Direct route from Nema to Timbouctou

[smokinrider]

ill be in mauri mid late jan, want to get to tombuktu love to hook up with anyone else heading in that direction especially. pm me with dates and locations, im leaving uk tomorow. cheers

[Matt Roach]

I never ended up doing this piste last year as I headed south instead of east, but plan on heading directly from Nema to Timbuktu (not via Nara) in Jan 08. In addition to the points listed previously on this post, I have the following waypoints:

N16.08.057 W 6.50.200 - between Nema and Bassikouno

N16.00.206 W 5.47.404 - 50km SE of Mali border near Bassikouno

N16.21.917 W4.33.043 - Lerneb

N16.45.636 W 3.00.323 - Timbuktu

Does anyone else have anymore detailed waypoints for this route?

cheers

[Jose Brito]

Hi,


Here are some some extra-coordinates that I've collected last Januray.


Cheers,
José


Km N E Description
0 16 36.667 -7 16.763 Exit of Nema. Leave paved road to a fast piste heading south over a reg alternated with sandy areas
21 16 26.800 -7 19.800 Pre-paved road over floodplain
27 16 24.100 -7 20.500 Piste turns E/SE
76 16 16.500 -6 59.100 Bangou village. Piste is now sandier and heads SE
96 16 9.300 -6 52.100 Exit of small village and Kir wells
112 16 4.000 -6 45.700 Exit of Kataouane village
130 16 2.100 -6 36.700 Gneiba el Mazroufa village at right but keep E
143 16 2.400 -6 30.600 Piste progressively harder turns SE. Police checkpoint within 1km
157 15 58.800 -6 24.600 Hard piste
171 15 54.200 -6 18.500 Top of hill. Keep E/SE in sandy piste
194 15 53.700 -6 6.200 Top of hill. Piste still sandy
216 15 51.100 -5 55.400 Exit of Bassikounou. Turn right to firm sandy piste heading SE
237 15 43.300 -5 47.200 Piste sandy but firm heading SE
252 15 37.300 -5 44.200 Exit of Koussana village
266 15 30.700 -5 35.000 Exit of Medala village
284 15 33.100 -5 31.300 Fassale village. If exit formalities from Mauritania were not fulfilled in Nema, there are police and douane checkpoints in the village
296 15 31.360 -5 29.650 Exit of Douamkara village. Piste heads NE over floodplain
305 15 33.030 -5 24.410 Mali border post after Faita village
322 15 35.700 -5 17.300 Alfess well at left
337 15 39.200 -5 10.400 Exit of Boundoubadi village. Hard and fast piste
360 15 43.600 -4 59.000 Small village. Well at left
309 15 42.600 -4 54.600 Lere. Douane and police checkpoint
427 15 44.600 -4 32.200 Passage through dam wall
443 15 46.950 -4 25.320 Passage through dam wall
450 15 48.230 -4 21.980 Passage through dam wall
461 15 50.940 -4 17.530 Passage through dam wall
482 15 54.360 -4 8.380 Passage through dam wall
498 15 55.500 -4 0.000 Exit of Niafunke. Fast piste
509 15 57.700 -3 55.430 Passage through dam wall
543 16 8.000 -3 45.200 After crossing the river turn left at Douane checkpoint and follow pre-paved road
667 16 46.520 -3 0.730 Tombouctou

[Jose Brito]

The above coordinates are as follows:

1st column: km
2nd column: latitude degrees
3rd column: latitude minutes
4th column: longitude degress
5th column: longitude minutes
6th column: description of waypoint

Cheers,
José

[Matt Roach]

Jose, you are an absolute legend!

If we ever meet on the road, i will definately buy you a few s!

Two minor questions:

1. I had thought this piste was only about 550 kms - did you take any specific detours to get to 667 kms?
2. I assume there is no fuel on this route - did you see any villages selling any fuel from containers on the piste?

cheers

[Jose Brito]

Hi Matt,

1. I had thought this piste was only about 550 kms - did you take any specific detours to get to 667 kms?

At the exit of Nema and around the border of Mauritania-Mali we were trying to find the correct piste. This should represent about 10 km extra (15 km at the most). Don't know about this 117 km diference.....


2. I assume there is no fuel on this route - did you see any villages selling any fuel from containers on the piste?

There is fuel from drums in Bassikonou for sure. After Lere there is fuel in every large village.



If you can came to Mauritania in late October, we could check out that !



Cheers,
José

[Zoltar14]

Mapsource says it's 570km, so that is closer to 550.
I noticed two of your waypoints seemed to be off course. That's wp 2 and 3.
Anyway, thanks a milllion for the wps.