Camel trekking in the saddle in the dunes of the Erg Warane and Chinguetti, variations in the sands

Departure from Paris (chartered flight). Takeoff is scheduled for early afternoon with arrival in Atar in the evening. Times are given for information only and may be changed by the airline.
After formalities and obtaining your Mauritanian E-Visa, your guide will welcome you in the airport terminal.
In Atar, dinner is planned at a comfortable and pleasant guesthouse depending on the flight schedule.

After lunch, immediate departure towards the El Kheouiya camp.

The track to climb onto the plateau (dhar) is, to date, good but it can be degraded by rains that occur at the end of summer.
A small detour allows you to discover the grandiose landscapes of the Adrâr cliffs. The ruins of Fort Saganne, rock paintings, the sequence of plateaus on the horizon are so many attractions...

The last third takes place along the northern edge of the sandy area.
Late in the morning, we reach El Kheouiya.
It is the meeting place with our Moorish travel companions with whom we share these few days. They belong to this small semi-nomadic camp.

On foot, we head toward the sunset. Multiple tents, khaïma, are pitched on the sands. Nomads particularly appreciate this region because the pastures are always more abundant than elsewhere.
We approach long dunes that develop in the direction of the dominant wind.
To the south, the Oued El Kheouiya is heavily wooded. This small Saharan forest is protected from deforestation by the fierce determination of the tribes occupying these lands.

On foot, we make our way through the Afam el Mezrougat dune massif. The two elbs making up this massif allow us to reach the Chinguetti batha. The currently dried-up river is very tree-lined and, depending on the seasonal rainfall, large cultivated areas can occupy its bed. We reach the large dunes of the Warane erg on the right bank of the wadi. The bivouac is set up near the first palm groves that mark the beginning of the inhabited zone of the Chinguetti wadi.

On foot, we make our way through the dune massif of Afam el Mezrougat. The two elb composing this massif allow us to reach the batha Chinguetti. The river, currently dried up, is very tree-lined and, depending on seasonal rainfall, large cultivation areas can occupy its bed. We reach the large dunes of the erg Warane on the right bank of the wadi. The bivouac is established not far from the first palm groves that mark the beginning of the inhabited zone of the wadi Chinguetti.

The aklés of the northern edge of the Warane erg allow us to reach the ancient city of Chinguetti. We arrive in the town in the middle of the day.

Heading towards the south-west, we face a long and beautiful series of sand mountains. These large massifs (M'ghalig), all parallel, overlook interdune valleys that have remained the traditional routes of trade caravans between north and south. It is in these areas that the rare wells are found.
The midday break is established at La Gueïla, a small palm grove that belongs to the notables of Chinguetti.

Then, heading due west, we continue our journey through the dunes.
Vegetation specific to the great ergs develops such as Acacia raddiana, Balanites aegyptiaca and Aristida pungens.
We set up camp on one of the mighty sand massifs.

The massifs are still imposing and, facing us, the black ridges of the mega-cord of Zarga are beginning to appear. Tinouarderit, a small wooded wadi, marks the western part of the erg. A very shaded teïchot (Balanites aegyptiaca) welcomes us for the break.

By going up the wadi bed, we access a small area of barchan dunes. Here, the Erg Warane ends its course heading west. Under the name Erg Amatlich, it reappears on the western edge of the Adrar, continuing its momentum towards the Atlantic.

We return to the small sandstone massif of Zarga.
Stretching 80 kilometres, the Zarga ridge is the now-prominent fossil bed of an ancient glacial river.
The sandstone corridors form in places a maze of streets and rock shelters where paintings, fauna and flora are fairly abundant.
The Zarga ridge is interesting for several reasons. Its northern tip and average altitude make it an effective climatic barrier.
Atlantic disturbances and the African monsoon (I.T.C.Z.) are blocked in their progression toward the interior of the Adrar plateau. Rainfall is significant compared to the rest of the region, and Saharan vegetation has, in places, either a Mediterranean or Sudanian character.
We find there among others Boscia senegalensis, Euphorbia balsamifera, Combretum aculeatum as well as some fragrant Lavandula.

Staying on the east side of the Zarga massif, we reach the Niesle well and then, via the eastern foothills, we arrive at Tichilit el Âteg.
The highest point of the Zarga massif and the third peak of the Adrar hides a superb veneer dune. At its foot, a wide alluvial basin shelters crops and nomads.
We take the time to savor these magnificent places that mark the glorious end of this journey between dunes and rocks.

In the afternoon, we head back to Atar along a rough track.

The chartered flight departing from Atar is scheduled for early morning with an arrival in Paris in mid-afternoon.