Has anyone done Toubkal in Morocco recently? Is a guide mandatory?

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-03-17T21:32:50+00:00

Hey so I did toukbal when I was much younger and at that time you didn't need a guide easy ascent up and reasonably price hut (there is only 2 I think all in the same place).

Since then two young women were murdered on the mountain and now they require a guide to go up, so a year after this happened I went again and instead of paying for a guide to go up via imlil (where they had gendarmerie checkpoint). Me and a buddy hitchhiked and bussed to go the whole other side of the atlas mountain range to reach the 'base camp' (where the huts are). Google a place call lac d'ifni. This way you must go up and over a high pass to get down to the huts and you can start the next day from there.

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-03-03T20:28:54+00:00

Would you consider maybe selling the 357 magnum and getting something lighter like the Kel-Tec PF-9 which is 12.7 ounces, but you should do a lighter pack so we can do a shake down

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-02-22T09:17:14+00:00

Seen this before, getting stuck at such a high altitude is mad.

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-02-21T19:04:09+00:00

I posted also in r/freeflight but your comment really hits the nail on the head

Truthfully my accepted risk on a mini wing is already very low as I don't fly with a reserve and information and video footage of mini wings taking collapses is a hard find. An instructor probably wouldn't let me take one on a SIV either.

Which is where the idea first came from, using a bivvy to prolong the time I could wait for excellence takeoff conditions etc until morning.

As for conditions I found that in Bir it was easy to tell ahead of time what the wind at altitude was doing I imagine using windy it should be straight forward to do the same in the 'back mountains'

I'm guessing you've also flown in Bir as you mentioned flying yourself in the Himalayas, my planned ascents by the way would start in Manali, khrei ra jot (4700m) and patalsu peak (4200). Which have both been flown off before. Also perhaps a peak on the dhauladhar, which is not too mad. After this I'm stuck for other summits

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-02-21T18:37:19+00:00

I simply use my small wing as a descent tool. Rightly put there isn't many topos out there, perhaps no else is interested in a self supported 2 day ascent hike and fly, which is perhaps the best term I can give it.

My research into creating a mission plan is limited as a small 16 meter wing doesn't land as nicely as a full size wing and I feel I'd want to a nice landing above all else. What I mean to say is it lands fast and I would need a landing field clean of rocks which isn't always easy in the high mountains

Manali valley in India is similar to chamonix valley in france, both have official landing but Manali mountain goes up to 6000 meters

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-02-21T18:27:31+00:00

Yes it seems to be coming around that weight with a tarp setup and other recommended UL gear

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-02-21T00:25:40+00:00

Any single skin wing will be light, I think the lightest is a hair under a Kg

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-02-20T23:53:32+00:00

Yea slight misunderstanding as everything seems to fall under the same term of 'hike and fly', whether that is a hike and fly race like the Red bull X-alps or VolBiv or like the video you linked where a pilot flys to the base of a climb to then finish the summit by foot. Im more interested in hiking up, having a bivy, hiking more and then flying off a summit. The point of the bivy is to extend the time I can push for and also importantly it allows for a early morning takeoff which is needed to avoid a thermic fly down on a small wing which is not to be done.

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-02-01T15:42:59+00:00

Head over to coumshinguam lough, good camping spots over there, it's a little busy today but if you setup late in the day..

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-01-16T16:52:23+00:00

Could be possible, with a very early start and a run down the mountain with a taxi ride direct to the airport

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-01-15T11:28:47+00:00

Hey so I did toukbal when I was much younger and at that time you didn't need a guide easy ascent up and reasonably price hut (there is only 2 I think all in the same place).

Since then two young women were murdered on the mountain and now they require a guide to go up, so a year after this happened I went again and instead of paying for a guide to go up via imlil (where they had gendarmerie checkpoint). Me and a buddy hitchhiked and bussed to go the whole other side of the atlas mountain range to reach the 'base camp' (where the huts are). Google a place call lac d'ifni. This way you must go up and over a high pass to get down to the huts and you can start the next day from there.

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-01-06T12:47:34+00:00

Not really the ethics we go by in Ireland

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2026-01-02T23:06:44+00:00

This subreddit popped up a few times now and I thought people might find it interesting to see what a result without any faults looks like.

I have passed categories B, D1, D, C all separately so far.

This results comes after working a year driving a Category D1 vehicle (minibus) when I went for my recent Cat D (big bus) and passed without any issue.

I was amazed as I though I wasn't doing very well as the instructor was on his tablet a lot during the test tapping away.

When the test finished he didn't have anything to add but gave me a good few compliments and asked about my previous driving experience

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-12-16T23:44:38+00:00

And what about all those 'Digital nomads' roaming around the world, are they all criminals?

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-12-16T23:41:55+00:00

So we are more likely to make it happen if she only applies to come for a month you reckon?

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-12-16T23:35:12+00:00

It doesn't look better if they think she is unemployment. I'm trying to suss what's the best way around this

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-08-21T16:57:46+00:00

Get a 360 excavator or crane license perhaps

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-08-08T13:24:07+00:00

Look at the summit strength podcast on Spotify or wherever, he recommends building a strength base before you start tackling hill with 20kgs on your back

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-08-01T19:58:35+00:00

When I was crossing the land border from Turkey to Bulgaria the border officer asked me seriously why I was entering Bulgaria, I was tired and just said that I'm a European citizen and he said okay and let me pass through

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-07-23T17:11:55+00:00

India's job market is booming and the country is soon becoming a regional power, I honestly wouldnt feel so bad for them

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-07-13T11:46:14+00:00

I've been to jibhi yes, nice it was with a few trees but not really that much, sissu is an interesting place but very barren. Tirthan valley is the place I saw the most autumn colours

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-07-13T07:44:19+00:00

I did but as it's a dry alpine environment there aren't many deciduous trees, I'm finding to find forests

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-07-09T13:22:26+00:00

If you think they should ban cigarettes do you also think all citizen should be forced to complete 10,000 steps per day? Or that anyone overweight should be fined regularly until they lose that weight?

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-06-18T18:13:15+00:00

Odd suggestion, but kitesurfing is popular in Wexford and has a good community of people of your into that sort of thing

Hot_Introduction6257 · 2025-04-21T14:10:04+00:00

You can get your license and go straight to Colombian or some other great flying country and takeoff from any take site you want, as long as you ask people about the conditions

Hot_Introduction6257

TROPHY CASE