Tropic of Cancer Trans Saharan Crossing
 

Last year I heard that nobody has yet crossed the Sahara by travelling along the Tropic of Cancer.
Does anybody know if this is true ? I also heard that the Britsh Army tried and failed but I can't find any info on that either, there must be a book/website or something.

Cheers for any light on the subject.

How you getting on Paul?
Back in the UK?!
I'll get onto Laura, she'll have the contacts in the army to find out for you.
Geoff

Politics is the impediment for this sort of trip - border crossings are only allowed at certain places.

Two expeditions had a go at a latitudinal crossing: Saviem in the late 70s and Tom Sheppard with the British Army.
Tom has probably written up a detailed report for the RGS.

"Does anybody know if this is true ?"

Yes it is - and it is likely to remain so for the reasons given above.

As it happens there is a box on this topic in the new edition. At least four motorised expedtions have undertaken lateral desert crossings since the 60s - some did better than others.

Ch

PS - http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/001216.html

[This message has been edited by Chris Scott (edited 03 June 2004).]

Thanks for that everybody,

The question's been eating me since I heard the story about the 101's in Senegal last year.

I couldn't understand why it hadn't been done, didn't consider political reasons too much.

Thans again.

Paul,

I spoke to one the expedition leaders of the army crossing of Spitzbergen, he said as far as he knows it was done and the leader wrote a book called 'Roof of Africa',
I found the following synopsis on Amazon:
Synopsis
The story of the 40,000 mile expedition across Africa undertaken by the Welsh Guards led by John Warburton-Lee.

Could make interesting reading.
Geoff