Expedition: Toubkal (4167m), the
Highest Mountain in North Africa
In addition to their "normal"
High Atlas paragliding safaris in Morocco, this year Passion Paragliding are
also offering the exclusive "Super High" trip. The aim of this trip is to be
the first British team to paraglide from the summit of the highest mountain
in North Africa. (If you're not British you're still very welcome to join
us!) Deep in the High Atlas of Morocco and standing 4,167m tall,
Toubkal is a majestic mountain from who's vantage point pilots will enjoy a
spectacular vista to include views of the distant Saharan Desert and the
plains of Marrakesh. Although, more of a walk than a climb, the high
altitude nature of this adventure means that a reasonable level of physical
fitness is a definite prerequisite. As with all of our High Atlas Safaris
everything is included, which on this trip, also means mules and porters to
carry those heavy wings all the way to the summit!
In 2010 we made another valiant
attempt, but were alas beaten by howling winds that had nothing in common
with the weather forecast! Bad luck indeed! Have a look at some
the photos and videos from our 2010 attempt to get a flavour of what this
trip's all about:
Ben Clowes a top professional photographer and successful Everest summiteer took some awesome photos
Norman, Mr Antactica also snapped some fantastic
pictures..
David put a great
little video together that highlights some of the high altitude preparation
flying we got up to.
Ása
of the Flying Effect wrote a colourful description of our adventure here.
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The flying and plan for this
special ten day trip
The flying in the Moroccan Atlas
is very reliable at this time of year, so expect to get plenty of airtime
and flying done. We will spend at least the first two days flying at
either Aguergour or other sites on the north side of the High Atlas
Mountains. We will be using this time to refine forward launch
techniques (and of course be having lots of thermic fun!). We will
also be using video cameras to film you and fine-tune
your forward launch technique. Early on we will also be spending at
least two nights at altitude. This, to make our Toubkal attempt easier
and more comfortable. We will then pick the best two days weather forecast to head deeper
into the High Atlas for our Toubkal attempt. Depending on the weather
this could be on day 3,4,5,6,7,8,or 9 Following our hopefully successful flight from Toubkal we will
return to Aguergour for some chilled out thermic flying and well-deserved Hammam
relaxation.
Toubkal Attempt (2 days)
Previous
evening: Arrive in Imlil (1800m) in the late afternoon for sightseeing, relaxation, a good feed and an early night. Weather
updates.
Day1 of Toubkal Attempt: Weather updates. Breakfast. Set off at
9am climbing past Sidi Chamrouch. Picnic lunch by Mountain
stream (highlight!). Reach refuges by 3pm. (We will
be staying in the newest one). A good feed and an early night
Day2 of Toubkal Attempt: Breakfast
at 3am! Set off (big moon is forecast!) at 4am in order to reach the
summit for sunrise. Assess weather conditions. Launch or descend on
foot. Lunch at refuge or (hopefully having flown back to) Imlil. Evening back in
Aguergour where you will sleep very well indeed!
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What are our chances of
success?
Paragliding is a very
weather dependant sport, no more so than at higher altitudes and in
mountains in particular. Our chances of reaching the summit are
greater than 90%. On our 2 previous attempts everyone made it to the summit We have chosen what we believe to be the ideal time
of year to make this trek both for the purpose of reaching the summit and
for scoring the right conditions to launch from Toubkal. There is a
small risk of snow (unlikely before late November) hampering our
summit dreams and we also have to treat the risk of acute mountain sickness
with the respect that it deserves.
The chances of flying from the summit are higher than 50%. In November
2009, when we first attempted to fly from Toubkal, although everyone made it to the summit, a couple of pilots probably didn't have the
necessary stamina left to prepare wings and launch. Unfortunately the
wind direction on launch was from totally the wrong direction (and the
opposite direction to that which had been forecast!). Launching was
therefore not an option. In 2010 we were met with howling winds, once
again totally different from forecast. A few pilots fly from Toubkal
every year and rarely take as much care with consulting weather forecasts as
we do. Statistically we have so far been unlucky! We are giving
ourselves 10 days this year to give ourselves an even better chance than
ever. Despite our zeal your safety will be our number once priority.
Reality check and altitude
warning
The trek to reach the
summit of Toubkal is strenuous. Although much of the route to the
summit is on mule trails, there are also rough paths and some sections of
loose rocks and scree. There might also be occasional snow and ice patches
to negotiate. On this trip we reach high altitudes and there is a risk
of being affected by Acute Mountain Sickness.
Why all the emphasis on forward
launch technique?
Due to the thinner
atmosphere, a paraglider behaves very differently at high altitudes. At
4200m your wing will fly noticeably faster and have a higher sink rate than
at "normal" launching altitudes. Therefore, whereas you might "get away with" a less
than finely tuned launch technique on your local hill, the thinner air will
be less forgiving. Also, even with winds of up to 20km/h you will need
a forward launch - not a reverse launch technique. Although the launch
at the summit is close to ideal (big with a nice gentle slope), it is also rocky and
we are anxious to avoid unnecessary risks to you and the rest of the group.
Hence our proposal to spend time during the first two days using video
cameras to film and refine your launch technique. |
Refuges at 3200m
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What kind of guiding do I
get?
Current world record
holder Toby Colombé will be looking after you. He lives in Morocco and
his knowledge of the weather conditions here is unsurpassed. He'll be
there on launch to brief you on conditions and will also be essential in
choosing the best day for the Toubkal attempt. There will also be at
least one other guide and an additional driver. In addition, to our
full time guides and drivers you will also have a qualified mountain guide
for the Toubkal ascent (2 days). Our priority is always to look after
you.
How to Apply
If you would like to
join us on an adventure of a lifetime, please kindly fill in and
submit the
application form below.
Note 1: Forward Launch Technique: A decent forward launch
technique is probably the most important skill required for this trip.
The quality of a pilot's forward launch technique is only very loosely
correlated to his/her airtime. Please be honest. A dodgy launch
technique puts not only you but also other members of the group (!) at risk up at this
altitude!
Note 2: Fitness Level: A high level of fitness is required to
not only reach the summit, but to reach it with the necessary energy in reserve
to launch safely.
Note 3: Mountain Experience: Although previous mountaineering
experience is definitely NOT required, it would probably help to have some
previous trekking experience.
Please note that applications must be received by the end of July 2011.
If you're late get in touch anyway, particularly if you're up for these kind
of trips in the future and would like to hear about them in advance.
Once you have
submitted your application expect to hear back from us by the end of July 2011, at
which time we hope you'll choose to join us and book an adventure of a lifetime!
Price
Price for the
ten day trip is
£980 and includes:
-
Airport transfer to and from Marrakesh airport on first and last day of
the trip
- Transport between flying sites and
all retrieves in our luxury air-conditioned minibus / 4x4
-
All
Accommodation
- All
food: 3 meals per day and free bottled water
- Full
high quality air-to-air guiding and coaching service, debriefs and
lectures.
-
Mules and porters and refuge fees for the Toubkal hike.
Not
included are return flights for Marrakesh and paragliding insurance.
