Back in 2012, I was given the opportunity to study abroad to finish up my MBA education - at the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. It was a great way to finish up my education and it offered the opportunity to travel around before heading back into the real world.
2012-04
At the end of the study abroad program, we made our way down through France and Spain to Gibraltar. I don’t actually remember how we got there, either the train or a flight, but we ended up walking across the border from Spain into the tiniest bit of England, where the rock sits. The place was not what I expected - there was some of the historical batteries and the like that protected the entrance to the Mediterranean, but mostly it was just a very touristy place where they sold everything under the sun that said Gibraltar on it. The most notable thing about the rock was the monkeys, there were probably a hundred of them on the rock and they were melicious - stealing things and harassing people. I watched one steal a little toy out of a babies crib and another distract someone while a different monkey stole an apple from his backpack.
The plan was to board the ferry to cross the strait of Gibraltar and then take the overnight train from Tangier down to Marakesh. We made it to the terminal about two hours before departure, but 3 hours after departure the boat was nowhere in sight. We were planning to take the train that evening, so things were not looking good for us. Finally the boat arrived and we mad our way on board with what looked like mostly locals heading back home. There was livestock onboard, chickens, cows, and most passengers had a ton of baggage to bring home to families. Very different again from what I was expecting.
When we finally arrived in Tangier, we only had 30 min until the train departed and so we grabbed a cab and told them how late we were - and he played right along. In an effort to get more tips, he rushed us to the train station and then waited with us to get tickets and board the train. The train, however, was in no hurry to leave the station either and left about 3 hours late - a fact that I expect our cab driver actually knew.
Also unfortunately, the sleeper cabins were all sold out, so we got regular 2nd class tickets and prepared ourselves for the long ride ahead. We managed to get a 6 person cabin for the three of us and stretched out a bit - but even still, I think we only got 4-5 hours of sleep each.
2012-04-29
The next morning we arrived in Marakesh - a little groggy, but alive. I managed to lose my pictures before this point (I know I have some from Gibraltar and the ferry/train - I’ll add them later if I can find them). Marakesh was a beautiful town - somewhat middle-eastern, but with a slightly more western vibe. A lot like Turkey, but in the real desert. We did some touring around, got some tea and food on a fun rooftop resteraunt, and managed to check-in to our hotel for a nap…
After our nap, we headed to the market - this experience gave me some flashbacks to Iraq, people riding bikes & motorcycles down alleys that could barely fit two people shoulder to sholder, a guy using his toe to run a lathe, the heat/stench, all of it. Two of the three of us in the group were veterans, but I think it was an experience for all three of us. The new one was the guy with the monkey, who he had trained to hop on peoples shoulders for pictures - except he wouldn’t ask first. If you stopped too close, there might be a monkey on your shoulders (which I did, and immediately regretted it).
2012-05-01
After only a few days in the city, we had had enough. I found a link to a guiding outfit that would take you up Jebel Toubkal (Mount Toubkal), which was only about an hour and a half from the city. We paid them and they sent a cab to pick us up from the city the next morning. After a short drive, we arrived at a small town called Imlil where we met the owner of the guiding group and had a quick bite to eat. He said that he had called for our guide and that he would be there shorty - so our hike would start mid morning.
Counter to our experience so far in Morocco, the guide was there exactly as promised brining a few donkeys with him to help us with our bags (we had left our bags in Marakesh, so it did seem a little silly to use the donkeys for those).
At this point, it was just myself and my buddy Aaron. We left Imlil mid morning and started our hike up to the halfway house. The trail was beautiful, meandering it’s way up this wide canyon with several places to stop and chat/rest along the way.
Our guide (who’s name I do not remember) lived in a little town called Aroumd - which looked like it was built onto this little cone in the middle of the valley. You would get pretty strong walking up and down these streets your whole life…
We stopped for a very late lunch at a little cafe called Chamharouch - which was about halfway to the refuge house where we were staying the night.
The cafe also sold the same scarfs that our guide had, which I still own to this day. Looking back on it, Aaron and I definitely pulled a Spies like Us maneuver - clearly nobody thought we actually fit in…
In the late afternoon/evening we made it to Refuge Toubkal - the French alpine hut built so climbers had a place to rest on their way up the mountain. There were several groups of climbers out sunbathing and some that were cleaning/repairing gear. Only 3 of the groups were french, there was another english group (england rather than US), and 2 groups from eastern europe - one of them from Chech Republic. Our guide cooked us dinner and we spent some time getting to know the other groups of climbers as we ate/drank into the evening.
One of the most notable stories from the trip was when I finally headed up to bed. We were some of the last climbers to the hut, so we got bunks in different rooms. The bunks were long beds that would sleep 25 or so people side by side all the way down - one bunk on the top and one on the bottom. I managed to get a spot in the middle of the lower bunk and I laid out my sleeping back for the night before I headed down for dinner. Now it was late, and I was using my redlight headlamp to get to bed. When I entered the room, there was a french couple (man and woman) getting ready for bed in the slot right next to me and they were both completely naked. They were completely comfortable standing there and moved to the side in the narrow hallway to let me pass. I climbed into my sleeping back and the two of them climbed into their tandem sleeping bag and proceeded to spend the next 30 min or so enjoying themselves right in the middle of 25 other climbers and right next to me in my sleeping bag. Very french, story for the ages…
2012-05-01
The next morning, we got up, got some breakfast, got over our small hangovers, and emerged into the world to finish our hike. Neither Aaron or I came prepared with climbing gear - we both had tennis shoes I believe - but fortunately the donkeys had carried up some micro spikes for us, which made the second day a lot easier. We spend the first half of the morning moving through mixed rock/snow fields as we slowly moved up the mountain. It was an interesting environment - very dry and dusty combined with a snow cover over probably half of the ground we covered.
Then came the final summit push - about 30 deg of rock/snow field that continued on for several miles to the summit. I found a picture of myself at the summit, but I remember trying to do some handstands in front of the bit metal pyramid at the summit but I can’t find those anywere. Anyway, we made it!
As is standard for these kinds of climbs, we did the descent all the way back down in the afternoon. Everything always looks so much different on the way down - when you feel so accomplished. This was no different - Most of the little shops were still alive, but they were clearly focused on the people ascending rather than those descending.
As we made it back to Imlil, I noticed a bunch of farms that I hadn’t seen on the way up. This one in particular was intersting, as a female owned farming coop. A few years after we left, there was an attack on two women who were camping in a tent during their climb up Jebel Toubkal - and it sounded like the motivation was that they were christians and women. Very sad, but it made me even more amazed to see this coop farm here - good for you ladies!
Our guide group called us a cab back to Marakesh and we flew back to Pittsburgh over the next few days. Climbing Jebel Toubkal was an amazing adventure - something I was very fortunate to do and it’s a memory that has stuck with me, almost 15 years later.