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Touring the deserts of libya and algeria in summer Touring the deserts of libya and algeria in summer
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  #1  
Old 7 Apr 2008
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Touring the deserts of libya and algeria in summer
Hi,

Most guide books strongly discourage you from desert trips in Libya and Algeria in the summer months mid -may to September due to the extreme heat.

Just wondering if anyone had any experience and how bad was it? Is completely mad to go?

:confused1:
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Old 7 Apr 2008
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I understand your question.

In the UK we very rarely get extremes of weather so it is difficult to imagine what it can be like.

Ever heard of the saying "only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun"

It gets so hot it becomes difficult to function and if you are not very careful, the heat can make you ill and certainly kill you very quickly.

Of course they are no laws to stop you.

Steve
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Old 7 Apr 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mcagol View Post
Hi,

Most guide books strongly discourage you from desert trips in Libya and Algeria in the summer months mid -may to September due to the extreme heat.

Just wondering if anyone had any experience and how bad was it? Is completely mad to go?

:confused1:

If this is your first try, I would try spring time in the deserts...Feb-Mar...and get a taste for it. Its not necessarily the extreme heat that can complicate things, but there are other factors.

Are you on Moto or vehicle? How many others in your group? Where specifically?

HTH
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Old 7 Apr 2008
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update
It is with a 4x4 vehicle probaly without AC.

In both countires we would have a guide for all desert exploration, not sure exactly where at the moment, just really trying to gauge the best time to set off on a trip to cape town.

We will be travelling with kids and the ideal time to take the kids out of school is July until August the following year.

But that means hitting algeria/libya in august, or would it be best to do something else for 3 months and then head south in september

many thanks
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Old 7 Apr 2008
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Talk to Nick or Mokhtar at Akar Akar...as they are a damn good source for anything in Algeria...

sahara AKAR-AKAR Agence Algerienne

And Chris Scott's page is extremely useful.

Sahara Overland ~ Algeria visa information

One of the things you'll notice is that your tire will get VERY hot...and there is know shade...and the lists get longer.

Its a tough place in winter/spring months, BUT in the heat of the summer...yikes.

I hope you're using a LandCruiser...
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Old 7 Apr 2008
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I’ve crossed Sudan in summertime on a motorbike and I wouldn’t have bought any kids in a unsupported vehicle in summertime.

It is extremely hot and if anything happens (flat tire, you get stuck, overheating engine…) it will be a nightmare. You might want to wait until it gets colder before you start to fix the problem but it’s not fun to wait in the car for hours - as MotoEdde says there is absolutely no shade.
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Old 7 Apr 2008
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Yikes! the temperatures can be survived, but not comfortably at all if it's the same as in Egypt, which it probably is.
The thought is that you are cutting into your safety boundaries. It's like going full throttle round the M25, it can be done, but there's not a lot of margin for error.

I don't take my kids here far out into the desert in their summer holidays. Besides, they moan about it being too hot and want a swimming pool and ice cream.
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Old 17 Apr 2008
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I've been in the south of Morocco in the height of the summer, and it was ferocious - the temp was 60 degrees c inside the car! (no air con)
Only been to Libya in winter, which was very pleasant - dont think I'd want to cross the sand in the height of summer though, especially as it's a bit further south than Morocco as well. You would need to carry a hell of a lot of water.
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