Camel trekking in the saddle in the dunes of Erg Warane and Chinguetti, variations in the sands

Departure from Paris (chartered flight). Takeoff is scheduled for early afternoon with arrival in Atar in the evening. Times are given as indicative and may be changed by the airline.
After formalities and obtaining your Mauritanian E-Visa, your guide will meet you in the airport terminal.
In Atar, dinner is planned at a comfortable and pleasant inn depending on the flight schedule.

After lunch, immediate departure to El Kheouiya camp.

The track to climb onto the plateau (dhar) is, to date, good but it can be degraded by rains that occur in late summer.
A small detour allows you to discover the grandiose landscapes of the Adrâr cliffs. The ruins of Fort Saganne, rock paintings, the chain of plateaus on the horizon are so many attractions …

The last third takes place along the northern edge of the sandy area.
Late morning, we reach El Kheouiya.
It is the meeting place with our Moorish travel companions with whom we share these few days. They belong to this small semi-nomadic camp.

On foot, we head towards the sunset. Multiple tents, khaïma, are laid out on the sands. Nomads particularly appreciate this region because the pastures are always more abundant than elsewhere.
We approach long dunes that develop in the direction of the prevailing wind.
To the south, the wadi El Kheouiya is very wooded. This small Saharan forest is protected from deforestation by the fierce determination of the tribes occupying these lands.

On foot, we make our way through the dune massif of Afam el Mezrougat. The two elb making up this massif allow us to reach the Chinguetti batha. The currently dried-up river is heavily wooded and, depending on seasonal rainfall, large cultivation areas can occupy its bed. We reach the great dunes of the Warane erg on the right bank of the wadi. The bivouac is established not far from the first palm groves that mark the beginning of the inhabited zone of the Chinguetti wadi.

On foot, we make our way through the dune massif of Afam el Mezrougat. The two elb that make up this massif allow us to reach the Chinguetti basin. The river, currently dried up, is very tree-lined and, depending on the season's rainfall, large areas of crops can occupy its bed. We reach the great dunes of the Warane erg on the right bank of the wadi. The bivouac is established near the first palm groves that mark the beginning of the inhabited area of the Chinguetti wadi.

The akley of the northern edge of the Warane erg allow us to reach the ancient city of Chinguetti. We arrive in the city in the middle of the day.

Heading toward the southwest, we face a long and beautiful series of sand mountains. These large massifs (M'ghalig), all parallel, overlook interdune valleys that have remained the traditional routes for trade caravans between north and south. It is in these zones that the rare wells are found.
The midday stop is established at La Gueïla, a small palm grove that belongs to the notables of Chinguetti.

Then, heading due west, we continue our journey through the dunes.
Vegetation specific to the great ergs develops such as Acacia raddiana, Balanites aegyptiaca and Aristida pungens.
We set up camp on one of the mighty sand massifs.

The massifs are always imposing and, facing us, the black ridges of the mega-cordillera of Zarga begin to emerge. Tinouarderit, a small wooded wadi, marks the western part of the erg. A very shaded teïchot (Balanites aegyptiaca) welcomes us for the break.

By going up the wadi bed, we access a small area of barchan dunes. Here, the Erg Warane ends its course heading west. Under the name of Erg Amatlich, it reappears on the western edge of the Adrar, continuing its momentum toward the Atlantic.

We return to the small sandstone massif of Zarga.
Eighty kilometers long, the Zarga ridge is the now-protruding fossil bed of an ancient glacial river.
The corridor sandstones form in places a maze of streets and rock shelters where paintings, fauna and fairly rich flora hide.
The Zarga ridge is interesting for several reasons. Its northern point and its average altitude make it an effective climatic barrier.
Atlantic disturbances and the African monsoon (F.I.T.) are blocked in their progression toward the interior of the Adrar plateau. Rainfall is significant compared to the rest of the region, and Saharan vegetation has, in places, either Mediterranean or Sudanese characteristics.
We find there among others Boscia senegalensis, Euphorbia balsamifera, Combretum aculeatum as well as some fragrant Lavandula.

Staying on the east side of the Zarga massif, we reach the Niesle well and then, via the eastern foothills, we arrive at Tichilit el Âteg.
The highest point of the Zarga massif and the third peak of the Adrar conceals a superb sand dune overlay. At its foot, a wide alluvial basin shelters crops and nomads.
We take time to savor these magnificent places that mark the grand finale of this journey between dunes and rocks.

In the afternoon, we return to Atar by a rough track.

The chartered flight departing from Atar is scheduled for early morning with an arrival in Paris in the mid-afternoon.