In Oulad Sassi Country - Following in the Footsteps of the Nomads

After leaving the city and its suburbs, we take the beautiful paved road that runs northeast towards the mining town of Akjoujt.
The Trarza region and the Atlantic coast are now behind us, the vegetation changes and becomes increasingly Saharan.

The great sandy plains of Inchiri lead us towards the somewhat surreal town of Akjoujt. A mining industry is present there and, since the Chalcolithic, Man has extracted copper, gold and other materials.
Gradually the landscape changes. You are now driving in the Amsaga region.
In the distance, to the east, the dark barrier of Adrâr begins to take shape. You pass the great alluvial plain of Yagref and the village of Aïn Ahel Taya. The road crosses the first escarpment of the Adrâr.

Transfer in 4x4 vehicles to reach the ancient city of Chinguetti (approximately 2 hours travel).
The track to climb onto the plateau (dhar) is currently in good condition, but it can be damaged by rains that occur at the end of summer.
If time permits, visit of the old town: library(ies), palm groves and gardens. If not, this visit is postponed to the following morning.

We continue our transfer by 4x4 vehicle. The Warane erg extends south of the city. We drive along it for about forty kilometers. Then, after crossing the gritty cordillera of Zarga, through black sandstone plateaus, we reach the fractured zones bordering the Adrar. Having crossed the Timinit wadi, we now drive on bare regs interspersed with wadis sheltering a few palm groves.
In mid-afternoon, the vehicles engage in a steep and rocky descent that leads to the valley floor; we rejoin our camel team in (Tarf Laghmagh). Here, in central Adrâr, the landscapes contrast sharply with the rectilinear horizons of the great dhar of Chinguetti. The terrain is undulating and the black sandstone ridges dominate deep U-shaped valleys. After unloading them, the vehicles head back to Atar. We camp on the bank of the El Bhair wadi.

Beginning of the camel trek. The mauve cliffs stand out strikingly against the dense green of the date palms.
The white sand adds a note of softness to this scene. On foot, we make our way sometimes through the bottom of the valley, sometimes on the rocky cornices to reach the Gleïtat El Hamar, which are water holes set in a rock fracture.
We discovered a small rock painting site there in 1998. We gradually return to the overflow zone of the Abteilli wadi. The camp is established on the northern edge of the Taffoujert erg.

The great dunes of the Taffoujert erg develop almost all the way to the natural depression of the Oued El Khatt, between the plateaus of the western Adrâr and the Tagant.
By crossing the first dunes of the northern part of the erg, we discover the Oued Tibounkrine. This magnificent oued reveals its alignment of trees with varied species and sinks into the golden erg.
During prosperous years, numerous gardens stretch across the entire furrow traced by the oued. In the distance, the Ajat guelb rises and imposes its dark mass above the sands. The aklé, in certain years, is very dense and the caravan advances with great difficulty and sometimes avoids the massif by the north. We cross the aklé that separates us from the Ajat guelb. We settle down for the night at the foot of this rocky peak.

Bypassing the Ajat guelb to the north, we find the dunes again to reach the small palm grove of Lourdiyya which welcomes us for the midday break. Following a northerly hiking route and after crossing a small pass, below unfolds the superb and generous valley of Bou Aboun. The white sands contrast sharply with the rocks scorched by the sun.

After leaving the bottom of the depression via caravan trails traced by centuries of commercial exchanges, we reach the two gueltas El Boul.
The mineral austerity of the reg resumes its dominance. To the northwest rises a mountain range and, from its highest point, the panorama is magnificent.
To the west, behind the last ridges of the Adrâr, the great dune massifs of Inchiri and Trarza develop and stretch uninterrupted towards the Atlantic Ocean.
Below, the palm groves of Foum Tiguent spread across the valley. The western border of the Adrâr is practically reached. The various layers of sandstone are highly tilted and, having slipped and shifted in relation to each other, they reveal wide furrows colonized by wadis.
This geomorphological configuration characterizes the western part of the Adrâr. North of the Foum Tiguent palm grove, on white sands climbing up the sandstone, we establish our camp.

Despite significant human occupation, we sometimes observe fauna that is very representative of Saharan regions.
The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is well represented as is the fennec (Fennecus zerda) and the Rüppell's fox (Vulpes rueppelli).
A few spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) occasionally prey on animals (goats or sheep) in herds. The honey badger (Mellivora capensis) and the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) are also present.
Among felines, we were able to observe sand cats (Felis margarita) and in autumn 1998, one or more large felines that were not clearly identified, roamed throughout the Adrâr arc. They could be cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), or more likely caracals.
Their migrations were tracked thanks to the damage they inflicted on the donkey herds of the Ideï Boussat nomadic camps in the Hodh region heading towards northern Mauritanie.

Traveling between rock and sand we reach the small village of E-n-Terguent. There too, along the N'Beika wadi follow strings of palm groves and gardens. We continue our route towards the Hnouk gorge.
We spend the night upstream of the gorge.

We go up the Hnouk wadi, along the right bank. Pressed against the rocky massifs, imposing dunes serve as support for multiple villages made up of traditional tikkits and maghmeuls.
From the village of Nouïb, we cross one last massif of dunes and access the El Mghaïmin wadi. In the low points along the wadi, the green ribbon of palm trees sometimes gives way to thick tamarisk groves. The vegetation, while not very dense, is very diversified. The grara or gardens are cultivated in favorable periods.
Along our walking route, a zone of eroded rocks emerges and tongues of sand climb the raised peaks. Here too, the sandstone is tortured, eroded into towers, ruins invaded by sand.
The camp is established in the Eker wadi.

This wadi leads us to the watershed line and we continue towards the Oudeï En Na'am which, perpendicular to us, is nestled at the bottom of a valley. A superb set of barchan dunes covers the bottom of the wadi before, towards the west, it disappears between narrow walls.

The guelta of Tajemleilit, nestled in a narrow canyon, releases a thin stream of clear water through the palm trees over approximately 800 meters. Following the gorge, we emerge onto the first palm trees of the opulent Amatlich region. Having reached the plateau, we now overlook the El Meddah valley.
Here, wedged between the great dunes of the Amatlich erg and the mauve cliffs of the Adrâr, the town of El Meddah develops and prospers despite its isolation. Moorish society lives in near self-sufficiency and at a rhythm established for centuries. After crossing El Meddah, we bivouac, immersed in the dunes of the Amatlich.

Large dune massifs develop, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axis of dominant winds. The large interdune corridors allow relatively easy caravan circulation. We cut through the massif by chaining together lines of sumptuous crests. North of the erg, the rock reasserts itself. It is fractured, eroded and forms in some places veritable labyrinths. Gueltaas, such as Azoueiga, are nestled at the bottom of canyons and preserve beautiful water. The exuberant vegetation shelters myriads of birds and insects of all kinds.
We return to the soft embrace of the dunes for the night.

We skirt the edge of the erg and the pure lines of the dunes guide our steps.
To the north stretches out, in alternating colors, the fringe of intense green from the palm groves then a mosaic of greens composed by different tree species such as Acacias raddiana (Talha), Balanites aegyptiaca (Teichot), Boscia senegalensis (Eizine).
Then comes the dark border of the Ibi el Akhdar massif at the foot of which a few villages nestle.

We continue our journey through the vast sandy plains of Inchiri. Very quickly, we reach the outskirts of the Mauritanian capital.
We settle into the hotel.

Visit of the city of Nouakchott,

See the fishermen's return,

Vehicle and driver at your disposal.

Following your flight schedule to France, we transfer you to the Nouakchott-Oumtounsy international airport.