Trans Africa expedition 6 Tamanrasset

On 22nd February, my birthday, we crossed the border into Algeria and camped on the outskirts of Taghit, an oasis town. The oasis blesses Taghit with green fields and palm trees, but behind the town rise huge 150m high sand dunes which form the edge of the Grand Erg Occidental. The endless, shifting sands of the sand sea were how we all had imagined the Sahara! From Taghit we spent several days driving south through thousands of kilometers of desert to In Salah and onto Tamanrasset.

 Tamanrasset, at a latitude of 22 degrees, is in the extreme south of Algeria in the foothills of the majestic Hoggar Mountains. The well known desert community is frequented by the noble Tuareg nomads. We were now deep in the heart of the Sahara dessert. From Tamanrasset we hired Toyota Land Cruisers for a tour of the Hoggar Mountains National Park. The tour was spectacular and we spent the night in the secluded mountain hermitage of Pere de Foucauld. The morning sunrise against the pinnacles of the Hoggar mountains was quite unforgettable.
Gavin & Co.
foto: Janin
(to be continued)