This seems such an odd tragedy. As Chris says it would be pretty difficult to stray from the tracks at the normal border point - last couple of times I've made this crossing we were queuing behind silver-haired tourists in motorhomes or towing caravans!

In December there was even a herd of camels roaming unattended in no-mans land which made me think the mine risk was overstated - perhaps not the case.

I think it would be appropriate to clarify the exact location of this accident. It can't be the place most of us would identify with the familiar locations at the border.

When I did the last crossing in 2006 on the way south via Bou Lanouar, it was so uneventful (except coaches and camper vans stuck in sand) that it's hard to imagine it would be a dangerous place. People were using different paths across the no-man's land and some of them were even camping there.

Look up the location on google earth and you will see that the track is clearly visible even from space:

End of tarmac in Morocco
21°21'42.82"N , 16°57'38.11"W

Start of tarmac in Mauritania
21°19'59.97"N , 16°56'48.71"W

>I think it would be appropriate to clarify the exact location of this accident. >It can't be the place most of us would identify with the familiar locations at >the border.

If the original news report map which Javier posted is accurate, it looks like they strayed a few Km off to the East. Perhaps to explore or maybe there was one hell of a storm. Very odd.

Hi Roman,
the road we took (looking now at G.E.) is without any doubt that seen on sat image. the only little hassle is to be "lost" in the car-repair area, just feew meters West before tho border control.
Maybe they reached the camp-site? (1.6 km East) above the Mori border control, and from that they took to East (a clear sand track is visible too) to rejoin the old Spanish Road.
Why? no one says......... :-(

Ciao
Ag

Hi .
This tragic incident seems the horrible result of :

a: being unfamiliar with the border

b: Listening/pay atention to the hustlerss..


The track from Mor to Mauritnaia is mostly a North ->South track .After 1km approximately (going to Mauritania ) , there is a Junction . Most vehicles should take the left Branche -which seems to lead to a scrapyard- but just border it . After this scrapyard , keep on going South until reaching the Spanish Road.

The Spanish Road is the Actual border beetween Mauritania and Morocco . It is a 1 meter wide tarmac road which goes westwards towards La Guira (Moroccan side of Nouadibou peninsulae) and eastwards towarsd some off-limits military camps.

You should NEVER EVER DRIVE ON THE SPANISH ROAD other than the short strech shown in the route.

By the time you reach the Spanish Road (BLACK) , the Mauritanian new border post should be visible .No difficulties whatsoever.

It should be pointed that this route (the White-one) is perfectly doable in any car (Id say even a Minicooper or a Smart). No difficulties at all .




The big problem is when going North . For whichever reason , Mauritanians let hustlers in the actual border posts ,and they will give you misleading hints about how to get to Moroccan side . Some of them will dissorient you on purpose , leading you to the east (no need to ) , and getting lost in the maze of tracks going nowehere there . Its then when they ask you for some cash to "lead you trhought the mines "

If you just follow the tracks (as 100s of vehicles do every day ) there 's no need to use any guide at all .Id say actually that going with a guide (trhought non-tracks, so they can justify their fees ) is more risky than simply following the tracks.


Regarding the land mine incident , I am afraid that the whole thing was simply a scam went wrong . From time to time , hustlers "guides" try to conn some people triying to convince them that the only way to morocco is "throught the minefield" charging some serious money for that . It was the case until 5 years ago in which mauritanian decided to open the border normally (as is now ). Even now , From time to time , in Nouadibou you find some clever dudes triying to convince you that they know the "way throught the minefield" , basicly scamming you to use the services of a guide when in reality there's absolutely no need for that , as the border is open , and the tracks are clear .

They ussually lead you to the remote east , to cross over a real minefield (been there , I could even see and picture a few landmines ) so you are happy paying cash for the unvaluable help and expertise . Some people fall for this . But Sadly in this particular case ,the whole thing went very very wrong .

To disipate any further doubts about the REAL track .. this is a google map outline of the Good(White) track , the Sandi (but equally safe) track -red - , the Spanish Road (-Black) ,. and the borderposts.



http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/7479/tracklpe7.jpg


http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/2...ac1zoomro6.jpg

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/9...ck2zoomgh9.jpg


Pls note that the CORRECT route is the WHITE one . The RED one is also mine -free (and has been the route for years ago ) but Its has got very sandy , and really difficult to drive on . Even landrovers get stuck there . The WHITE is much much better . But there are NO landMines neither the RED or the WHITE.

Whereas the BLACK is simply the Spanish Road , which is tecnhically the oficial border beetween Morocco and Mauritania . Westwards get up to La Guira (off limits , althought I been there :) ) and eastwards leads to to the emptiness of the Mauri/Moro border + LandMines.

hi ..I got the waypoints for all these things should someone is interested in .

Madrid_Capetown (at a ) Hot Mail (dot) Com.

Thanks Roman for the waypoints and Javier for the maps.

Seems like I must have done the white one last October, though I think a money changing Merc led us down it to his lair by the 'scrapyard'. From there it was a short hop to the Mori buildings though I don't recall the Spanish Road (in the convoy days it was advised to follow the Spanish Road to 'Le Bouchon' rail crossing - but this was the Spanish Road well south of the border heading to La Guerra and obviously it was not mined. From what people say below clearly the northern section along the border is mined, as is the whole border).

Regarding the land mine incident , I am afraid that the whole thing was simply a scam went wrong ...

Well if the description of tandempics is correct, it was not a scammer that led them to their doom (they had no guide) but the final example of their own bloody-mindedness.
In the convoy days when South-North was not completely legit, I know people who were led into the eastern minefields deliberately by guides. If it really still goes on these days with the now straightforward crossing, then I would agree with Jav - taking a guide for S-N could be more risky than DIY.
We all now have the maps and the waypoints to do it safely.

Chris S

article translation (in a hurry!)
 

Sunday 4th Feb 2007 a vehicle acarrying 2 French people struck an anti-tank mine and three anti personel mines in the international zone separating Mauritania and Morocco.
The anti tank mine exploded at the back of the vehicle. The explosion catapulted the Nissan Patrol 15 meters and destroyed the vehicle completely.
The passenger, aged 61, died of an internal haemorrage. The driver escaped with facial burns.
Both were returning from Togo and had just visited the Banc d'Arguin.
They wanted to use the Old Spanish Road using their GPS points. What with the wind and moving sands, the driver lost his way in the international zone and circled to retrace his own tracks. It was at this moment that they went over the mines. "Both sides of the Old Spanish road and some of the tarmac are mined- some are visible to the eye" said Abdi Ould Ahmed , spokesperson for the HAMAP Assoc. (Halte to anti personnel mines) who is responsible for land mine removal.
The accident happened approx 1,5 Km North East from the Mauritanian border control in the international zone- as such, no military personnel from either side attended. It was 'Jo public' who were camping in the zone who took the wounded man to hospital in Nouadhibou.
Three weeks prior to this incident, a camel stepped on a mine. Last November a child was seriously wounded by a mine 40 Kms north of Tmelmichat.
The only advice- stay on the correct piste.
I can also send my tracks in .gdb format if anyone would like them.
bertrand3030 'AT' yahoo 'DOT' co 'DOT' uk
The ground surface is well dug up by endless traffic and a mess when it rains. The rocky part is a doddle.

In January 2006 I took the red "old" route and it was not difficult with Defender. There were some patches of soft sand that may stop small cars but I saw one guy did it with touristic camper.

Daedalus Films,

Here's a job cut out for you and a way to finally contribute something useful to this forum.
You have a chance to do us all the service by going there and sending us your track points.

Exciting, isn't it? The most dangerous place on earth with you on camera!

If some of the tarmac of the Spanish Road is mined, then is it still safe to take the route shown on the google maps that were posted in this thread?

Of course it is, that's why he posted it! Read the threads carefully - all the info you need is there. There are even GPS points for the start and end points a few kms apart.

This stuff is pretty important....

Actually it's not because the crossing is so simple many of us wonder what happened. Despite reassurances, you are over-reacting to a fatal accident that was, we have been told in detail, caused by a reckless driver tragically going his own way.

Remember, scores of people take this crossing every day without drama and when you do so you will wonder what all the fuss was about. If you are still worried, do the crossing with someone who has done it before.

Chris S

A description of the route You will find here:

www.desert-info.ch :: Thema anzeigen - MA-RIM - Niemandsland/No man's land/Zone neutre

Allways no blasts

Ulrich

Regarding the "Spanish Road"

Obviously the tarmac itself is not mined ! :). the mines are either side of the road , but not in the Tarmac itself. and there are no mines at least at couple kilometers eastwards .


Given the overall confussion on that area , if you Give me one day *(today I am really busy in the office ) Tomorrow I ll make an absolutely detailed , clear map of the area . Including the spanish road , the Moroccan Border , Mauritania Border , former routes (bivaq->Bouchon) and the current route . I ll mark also the mined areas (which are not random , they follow some pattern and logic !! ) . I know the story of the road, and the area surrounding it insideout , so I ll be very happy to do a clear map

Javier .

but until I get ready that map// here are the mined , and mine-free areas . I think is self-explaining

Blue line Moroccan actual border
Yellow Line Mauritanian border

Black road in beetween is the infamous spanish road

and that gap in the mines from the mauritanian borderpost to the northeast is the old "smugglers" track . -, every seller of 504s knows it :) , he he -

basicly following the recommended , normal track from one border to another you are as safe as it gets.There are no mines whatsoever remotely near the track . No need to worry .

But some people (and I did the first time ) confuse the spanish road (the one in the middle )_ with the road to nouadiubou (as It goes south also ) . WRONG . If you take the spanish road westwards (and then southwards ) you end up in a hellish minefield . The road itself is mine-free but you can even see unexploted mines just 3-4 metres from the tarmac ! . This is serious .

before , in the gold old times of the convoy ,Bivaq and Bouchon ... the procedure was to follow the Spanish road until "Le Bouchon" (sleep there , etc.. etc. )

now basicly there 's no need to drive on the spanish road other than 20 o 30 metres , just as one gets closer to the mauritanian border posts.

You have a good day
Javier


http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/826/minasmg6.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/4135/overallgy7.jpg

Hello all,

I have included in my forum downloadable tracks and ...

Have a look: www.desert-info.ch :: Thema anzeigen - MA-RIM - Niemandsland/No man's land/Zone neutre

Best regards

Ulrich