More about our expedition, what is involved, and what we can expect.
Our car is a Morgan Plus 4 Narrow Body two seater which has very little room so we are travelling light and prioritising clothes and equipment for mountaineering rather than any Grand Tour luxuries. Our expedition base is in the enchanting Chatham Historic Dockyard where we both work designing and engineering fountains for The Fountain Workshop Limited. Now a Maritime Museum this was once a 400 acre naval dockyard founded in 1587. Today the museum covers just 80 acres and has been the home of The Fountain Workshop since 1997.
On 12th April 2025 we will set off for France catching Le Shuttle from Folkestone to Calais and driving 439miles (707km) to Poitiers, ‘le ville aux cent clochers’, the city of a hundred bell towers where we hope to enjoy some local cuisine such as le Farci Poitevin before an early night.
13th April will see us leave France and drive along the coast road west of the Pyrenees and into Spain where our destination is Valladolid, a distance of 511miles (822km). Valladolid promises to offer a great deal but we are unlikely to have a lot of time to enjoy it. Valladolid is of particular interest to David because it is where a rare Spanish sports car was built. Pegaso made a wonderful car with their own V12 engine and some unusual body styles. Built to rival the Italian Ferraris with their prancing horse logo, what could possibly be better but a flying horse, a Pegasus! The Pegaso Z-102 was the fastest production car sold in 1953, capable of reaching 155 miles per hour (249 km/h). Sadly, very few survive but it is a must visit destination for a committed petrol head.
14th April is a shorter day and we will drive to the Andalucian capital of Seville, a distance of 311miles (500km) where we will enjoy a bonus rest day on the 15th. Highlights of Seville include the Real Alcazar, La Giralda, Plaza d’Espana, and Setas de Sevilla. Of course, no visit to Seville would be complete without a healthy sampling of the local tapas.
16th April we drive south to the Spanish port of Tarifa, 192miles (309km), and leave Europe for North Africa aboard a ferry landing in Tangier, Morocco. Our first night in Morocco promises the kasbah, medina, and famous Café Hafa. We will try to get a table where we can enjoy some early evening tea before a light meal and another early night.
17th April sees us heading out as soon as breakfast has been taken. We will wind along the coast road in the Morgan, enjoying the Atlantic Ocean to our west and Atlas Mountains to our east as we make our way to Marrakesh, 358miles (576km), and enjoy a well-earned rest in this densely packed walled city dating back to the Berber Empire. We will try not to get lost in the maze-like alleys where thriving souks sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewellery. But we are not there to buy souvenirs!
18th April. Today we really start the hard work and drive to Imlil valley where we park the Morgan in a secret secure location and meet our guide who will be with us until we return from the summit of Mt. Toubkal. This will be a long and tiring day because the drive from Marrakesh is a slow one and the trek to Tizi n’Tacht Pass (2100m) and Tizi Oussem (1800m), where we will spend the night, will take us about 9hrs. We will overnight at a Berber House and experience our first taste of Moroccan mountain hospitality.
19th April we will trek 9km to Imlil (1740m) via Tizi Mzik Pass (2489m) for a reasonably gentle altitude acclimatisation day. Temperatures along the pass at this altitude should be quite pleasant as we follow the glacial streams coming from Mt. Toubkal but the weather can be unpredictable and as we climb the temperatures will drop along with the oxygen levels.
20th April sees our route through the mountains take us from Imlil (1740m) to Refuge Toubkal (3206m) climbing up a river gorge, waterfalls, and mountain settlements. This is a 13km trek and it is at this point that we will prepare for the day ahead. This is when we will finally know whether we will need crampons to continue our ascent in snow or not. An early night is essential because the next day starts before dawn.
21st April. Today is what the previous year has been building to as we climb from Refuge Toubkal (3206m) to the summit of Mt. Toubkal (4167m). We are expecting the temperature at the summit to be as low as -20°C and oxygen levels to be just 12% but we should be rewarded for our efforts with stunning views over the High Atlas mountains, Anti-Atlas, and even the Sahara desert in the distance. Once we have celebrated our achievement and taken photos we then descend back to the Refuge having trekked 20km and can enjoy a meal and a good night’s rest.
22nd April will mark the start of our return journey with the Spanish port of Bilbao our target to reach by 25th April so that we can board a ferry to Portsmouth where we will land on 27th and then drive back to expedition base in Chatham in time for a well deserved bath and celebratory dinner.
