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Atbara - Wadi Halfa road condition Atbara - Wadi Halfa road condition
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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
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Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #1  
Old 28 Jan 2009
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Atbara - Wadi Halfa road condition
Hello, does anyone have an info about this road? Is it paved now? Im wating for the Sudanese visa in Addisa.

Thanks
Alex
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  #2  
Old 30 Jan 2009
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Hello there, I'm afraid the lack of any response is probably a good indication of the condition of the 'road'. I have no first hand info, but as far as I know the 'road' is no more than a series of tracks loosely following the railroad. I'm not sure how old the GE photos of the area are, but the high resolution areas are no more than 2-3 years, here is a good overview of one area of the 'road'
Google Maps

They are paving the road skirting the Nile valley though, last I've heared it is ready till about Dongola. However if the road is not properly maintained, in that environment the trucks and the desert soon reduce it to rubble, and it is back to tracks parallel to the 'road' again...
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Old 30 Jan 2009
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Not paved
Paved from Atbarra to Dongola and then an unpaved stretch of about 80 kms up to Wadi, locals do it in 2wds and trucks so not too much of a challenge.
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  #4  
Old 30 Jan 2009
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Smile Sudan - roads and pistes 2007/2008
hi Alex

look at these pictures taken 1 year ago
Wüstenschiff :: Thema anzeigen - Sudan - von Wadi Halfa nach Khartum

have a good trip!

Ursula

btw - Andras is on the railway piste to Abu Hamed
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  #5  
Old 30 Jan 2009
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Yes, perhaps I did not make myself perfectly clear (also was not certain from your question). There are two routes, one from Atbara via Abu Hamed direct to Wadi Halfa along the railway track, the other the Nile valley route, that cuts accross the loop of the Nile from Atbara to Merowe. The former is much shorter, the latter longer but paved to 2/3 way.
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Old 30 Jan 2009
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Railway route
Don't attempt the railway route on a bike without support, there is no one out there except at Station 6. Big parts there is no road, just sand dunes. The sand gets really soft in places and there is no water or fuel. It is great fun in a vehicle though.
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Old 30 Jan 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JeanVisser View Post
Don't attempt the railway route on a bike without support, there is no one out there except at Station 6. Big parts there is no road, just sand dunes. The sand gets really soft in places and there is no water or fuel. It is great fun in a vehicle though.
Thanks guys! I got an Egyptian visa today. Hope to get a Sudanese one next week. The good news is the letter from my embassy is not required now. I did 26000 km and 20 countries around Africa, and I have had enough off-road experience.

Alex
Addis Ababa
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Old 31 Jan 2009
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Sudan
Alex,

just one thing before you leave Addis, we could do our Sudanese Tourist registration on the Ethiopia/Sudan border (I think it was $60 per person or something like that) but take a $100 note to change money to Sudanese pounds, they don't take $20 or $50 notes. Alternatively you can change Bir to Sudanese pounds on the Ethiopian side.

Enjoy, Gonder is really nice and the hospitality of the Nubian people along the road is just amazing! I am jealous!
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Old 31 Jan 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Rubtsov View Post
Hello, does anyone have an info about this road? Is it paved now? Im wating for the Sudanese visa in Addisa.

Thanks
Alex
Hi Alex
wish you a safe trip crossing the Nubian desert
please try to get lots of info about roads in north Sudan as its some thing lots of bikers wants to know about it ,
if you will make it to Alexandria (Egypt ) sure you can pass by and stay for few days ,will be glad to host you . and to hear your stories about Africa
as I'm planning to do the east coast by next October inshaallah
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