A 1970 landrover and a motorcycle want to do this route soon but do not have the waypoints. All we have is atar to tidjikja and tidjikja to nema from sahara overland. But not atar to tichit directly.
Is a 1970 landrover able to do this piste? How about the one from atar to tidjikja to nema?

Hi,

basicaly, a Landrover from 1960 is able todo it - provided the crew is very experienced and skilled and the car is well matained, spares and skills to repair almost everything are availabe... A swb 4x4 is likely to be overloaded for the trip.
Don't underestimate the soft sand towards Tichit.

BUT: in summer with only 1 4x4 and a bike it is very, risky to try it, especially if the crew has no experience with similar situations.

My recommandation: If you need waypoints feel able to do it, forget it, even Atar-Tidjikja.

All best, Yves

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Yves

Yves is of course talking sense.

There has been some chat here lately from beginners planning on doing summertime trips into the Saharan interior and one day when someone inexperienced pushes on despite the conditions it's going to end in tears. An old car (even if it was the best in its day) and a motorcycle attempting to go cross-country from Atar to Tichit (which is really a village) and then on to Nema - and expecting GPS to pave the way - could end up as the sort of scenario that Discovery Channel woman is looking for.

The 'yes but it's my summer holidays' reason was one commonly given by students who set off across the Hoggar piste to Niger in the 80s in an old 504 never to be seen again... It is said most years around 70 people went missing in Alg alone (probably mostly locals, to be fair). We may get the 'sure it was hot but we managed' replies and I've tried it myself attempting to lengthen the season but (especially on a bike) travel at these times becomes a matter of endurance rather than enjoyment.

IME your first time in the Sahara is tough enough in the cool season without adding the stresses of summertime heat on you and your machine. We are all keen for adventure but don't forget this is the Sahara we are talking about.

Ch

http://www.sahara-overland.com and http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com

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Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

I won't comment on the general issue about travelling this piste, as it has already been done by Yves and Chris S.

However if you are committed to doing this piste, whilst I don't actually have the points from Atar to Tichit, there definately should be at least some form of piste that goes directly between the two, as it was used in 13th stage of the 1999 Dakar. According to the Dakar history, the piste is 548kms long.

http://www.dakar.com/2008/DAK/presen...79_2006_us.pdf

With a bit of digging you may be able to find these somewhere. I don't think the points are in Cyril Ribas's book GPS au Mauritanie, although i could be proved wrong as I don't have it with me........ I think your best bet to find these would be on one of the French saharan forums

cheers

there definately should be at least some form of piste that goes directly between the two, as it was used in 13th stage of the 1999 Dakar.

Dont want to go on but we should be careful about the use of the word piste. I understand and use it to mean a regularly-used and recognised track. I have not done Atar/Ching to Tidj (R10) but would classify that as a piste even though I hear it can be hard work. Tidj to Nema (R11) was not a piste when I did it in 1988 but it may be more used and clearer now.

What the Dakar did 8 years ago I would not classify as a piste - they go where they like and frequently add 'sporty' excursions to decimate the field and save on the catering. I doubt if any traces of their '99 passage remain - it's essentially a cross country route where you would be better off reading the ground not Dakar waypoints. According to the Dakar pdf maps we crossed the 2005 route in eastern Mori only a year later but I can tell you we saw no tracks going anywhere until well into Mali.

One should also note that over 60% DNF'd the Dak that year and 3 bike stages were flown over. A great pdf but follow deep desert Dakar routes at your peril - they are usually not pistes.

Ch

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Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

Let's say I don't recommend it but I know at least another crew who did this on a Series II on August 2005 (three persons, one car).

I renew the suggestion to consider very carefully what you're doing and not to overestimate your skill (or underestimante the risk).

You can find the track logs on this site, though (requires registration):

TraX v0.8.9

Cheers,
Mario