Introduction to Desert Life

After leaving the city and its suburbs, we take the beautiful paved road heading northeast towards the mining town of Akjoujt.
The Trarza region and the Atlantic coast are now behind us, the vegetation changes and becomes increasingly Saharan.

The large sandy plains of Inchiri lead us towards the somewhat surreal city of Akjoujt. A mining industry is present there and, since the Chalcolithic, Man has been extracting copper, gold and other materials.
Gradually the landscape changes. You are now driving in the Amsaga region.
In the distance, to the east, the dark barrier of the Adrâr begins to appear. You pass the great alluvial plain of Yagref and the village of Aïn Ahel Taya. The road crosses the first escarpment of the Adrâr.

After lunch, immediate departure towards the El Kheouiya camp.

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

The last third takes place on the northern edge of the sandy area.
Late in the 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.

After lunch, immediate departure towards the El Kheouiya camp.

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

The last third takes place along the northern edge of the sandy area.
Late in the 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.

Early in the morning we set up our camel caravan. The saddled animals, bleated their hearts out.
The loading of our caravan unfolds and the camel herders twirl around the animals with dexterity and skill.
On foot, we set off heading south into the sand. Walking is easy in this desert environment.
Here, the Saharan nature is generous. Multiple tree species make this desert alive. Vegetation specific to the region made up of large grasses and small plants. We establish our camp in these pure and peaceful places.
After unloading our animals, we take them to "pasture". Be warned, this is not the green fields of Normandy however our animals must find something to eat all night long.
The life of the camp organizes itself and we take part in this organization. Wood, fire, flatbread, water management are all essential elements that the nomad masters with calm and organization.

Following an unchanging ritual, we break camp at dawn.
The animals are loaded with precision even though we have the impression that everything is thrown haphazardly onto the backs of these animals.
The caravan sets off with a relief edged by elongated dunes as our objective.
We climb onto this ridge that stretches from north to south and descends into the dunes of the erg Warane. This esker is the remains of a subglacial river bed now standing out in relief.
In Adrâr, we have two similar geomorphological features, this one which is called Herour, and a very beautiful one as well which, further to the west, is the Mega-ridge of Zarga.

Following the same ritual, after retrieving our camels, we prepare our caravan.
Heading due south, we venture deep into the sands towards beautiful white sand dune formations.
We climb onto the mega-ridge which heads south, into the dunes of the erg Warane.
Tonight, we take advantage of nights with absolutely no light pollution to search for Orion, the Southern Cross, the Big Dipper pointing to the Pole Star.

Our path inclines toward the west to find the dunes bordering the erg Warane.
The dune formations are very specific and diverse depending on the locations where they develop. Here, at the edge of this immense massif, they develop in a dense and intricate manner.
On the piedmont of the Herour massif, a set of funeral monuments are very visible.

We are now walking through a true Saharan forest.
We are at the confluence of the downstream part of the dried-up river coming from Chinguetti and the wadi coming from the north of the plateau. The trees, which fortunately are preserved, form a suitable place for setting up camps and, when it rains, for spontaneous crops.

We head west. We leave the last plateaus of the Adrâr to reach the Yagref basin.
The black rock cones, the sand dune cordons of the Amatlich mark the landscapes of the Amsaga.
Then, the vast plains of the Inchiri take us to the Atlantic coast and the capital Mauritanie.

Depending on your flight schedule to France, we will transfer you to the Nouakchott-Oumtounsy International Airport.

A dinner and a room will be at your disposal in Nouakchott to freshen up before taking the international flight.