ALPINE CLUB TRIPOLIS

TOUBKAL - ATLANTAS 4167m.

ACT completed with success its expedition to the High Atlas (Morocco) with the conquest of the tallest top of Northerner Africa, Toubkal 4167m. BASE CAMP organised for the second time an expedition to the Çigh Atlas. Once again we entrusted Panagioti Kotrwnaro and we declared attendance in the expedition. A company of 15 individuals met itself one Sunday morning in the airport of Athens. Our flight, via Rome reached Casablanca the same afternoon. A Moroccan guide was waiting there for us and he was in charge of our program in Morocco. The same day we travelled roadly in the exotic Marrakech. The next morning we were transported in the village called «Imlil» at 1750m, where traditionally begins the ascent for the mountain. We started our ascent with slow rhythm for the shelter of Mouflon (3200m). The winter has come early this year in Morocco. Thus while the weather was initially good, we reached the shelter with rain. The first snowfall has taken place days ago. The previous week the level of the snow was more than 1 metre from the level we met. The next day, we began with good weather for the top. As always we followed constant rhythm for acclimatization. We used crampon and ice axe from the shelter. The ascent was constant in the magical mountainous landscape of the snowy Atlas. At the top the embraces and the photographs interchanged between the Greek climbers and the Moroccan guides who followed us. Above us the sun shone and under us the clouds had covered everything. Our descent was progressive and with good mood between the team. While we begun with sunlight our ascent, we reached the shelter in intense snowfall. In the shelter, the companionship was in excess. We had wonderful moments of laughter round the dining room and the fireplace. We tasted all the goods of our personal cook and his assistants, whï took care of us with great professionalism. The next day we went down in the village of Imlil. In addition to the ascent, the path in the descent was snowy. The moments we experienced in the mountain were unique and it cannot be described in two paragraphs. In any case, we enjoyed the wintry conditions in the mountain. The sense was completely different. The days that followed were mainly touristy. Shortly…. We moved in the depths of Morocco with SUV/4X4. We stayed in Ouarzazate, which is a fairy town in the middle of nowhere and in the middle of the distance for the desert «Sahara». We visited studio “Atlas” where have been taken place overproductions of Hollywood. We admired the extent of the forest of palm trees in the valley of Dra and we visited old kasbahs. At night we slept in the desert in tents of Berbers. We went up and down dunes playing as children. We danced under intoxicating rhythms round the fire in the middle of nowhere and under the starry sky of the desert. We made camel ride in the east. We tried traditional flavours. We visited the most important monuments of Marrakech and we wandered round the Medina the midday and the evening. We admired for his architecture, the second in size pane of the world in Casablanca. In the «negatives» of the expedition we would include initially the intense rainfall the days of the conducted tours in the two big cities. And secondly, the obligatory landing in the airport of Thessalonica the day of our return (because of fog in the airport of Athens). The good disposal was in excess. For this reason, finally all everything turned to be good.