Excellent stuff here for me - wonderful, thankyou. Am getting it together now and looks like the best and safest course is to get my camels shipped up from Niger into Algeria - am in discussions to see if this is possible. Otherwise will simply buy there. The whole Kidal region I am reluctant to chance, Chris you are dead right about the area from Menaka to Tillia being the centre of the 90's activity, and it still is. One of my ex guides is based in Kidal and he says I woul dhave great difficulty in persuading anyone to walk that area with me - it is teeming with scurrilous activity just now. Although I am not worried about the Tuareg involved in the rebellion - most of my ex-guides in the region fall into this category - activity of that kind usually means an increase in other, less honourable characters, and that kind of excitement I can do without.

Love your suggested route Chris, and it follows my own thinking. Have suddenly shifted up a gear and decided to make this thing work for September, after months of indecision and concern over borders. Egypt and Libya have both said definitively Saloum is now the only crossing - I had hoped for Siwa, but not possible. It is a long way out of my general direction and I will have to take an armed escort on the other side, but I would rather know I can cross and be covered, no matter how far out of the way, than run into difficulties.

Now it is all down to good planning. Thankyou very much for your detailed and incredibly helpful suggestions, and I will keep you posted.

Cheers
Paula

latest from niger..
 

Niger is considering - looking positive - allowing me to come back in and collect my camels, then walk them back into Mali, and on into Algeria from there. I would infinitely prefer moving the camels North into Algeria from where they are, but like this I can collect all of my baggage, and also my footsteps remain unbroken (pedantic, but there you are). This puts me back into walking North in Mali, near Kidal, which I know is a major issue. But I am excited about having the camels, and I know a lot of Tuareg from the Kidal region who will look after me - and besides, just having the walk back without missing a step will be brilliant.
Chris, this will put me back into crossing at Tessalit - Bordj Mokhtar, and then basically following the route you mentioned before, except I would have thought to go North of Tam? Do you see any issues with this (Algerian side) - The Malian side I can deal with.

Thanks.

Hi,
Tessalit - Bordj Mokhtar should be no problem for you backed up by your Mali friends, the border is open.
From there you could walk directly to Tam but there is no grazing ground for the camels or water and landscape is flat and dull (Tanezrouft). I would consider it more interesting to walk towards the Ahnet region which is beautifull landscape and there are still Tuareg nomads (about 400km without grazing ground and water). From there to Teffedest or Immidir as you like. I agree with Chris that the old piste towards Bordj Omar Dris would be very beautifull but I doubt that you will be allowed to go north of Illizi, except following roads. If permitted I would try to cross Erg Issaouane to Ohanet (following the gassi). But the most realistic it to enter Libya at Tin Alkoum ( Djanet-Ghat).

Head for Ahnet for sure. Actually there was a well a couple of hours from BBM. But not much to eat at all.

..."Out of Bordj we spent the night among the dunes near Ifaleg wells (not on the Mich map) where we saw a large camel train leaving after being watered. I never imagined camels out in the utterly barren Tanezrouft ..."
from a 2006 S-File.

To enter Libya at Tin Alkoum would not be so bad at all. All the Fezzan is ahead of you.

Ch

I would love to enter Libya at this point, but was under the impression that this crossing was closed?

There has been a change in the contact I was using in Libya - the Austrade representative who has been so helpful has left his post, and Australia now has an official Ambassador there, who I think has more commitments and less time for chicks with camels, so my information is not as reliable.

I was going to contact Arkno tours - have read a few unpleasant posts on here about them, any word?

I appreciated also Andras' comments and contact in Egypt, which I will follow up. I am very interested in a possible crossing at Siwa, even if it involves enough paperwork to sink a camel. I had never intended to walk south of here - although I am fascinated by the idea, I will be both exhausted at that point and it is fundamentally extraneous to what I am doing. That is a whole expedition for another time.

One last - when the visa is acquired for Algeria, is it possible to have extended stay period - ie: 90 days or more?

Regards
Paula

Just to clarify, Yves, I am confused about the mention of Djanet/Tin Alkoum and Ghadames as being the same crossing, as unless I have it all wrong they are some miles apart...I was understanding that only the border at Deb Deb and Ghadames is open?

Hi Paula, unless you known better for sure I dont beieve Deb Deb is any more open for tourists then Tin Alkoum. I've heard of tourists getting through Tin Alkoum in good years but never through Deb Deb.
TA would b a much more interesting route through Libya, if you have a choice.

You can get 90-day visas, at least in London, esp if you explain your mode of transport.

Ch

Thanks Chris.

I understand from what you are saying that the border with Libya is to all intents and purposes closed, just as it was when I initially disregarded the idea of detouring through Algeria this time last year. Is it simply a case of pot luck at the border, and the goodwill of locals? Equally, if I enter Libya in the Never Never and have a valid visa for the country in my passport, leaving it until I get to a military post, is it likely that i would simply be turned back? One of my problems is that I rarely cross borders in the usual places. I will take this up with authorities, but am interested in your thoughts.

Cheers
Paula

the border with Libya is to all intents and purposes closed.
These days, with Algeria and for tourists, yes. But a connected Libyan agency could possibly open doors. Not having a car and all the associated papers makes it less difficult.

Is it simply a case of pot luck at the border, and the goodwill of locals?
In West Africa maybe but in Libya, as far as tourists are concerned, I don't think so.


Equally, if I enter Libya in the Never Never and have a valid visa for the country in my passport, leaving it until I get to a military post, is it likely that i would simply be turned back?

You will have to sort it out with the agency that organises your invite. I imagine the visa will require a date and a recognised entry point complete with forms and men in hats. These days AFAIK in Libya that is only Ras Ajdir in the west and Saloum or whatever it's called in the east. As in Algeria, if you disregard regs it's the agency who also get in trouble/lose their license. It's not like turning up at an outback Mali border where you can talk/pay your way out of it.

One of my problems is that I rarely cross borders in the usual places.

Well these days with Al Qaeda of the Mahgreb knocking about you will need a good reason not to. We did a big west-east crossing a couple of years ago (with cars) and took liberties with border regs out of Mori, across Mali and even into Algeria where we got lucky and got right up to the Libyan border. Carrying on east in the same gung-ho manner into Libya would have ended badly at the first checkpoint.

Your very first step is to make contact with a Libyan operator and see what they can do. Then the Alg side will be relatively easy to organise.

Ch

Try this guy in Ghadames (in French - never met him but sounds like could even be a desert & camel man, not a northerner).
You'd think he'll know about Deb Deb for sure.

Aboubaker Aboukassen
abukas2000 At yahoo dot com