09/21/2026
The final Morocco recap you all have been waiting for! Did we summit Mt. Toubkal?
Standing at 13,671 feet, Mt. Toubkal is the highest peak in North Africa. Coming from the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, where peak elevations top out around 3,000 to 5,700 feet, tackling a mountain of this scale was a massive undertaking for our team.
Out of our 11-person group, 9 hikers set out to tackle the climb. We started directly from our town Riad, hiking 7 miles uphill over 8 rigorous hours (including a well-deserved 1-hour lunch break) to reach the Refuge at 10,522 feet. Hiking seven miles in seven active hours gives you a clear picture of just how steep, rocky, and intense this terrain was. Reaching the refuge was a major team milestone and a unforgettable capstone to our 9-day Moroccan journey!
While reaching the refuge was the high point for most, three hikers from our group, left the refuge and set out at 4:30am in the dark with their headlamps to attempt the summit push alongside our expert local guide. The extreme cold, darkness, and steep terrain quickly proved how intense Mt. Toubkal can be—an hour in, two hikers made the safe call to turn back to the refuge.
Briana pressed on with our guide, pushing through another 5 grueling hours of climbing to reach the top. After taking in the views at 13,671 feet, her journey wasn’t over—she immediately turned around and made the massive trek all the way back down the mountain to our Riad in town.
Destination Hike can officially say we reached the summit of North Africa! Huge congratulations to Briana for her incredible determination, to our team for supporting one another, and to everyone in the group for giving it their absolute all.
Peak Elevation Comparison:
Mt. Toubkal (Morocco): 13,671 ft
Mt. Rogers (Virginia): 5,729 ft
Backbone Mountain (Maryland): 3,360 ft
