border western sahara - mauritania

[chapati]

hello there,

i am new here. this website seems a great source of information. here is my question;

i am planning a trip by car from Europe to Gambia. it's not my intention to go off-road, since i have a normal peugeot passenger car. i've heard that recently the road from nouadhibou to nouackshott is aphalted in total. my question is about the bordercrossing into Mauritania. i have heard that from western sahara there is 2 kilometers of sand untill mauritania (where the new asphalt begins, I guess near Nouadhibou). there are a lot of mines in the area. i also heard that there are a lot of different sandroads in different directions from there. is mauritania/nouadhibou signposted from there? or should i better take a guide? i wouldn't like to drive on a mine or something (i don't know how high that risk is, but I'd better be careful).

any reply is much appreciated, thx.

[kaspars]

this has been discussed before...
yes, 2-3 kms stony, sandy piste, with some deviations, but pretty straightforward, just follow your sense and biggest ruts. Guide not necessary, but they might turn up, and say something different, esp, when they see you are newbie... Mines? If you stay on the track, what could possibly happen? This year I watched group of posh French motorhomes crossing it, if they could, should not be problem for anybody...

[chapati]

Originally Posted by kaspars

Guide not necessary, but they might turn up, and say something different, esp, when they see you are newbie... Mines? If you stay on the track, what could possibly happen?

hi kaspars,
thx for your info. well that's exactly my point. there are mines there but i don't know how far from the road:confused1: . btw how would a guide notice that you are a newbie? I don't print it on the car or on my forehead

I ask about the mines because I don't know if a track on a piste is always visable (especially in a sandstorm I have an imagination). I actually never seen one so I don't know. I have been in several different deserts but never saw sandtracks (I never drove by car/motorcycle through the desert, only by camel....I know its too touristy). thx for any reply....

Cheers

[palace15]

Hi I followed the 06 Dakar and for the sand/stone crossing I just followed everyone else, make sure they ARE heading into Mauri as on the way back I followed a Merc van and thought he was taking a strange route only to realise he was going to a remote settlement! Lucky for me he dropped off some supplies and headed back into Western Sahara with me following. Warning take the Diamma 100km off road (easy route) into Senegal AVOID ROSSO at all costs, I was warned but an Harley riding companion would not ride offroad..... he did I later find out take Diamma for the return!! The Nouad/Nouak road in 06 was 'perfect' although caution had to be taken on a bike as sand had often been blown across the road and was between 6 and 18 inches deep and stretched often between 5 and 30 yards...not pleasant to hit at speed

[moggy 1968]

As you cross the border from western sahara, head left up onto a slight rise, here the ground is rockier. there is soft sand in the dip. if you get into sand, don't follow the ruts, you'll get bogged!!! You don't have the ground clearance and in someone elses ruts the sand will be softer.
If you come to a soft patch sit and watch some others go through to judge the difficulty and whether an alternative route may be needed, but keep well up to the left and you should be ok. If in doubt walk the route first. even if you do have to cross some sandy stuff, air your tyres down to about 15psi, give it some gas and use momentum to get you through. plan your route on foot first to avoid rocks hidden in the sand.
there is rumour that a 110 was blown up by a mine here some years ago. I personally think the mines risk is overstated in this area. most of the terrain is too rocky for mines, and the soft bits have now all be driven too much for their to be any mines left, but you have to make your own risk assessment about that, I'm not going to carry the can when you drive over one!!

lots of 2wd cars pass this way every day.

there are also links on here about preparing a 2wd to drive the route your intending. Also on how to find the diama crossing. basically it is the last turn on the right before you get to the rosso crossing. when you have missed it (as you probably will!!) turn round at the entrance to the border by the garage (avoiding the hawkers!! - my navigators only comment was -'get me the f--- out of here, and that was before we got to the border) and take the first left, it looks like a little track to no where, but it is the right one. I have done both crossings. Diama is more expensive, but nicer. I think they make it easier deliberately so they can make more money!!

[chapati]

Originally Posted by moggy 1968

As you cross the border from western sahara, head left up onto a slight rise, here the ground is rockier. there is soft sand in the dip. if you get into sand, don't follow the ruts, you'll get bogged!!! You don't have the ground clearance and in someone elses ruts the sand will be softer.
If you come to a soft patch sit and watch some others go through to judge the difficulty and whether an alternative route may be needed, but keep well up to the left and you should be ok. If in doubt walk the route first. even if you do have to cross some sandy stuff, air your tyres down to about 15psi, give it some gas and use momentum to get you through. plan your route on foot first to avoid rocks hidden in the sand.

Thanks very much. Good idea probably to first walk it .

[chapati]

Originally Posted by dave ede

Warning take the Diamma 100km off road (easy route) into Senegal AVOID ROSSO at all costs,

Heard about rosso and the convoy into Senegal. I am travelling via Mali and cross the border with Senegal from there (no convoy from here as I have understood). btw, where can I get the most recent roadmaps for this area (they seem not very common)?