Mauri-Mali border and Tichit-Oualata route
 

Hi folks,

we depart 3 weeks today! Fly to Ireland to collect our Land Cruiser then driving to Azougui Mauritania to get married Nov.15. Why there? Well, much to that story - some details here: Sahara Bound

Two questions:

1. the website Africa Border Monitor reports that the Mauri/Mali border is closed. I had heard that Mauri was restricting entry from Mali, but what about the other direction? Any one have any recent intel about entering Mali? We will be coming south from Nema.

2. After getting wed in Azougui, we plan to visit Ouadane, then head south from Chinguetti to Tidjikja, then take route through Tichit and Oualata to Nema. Has anyone traversed this recently? Has there been any AQIM or other concerns reported? Any perspectives at all?

Oh ya, one last question: any recent intel on getting Mauri visa in Rabat? Is turn around still same day? We have one day set aside for this and figure overall may be safer bet than at the border.

Thanks in advance!

Rick & Justine

I get a feeling the border on the Nema-Nara route may be closed to tourists - or had been recently. Though it's far to the east, worth knowing that AQIM seem to be having a bit of a resurgence in north Mali now the French have left it to the UN (or so I read).

Maybe you know all this and are very experienced, but I also would not tackle the 800-km Tidjikja to Nema alone, even with waypoints and track logs. Others who've done it more recently may also have a view - perhaps the piste is clearer than in my day, but then again I've not heard it being done in recent years since Nema was briefly on the AQIM front line. (fyi: a post and interesting video about Nemadi dog hunters out of Oualata here).

See how you get on with with Chinguetti (or better, Atar) to Tidjikja. I heard there was a road being put in. I am sure guides are easy enough to find in Tidjikja for Nema.

Ch

Hi Chris,

thanks for the response. This is our first trip to Sahara, but I have a lot of off-road experience from US/Canada. I know, not the same, but hopefully helpful. A friend did the route last year in a Land Rover, but had a guide. If Nema/Nara is closed, then back through Ayoun el Atrous?

I do have waypoints, a few GPS units, IGN 200k maps, and extraction gear. I expect the recent storm may have changed the landscape a bit.

Thanks for the link to the italy video - Oualata does look very cool!

Rick

Mauri visa in Rabat
 

Just on your question about a visa in Rabat. I'll be aiming to get one in Rabat on Oct 20th and believe it can be done in a day. I'll try and remember to update this with how I got on...

Hi Rick, it's not uncommon to plan big but do small in the Sahara. Initially the reality of setting off into 100s of miles of desert alone can be intimidating.

You will find a track log for Atar-Tidjikja here. There isn't one on there for Nema. I suppose your Land Rover friend will know best on that route. Good to know Nema is accessible via Tichit now.

In my experience in sandy areas, the whole 'sandstorm changing the landscape' idea is unfounded - I have navigated through complex ergs using 50-year-old IGN 200s and the Dhar Tichit piste is (annoyingly) grassy, so even less mobile. Big dunes hardly move and in small dunes a map of little use.

A guide can take away a lot of the route finding stress, leaving your free to look around. We wouldn't have have got 100km without out guide on Dhar Tichit, but that was before GPS.

Ch

Hi,

I got my Mauri visa within a day in Rabat.

I applied on Oct 8 at about 9.30 am and collected my passport at 2 pm the same day.

Borneoman

thanks Borneoman! Jim, looking forward to your report as well.

Chris, indeed we will see how we fare after getting to Tidjikja. Thanks for the link to the track logs. I had found that before and Google translate helps... good thing coords are universal!

Regarding GPS coords for the route to Tichit/Oualata, are yours from page 485 of Sahara Overland still good? I would assume so. I haven't found any others. I do have the IGN 200k maps as well.

As an aside, just found out that World Nomads has pulled insurance coverage for Mali. Not sure what prompted that - looking at options.

Rick

Hi Rick,

done Chingetti -Oualata about 4 years ago alone. Waypoints from Gerhard Goettler and Jose Brito are very o.k.


http://www.wuestenschiff.de/phpbb/fr...11-t44819.html


Greetings
Ferdi

thanks Ferdi!

What type of vehicle were you in? Any issues/concerns along the way?

I tried to find the GPS coords from the infolink you provided but could not find them. Do you know of another source?

cheers, Rick

There is allways the alternative Tidjikja, Kiffa, Tintane, Nema.

Both ar on the T4A map, no idea how actual they are.

We have been there in 2009, didn't record any of it at that time......:(

GRTZ,

JP

Same for me.




Gary
www.longbikeride.co.uk

Hi rick,

send me an email-adress, I will send you the waypoints.

Cheers
Ferdi

In my database I found some tracklogs till Nema. Just a small part missing.

If you are interested please sent pm.

GRTZ,

JP

Nema - Nara is definitely open and I don't recall it being dlosed for the past two years. The Mauris will impose a gendarmerie escort though (free of charge). If you prefer to do it alone, take Timbedgha - Adel Bagrou - Nara instead. Or - even better - Timbedgha - Bou Chteila - Nara.

You get Mauri visa on the border - two photos and exact amount of euros needed.

PS
A month ago I met a dutch couple in Bamako, who just returned from their wedding trip to Timbuctu - is this becoming a trend? bier

Mauri visa in Rabat
 

Just been down to the Mauritanian embassy in Rabat this morning. There were only about a dozen people waiting filling forms at 08:45. If you knocked on the visa door the guy gave you a form, even before the 9 AM opening. The form is not too difficult to fill in and does not need much info on the back. I filled in a few bits at the back but left it to the guy to point out what else needed filling. He made me repeat an address from the front of the form and then accepted it.

He wanted form filed, passport, copy of passport, 2 passport photos, and 340 diram. He says the visa will be ready by 2 PM but the guys outside said that because there so few people it may be ready around 1. I'll go out around then and see.