's often steep with a lot of loose stones just waiting to put you on your bum.

Great to be able to walk to the highest mountain in North Africa and in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. No special skills or climbing gear was required for the trip. For this trip you needed to be reasonable fit and able to cope with moderate high altitude walking. The weather was kind to us, but there were numerous clouds around the top of the mountain meaning that our distant views were not clear. Close mountain ranges looked impressive. Lush green valleys contrasted with stark bare mountain tops. A walk well worth doing.

A perfect holiday of exploration for anyone who is fit, adventurous, has a sense of camaraderie and can revert to the true nature of what it's like to really live , be at one and experience the wilderness of the surroundings and not be concerned with unnecessary luxuries we take for granted at home.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Our guide was excellent. The trip was well organised and the food was delicious. The walks were great - the scenery beautiful and the Berber village fascinating. As I am not as fit as I should be I was worried about the pace but I coped OK. I decided not to do the summit as I found the scree scary.

This was a fantastic experiences, well organised with friendly supportive staff waiting for us at the airport. Nothing was too much trouble.

Fantastic.The whole trip was perfectly organised. From being met at the airport to our bags always being at the relivant stop on time etc.Our guide was great. Very friendly and certanly knew his stuff!The trip wasnt quite as demanding as I was expecting. But that is by no means Exodus' fault. I would without question recommend Exodus to friends and family, Im planning on using them again this year. 

Very enjoyable holiday. Tougher in terms of difficulty of terrain than I was expecting. Didn't enjoy Marrakech as much as the mountains.

Trecking in Atlas Mountains

This was a very well organised trip. Transfers to and from the airport were all organised and it's easy to spot other exodus travellers with their big yellow bags. The food was fantastic and there was much more of it than I was expecting. The walks were good and a pleasant way to do Toubkal and the surrounding Atlas Mountains. We didn't need to treat water at all and you just need to buy water at the available places and ask when the next opportunity to buy more is so you can plan quantity sensibly. The walk isn't 'non-technical'; there is a lot of slippy scree and a bit of scrambling up boulders. Fitness needs to be reasonable but the climbs were very do-able. Don't be put off by the 95 diagonals it's easier than it looks. Marrakech was interesting and easily done in the 24 hours at the end. I wouldn't bother staying on longer in Marrakech it's self.