Video of one of our trek

This is a video (in French) produce during one of our trek in the region of the Adrar :

https://vimeo.com/99784848

Shielded from the mass tourism, come to discover the region of the Adrar and Sahara in all its magnificence through this trek between Chinguetti and the oasis of Terjit.

We hike for 120 km in full desert with varied landscapes and visit some typical villages. Without counting oasis, oueds and meetings with the nomads.

Desert tour with Sid Ahmed

De

Chinguitti – Tergit

Five days 10/03/11 – 15/03/11

Sid Ahmed welcomed me and my girlfriend with open arms to his relaxed and familiar auberge in Atar. The Mauritanian hospitality hit us like a storm, with a nice breakfast, even though we checked in for the next night, and late on a big plate of couscous and dates. We felt very comfortable in Sid Ahmed's company so we decided to let him arrange a five days desert trip for us. We got a fair price from the beginning, which included everything, from camels to late night snacks. Sid Ahmed's friend Mohamed joined us with two of his camels, for carrying all our camping gear, water and food.. As we left Chinguitti, it was only us and 90 kilometers of hot fantastic desert to cover by foot in five days. The service we received was absolutely top notch. Fresh bread baked in the sand for breakfast, relaxed lunches under shady trees and mauritanian dinners under the stars with interesting conversations and cultural exchange, and of course plenty of hot sweet tea. Sid Ahmed is very knowledgeable about the desert and is always near on sharing new interesting facts and stories.

 

He tookus through some of the nicest places in the Adrar region. We cannot be anything else than happy that we had the opportunity to meet and spend time together with such an interesting, knowledgeable, warm heart and professional person as Sid Ahmed. He made our trip a memory for the rest of our lives. We hope other tourists get the opportunity to explore mighty Sahara together with Sid Ahmed.

Johan Uddman and Sheena Leong / Sweden and Australia

One day in the desert

From the early morning, windsswept. The quiet majesty of rocks dominating it, the valley wakes up in thousand of silver ray with which the sky comes to flood it harmoniously.

Calcined by the sun arrived at the top, the rock weakens the heavy steps of Gnevit in a sanctuary among which only butterflies and birds seem allowed to disturb eternal rest.

Whereas the azure takes care of first freshnesses and whereas the sand attire itself with new colors, with a single chorus all of this calms down while on the sand crackle some embers.
And at night guided by the soft halo of the moon, communing barefoot with the sand of the dune, in the sound of stars and whole nature, I sigh you "Oh God, what a beautiful this desert! "

Leave towards Chingueti by the valley Blanche

Through Adrar in the sound of the wind and the traverse flute.

Leave towards Chingueti by the valley Blanche.

Cards are difficult to dread and to get off the beaten track it seems to us essential to take a guide. The contact goes well with Sid Hamed who takes care of the hotel Imini.
Hotel of Imini: it is the name of a very beautiful mountain with a very beautiful descent of sand. With the wind, you see the waves of sand which move !

One afternoon, we develop together our trip which will bring us from Atar to Chinguetti via the white valley. Thus, the next day, we leave in the direction of the oasis of Tergit.

 Quickly we leave the main track. Descent in 4/4 on pebbles, we drive at the bottom of an oued, and eventually stop at the bottom of a cirque. The atmosphere is mineral, colors go some ochre, in the red for the oxidized pebbles, on the background is black because of the big basaltic pavements. The deep and intense blue of the sky adds its tint to this landscape in colors so lively. I quickly have the sensation that the time stretches. The hours stopped being hours. We live in a new time which is not measurable any more in the same way. We can be squatted around the teapot there to appreciate the skill of our guide to pour and to put back the tea from a glass to the other one, in the shade of a locust tree, allowing to pass the hot hours. We can also hurry to establish a camp before night. Finally, the usual marks disappeared. We are somewhere else. In our feet mountains, trays, gorges extend beyond the horizon. We embrace a panorama on 360 °, where we imagine to be alone on this part of the earth. Nevertheless a shepherd comes to meet us and invites us to share its meal. Us, who live since our childhood only in a constant background sound, the silence of these places is unreal, soothing, magic. Nevertheless, we can hear sometimes the small whistling of the stonechat, the bird who carries happiness to the traveler, but also the breath of the wind which pours on high plateaus. Convenient place for the meditation, if we want ...

The next day, it is the driving on the soft sand of the bottom of oueds. It is also the meeting with a feminine group in the dresses so colored which leave to the field to collect watermelons. It is also the surprise to discover a guelta embeded at the bottom of a gorge, small circular lake where Manu dives with delightet. Dunes, we believe at the beginning that when we saw one, we saw them all. Surprise of the surprises, they are quite various, by their soft shape but wave-like, their breakable, lively fish bones, their colors pastels, qualified by the white in the orange, in a ceaselessly renewed composition which extends as far as the eye can see to. On the end of the day, it is necessary to rise at the top of the highest, to sit down and to consider this ocean of sand in the changeable colors in the sunset. Finally, at giant steps, tumble in the sand which streams up to its basis. This moment the one to look for a location to spend a night: shielded from the wind, hidden by a dune. The vehicle stopped, we quickly leave in search of dead wood which will allow us to warm our teapot, but also to prepare our meal.

This morning, a big stage waits for us, about 60 km to be traveled. It is little, but the last rains and the winds moved dunes, modified the bed of the oued. It is by foot, preceding the car, cause we need to find a new passage. Sometime it is necessary to remove some big stones, either on the contrary, to pave on some meters of delicate passage. When we gone up on the plateau, it is the stop obliged to deflate tires, to not sink too much into the sand. The track is frequently cut by a dune which is necessary to by-pass. At other moments, we lose the track, and it is necessary to zigzagging through shrubs, big stones, to keep the essential run-up. Manu sees the track to the left, Sid makes a sign to turn to the right, and nevertheless we shall make sand only once. This constant vigilance is exhausting. That's the end of 9 hours of efforts when we arrive in Chingueti "so desired".

Monday, February 14th

Chingueti prepares the party. Caravanes and 4/4 converge on the one that we call the 7eme quoted from the Islam. Tents are already spread over the ground. Chinguetti is the door of the desert, a grateful stopover for caravans on the road of Mali. A little left since Mr Toyota sent express Marcel the camel to the retirement home.

But it is not what it brings us there.The 4/4 is temporarily parked, and it is by foot that we leave through the dunes. Our luggage join us in back of dromedary. In a few minutes the city disappeared, hidden by the first dunes, we are already wrapped by another. Alone in the world, only the noise of our steps accompanies us. From the summit, as far as the eyes can see, it's sand and dunes. Golden slings raise slopes, wind around the grass clumps, fly away in every break. The dune remembers these inhabitants: here, the sinuous line indicates the passage of a lizard. There some small points show the research of a beetle which, as says Manu: those there, we never know where they go! In a bend, we perceive a fennec which our presence surprised.
Most great surprises, are the vestiges that the centuries and the centuries of human presence left. We walk on a multitude of fragments of potteries, brightness of flint, arrowheads. There is there all that it is necessary to open a Neolithic hardware store: scrapers, knives, axes, hammers, everything is on-surface in the hollow of dunes. Multiple shelters under rock are covered with rock paintings: hunting scenes, drawings of giraffes, animals, children, confirm that what is deserted today was savanna not long time ago!
Walk on the sand which runs away under our steps is fatiguing and we appreciate the stage. Ritual tea, cooking some pancakes under the sand, the night comes fast and under the studed stars vault. Sid Hamed treats us by his traditional tales when the sleep catches us.
Sidi' Ahmed asks us to tell the soft naps where I deluded him with Irish melodies which I interpreted in the flute. The music does not tell, it listens to! This also will stay, I hope in the middle of all these memories which do not photograph, do not record, do not spell, but stay in the heart of each.

Thanks to Sid Hamed for this amazing discover of his country.

Philippe and Manu

Testimony of small travelers in the Adrar Mauritania

These first days of 2011, taking advantage of a sale flight of Point  Afrique, we spent one week in the region of Atar, region which we had already visited in 2006 and 2008, so we had marks and some contacts.


On the last ten years the region of Adrar had bet successfully on a development of the tourism of closeness (helped by of numerous NGO): hundreds of family or associative small companies were create, approximately 200 guides there among which 80 patentees of state with serious formations were operational. The whole to the satisfaction of the associative tour operators mainly. It is to notice that exept some track (or road) accidents, no major problem took place in the Adrar.

   In 2006 or 2007, Total obtained a concession of research on the east of Mauritania. At the beginning it was the dream: the track Atar / Ouadane (200 km) had to be tarred, guides hired by French received luxurious monthly payments about 500€. Very fast a Mauritanian manager right the ship and divided salaries by two. Since Total subcontract the massacre of the Erg Ourane (280 km east of Ouadane) to a Chinese company which hires without contract nor insurance at 100€. In case of disagreement the employees have two options: on the West the suburbs of Nouakchott (+ of 800Km) before trying to join Europe! Or it is AQMI in Mali!!

   On 2007 it is also the massacre near Aleg of 4 French by bandits (not Mauritanian) massacre claimed in posteriori by AQMI, Aleg is at 500Km (800 by the road) of Atar (would disadvise we a stay at Gerbier de jonc or at Pont de l'Arc if such event occurred in Biarritz, Nantes or Strasbourg). It is what made our clear-sighted and planning Ministry of Foreign Affairs by placing in red zone all the zones of prospecting of Total with in addition to the historic cities of Ouadane, Chinguetti and the crater of Gerb er Richat. Like all around the world, Total does not appreciate tourism!

   Result at the end of 2010: 80 % of reception facilities feel dormant for the best one, ruined for the worst , the track of Ouadane more execrable than ever because of sowing-trailers and other one doors-tanks of oil men.

    During our stay the regrettable and tragic kidnapping of Niamey: the quai d'Orsay widens its fatwa, it is true that Niamey is only in 1900Km (more or less the same incidence as Athens on Lyon).

   Further information: if the tourists are rare to Atar, it is not the case of the servicemen who secure the zones of prospecting, including 200 French (special operations) which we meet in town with 4x4 not registered.

   Positive note : Mauritanian make (how long) the difference enter French and the couple Total / quay of Orsay. During our stay, more than 50 people thanked us for having come in Adrar nevertheless.

   The last proof of the misunderstanding (or bad faith) of the ministry: on the advise for travelers, it is written that the country lacks cashpoint: in 2008 we used one in Nouakchott. At present 3 are in service to Atar and probably other one in Nouadhibou. I find deplorable what to satisfy a French oil group, we can sentence to the ruin a region of 60000 people by disadvising the sector, while Dakar and same Nouakchott are more dangerous zones (but the gangsters who officiate do not refer to AQMI there)

The 01/152011.

Louis & Bernadette

Last news : the flight we took to go back in France the 01/09/2011 was the last flight to Atar ! Point Afrique stop is activity.

A landscape varies and magnificent

Atar ,27,28 et 29/12/2011

 

    Freshness of the oasis of Terjit, the rocks of Zarga, the dunes of Chinguetti, huge panorama of the pass of Amogjar, bivouacs around the fire ...

Here are all the marvels which sid' ahmed made us discover.

But not only the landscapes, also the life of Mauritanian in the silence of the desert, their customs, their traditions, their history.

Also the identification of animals according to their tracks on the sand.

Also plants and them medicinal, nourishing virtues.....

The circuit was balanced with 4x4 trips (with Mohamed, well experimented driver) and hiking, the whole in a friendly atmosphere.

 

    Prevented only 2 days in advance, Sid' Ahmed really well organized this circuit with a view to give satisfaction and to please.

Pascale ,marie et vienney from France

Walk around Atar

On December 7^th, after breakfast, Sid'Ahmed took us out for a walk to one of the numerous oasis in the surroundings of Atar. By taking not the direct way to this oasis, we first reached the dry canyon south-west of Atar. Even more impressive than the already impressive landscape on the way – with dark, colorful, nicely shaped stones, mixed with bright sand full of many traces of a whole bunch of animals and the green of various plants – there, standing on the edge of the high platform of the canyon, one can not be any different than excited by the beauty of the desert. Running down on a steep “wall of sand” and into the gorge, we made our first short break in the shadow of palm trees whilst drinking the delicious Mauritanian tea. Refreshed we fallowed the canyon to where it opens to a valley and there it was: the oasis! Amazing, how it is possible, that water is coming out of the ground and that small fishes are swimming happily in the middle of a desert, in which you suppose no life at all. Covert by a big, shadow-giving rock and sitting beside the green water, we made a pick-nick, again accompanied by the obligatory tea. After an hour of rest and already slightly tired after more than 8 km of walk in the hot hot heat but also grown stronger by the food we ate, we commenced our way back to Atar – the sun now burning our backs. A taxi-driver, who crossed our way, was finally invitation enough to finish our trip a little bit earlier than we usually would have done and to relax in Sid'Ahmeds' Auberge Inimi. The drivers' lift reduced the distance we walked from more than 15 km to about 12 km. For me this half-day journey was definitely one of the highlights during my two months in West-Africa. Very, very impress and nice!