UKC

I have just booked an 8 day trip to do Mt Toubkal and 3-4 other mountains while im there

Pretty scary as im a single female traveller but I have booked with a guided tour company so im a little bit happier

I need to do some scree training as it pretty much scares the living daylights out of me, can anyone recommend anywhere local I can practice or any practice I can do?

I live in Sheffield so anywhere peaks etc

Thanks In Advance

(also posted in the pub forum but then realised there was a hill one!)

I walked to the Mouflons hut a few years ago. There was no significant scree to worry about on that section, the path was mostly pretty good. We didn't go any higher because my partner got food poisoning at the hut. From the hut it was a snow hike, but this was early April. Can't comment on how bad it is higher up, but given the people who get guided up successfully I'd suspect being hill fit is enough without worrying about specific scree training.

You will have a great time.  Fantastic country and scenery.

I went up Mt Toubkal a few years ago.  There was a pretty good path between the scree so should not be a challenge.  You just need to tread carefully in places.  I'm equally not great with scree and found it ok.  Those who were confident just ran down the scree when we came back down.

Not sure of anywhere in the Peak to practice.  Closest thing I can think of is the scree slopes coming off Glyder Fach towards Tryfan.  I think you will be fine though.  Main thing is to get hill fit.  I usually do lots of up and down of Lose Hill.

Thank you, i do love lose hill but go up both from the yorkshire bridge!! (i hate that route but i suppose its good training up and down)  

I'm not good at coming down hills its the fear of falling and it really un-nerves me

If you do not currently use poles it would be good to get some and get used to using them.  In particular adjusting the lengths for going up and down.  I find poles gives me more confidence.

If you have not been to 4000m before the big thing will probably be the altitude.  Any good tour company will accommodate people in the group going at different paces.  So don't rush, take your time, enjoy the scenery and acclimatise properly.  In the group I was in one set of people went off like Usain Bolt each day.  The local Moroccan guide went with them, he was like a mountain goat.  I stayed in the relaxed group, we went at our own pace and the UK guide stayed with us.  No pressure and we all enjoyed ourselves.

If it's snowy the Toubkal ascent isn't even grade 1 but deserves respect as it can be a long neve slope. Not been far beyond the refuge in summer but the ascent from the refuge isn't any physically harder than Ben Lomond, Bow Fell or Snowdon and the walk in from Imlil is long but pleasant underfoot and easy angled by British hillwalking standards. 

As suggested I suspect the biggest threat to your holiday isn't plummeting to your fate, terrorism or being a lone woman... The Moroccan equivalent of Dehli belly or Montezuma's revenge is probably never far away around the refuge, lots of camping nearby in the summer and there is disconcerting amount of evidence of camp toilets in the summer time despite the care that groups take. Alcohol wipes and chlorine tablets will be your friends. 

It is lovely though. 

It's rocky but there are no great shifting screes to navigate. Likely to still be some snow on the ground in May and some 'airy' exposure across big slopes so better to get comfortable with that. Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill maybe?

So so excited thank you, I was really worried but I’m more confident I can do this 

Well done on booking your dream trip. I climbed in Kyrgyzstan this year which was a long held dream of mine. It was jam packed full of various types of scree.

I found it strange that my Swedish climbing partner, who runs across 35 degree ice like the late great Ueli Steck would, found it really difficult terrain to navigate. I grew up in NZ, and any mountain route would usually have a certain amount of scree involved. I remember doing my Gold DofE as a 17 year old running as fast as I could down the slopes of Mt Ngauruhoe and surfing the scree like a pro (pro status subject to 23 years of exaggeration). Got a few angry looks mind, but hey, youth right? But seeing my partner turning into a right swedish meatball on the stuff, it never occurred to me before that it was tricky terrain and you might need to get used to it first. unstable, sometimes exposed, some large blocks... who'd have guessed???

Anyway, its not too bad. I quite like it in a weird way. Can be a right b*stard to get up sometimes, but can also be great fun coming down. One of the peaks we climbed in Kyrgyzstan had such lovely fine stuff that it was almost like kicking steps on the way up. And the 4 hours up only took 45 minutes to run down (for me anyway, my ikea loving partner didn't love it so much). 

Enjoy, embrace the scree, and I hope it lives up to your expectations!
 

HI Angel,

I did Toubkal with my 15 year old daughter in 2016 (in July/Aug).  The first days walk to the hut is just like a mountain walk in the Lakes or N.Wales in terms of terrain, the only difference being the altitude, unless you've spent a couple of days in Imlil you might feel it a bit, you can always hire a mule on the way up to get a lift.

Day two starts with an exciting little scramble past the stream then climbs steadily through large scree (think bigger than bin lid size), we were unguided and didn't find a path for the first half of this section so a couple of people around us found it a bit challenging, if you're guided you should be taking the optimal route through this part.

On the way down from the saddle between the two peaks the scree is really small (golf ball size) and is fantastic if you are used to scree running.  Again, a couple of people found this section really challenging as the scree was constantly sliding with you.

All in all it's a great experience, the first time over 4000m for my daughter and her first proper mountain outside the UK.  You will love it.

I am so excited i have to admit, 23 Weeks and counting

Hi Angel, I loved Toubkal. Hardest part was sharing a dormitory room in the hut with some very noisy (and smelly) Spaniards. If you can survive that, the rest will be a piece of cake

I’ve gone for single suppliment in the hotel so I can have at least 2 nights of peace and my own smells hahaha 

I think that's wise. The Toubkal CAF hut is the worst hut I've stayed in for disruptive backpacker types who think they're in a youth hostel. Excess drinking leading to excess noise, excess pissing, doors left open, lights shone in your face, etc. Total wankers.

Wonderful, il remember ear plugs,  can’t wait to get into the hills this holiday, it’s been to long and I need the space and beautiful that Derbyshire brings