Western Sahara for beginners
 

Why always rush across "this monotonous stretch of flat land"? Have some fun. For beginners: starts at Boujdour, ends at a public shower some 35 km before Dakhla. Easy piste & off roading + a stretch of old spanish tarmac (don't speed on it or you may fly). Mostly pedal to the metal. Caution mines around WP 8. (Iraifia 1 thermal source) - follow the tracks when approaching and leaving.

1. N26 04.528 W14 27.393
2. N25 43.704 W14 14.890 Iraifia 3 thermal source
3. N25 31.944 W14 15.667
4. N25 25.877 W14 16.155
5. N25 14.592 W14 18.620
6. N25 09.021 W14 19.364
7. N25 03.120 W14 18.138 Iraifia 2 thermal source
8. N25 01.322 W14 24.516 Iraifia 1 thermal source - mines!
9. N24 59.861 W14 27.943
10. N24 56.483 W14 31.564
11. N24 54.058 W14 32.890
12. N24 52.585 W14 34.116
13. N24 50.835 W14 35.516
14. N24 45.943 W14 39.399
15. N24 43.271 W14 41.750
16. N24 37.962 W14 45.349
17. N24 35.279 W14 48.561
18. N24 35.392 W14 48.550
19. N24 32.775 W14 50.299
20. N24 30.750 W14 51.200
21. N24 28.600 W14 53.410
22. N24 26.300 W15 00.150
23. N24 20.240 W15 04.500
24. N24 14.100 W15 13.170
25. N24 08.960 W15 19.700
26. N23 59.030 W15 31.350
27. N23 54.530 W15 35.580
28. N23 53.060 W15 37.690
29. N23 53.580 W15 40.380
30. N23 53.993 W15 42.674 thermal shower 7 dirhams per person

units are: hdd mm.mmm

have fun

many more routes in store

Great stuff, thanks very much.
Definitely plan to explore more of W Sahara, where possible, next year.
Any and all info greatfully received.

Happy travels
Sam

Thanks florence, very interesting.

@ Sam, when are you going? Do you want to hook up to do some of the WS if our dates fit?

Matt

Hi Matt,
Yeah, for sure if the dates work.
It's later in the year though.
My sister and I leave for Cape to Cape on Sept 1st, I guess hitting Morocco about a month later.
What does next year have in store for you?

I'm there April and 1st week in May.

I will PM you, save posting all over florence's thread.

Any way is very important not to leave the tracks. The coast was mined by Moroccan army since Polisario began to attack spanish fish-boats in the early ´80s. Officialy there are no mines but there can be a "lost one".

On foot there is no problem, the camels have "found" anti-personel mines.

Virtually all if not all coast has been cleared of mines in the last few years, inland some bad spots remain: among others around Awserd, E rim of Dakhla sebha (south of OK 40), sebha Imlily, SE of Ain Bida, Nekjir Mts., Iraifia, some wells in Adrar Soutouff, etc. All this areas are small ... on foot no problem

I can hardly imagine Polisario (or anybody else) attacking spanish fishing boats as they usually they fish at least 5 Nm offshore.

Dear sir Florence, thank you for being generous with your coordinates :)

As you say Florence "virtually all if not all...". It wil be stupid to have a problem with a mine. Every year the MINURSO reports Reports of the Secretary-General on MINURSO - United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara talks about several killed by "residual mines" each side of the berm. Three years ago the Ausserd caid and two moroccan parlementaries died in an incident with a mine for example.

About polisario atacks and kidnappings on spanish fishermen you can read something here (sorry in spanish) Memorial de Víctimas .

Extract of the site linked before. This all only in 1978

"April 21, 1978
In full diplomatic crisis between Spain and Algeria, eight crew members of fishing canary Las Palomas are kidnapped and taken to Tindouf. The act is claimed weeks later by the Polisario Front, which calls for political negotiations with the Spanish government for his release. The dialogue with the Sahrawi independence assumed by the political party Union of Democratic Centre.

May 16, 1978
Amid the confusion for the kidnapping of Las Palomas, the Spanish fishing is brutally gunned Lérez a rubber boat when within five miles of the coast of the Sahara. The Polisario Front claims no action. The crew said that the attackers tried unsuccessfully to address the boat.


August 16, 1978
The fishing boat is ambushed and fabric is machine-gunned for thirty minutes from the coast of the Sahara, an area not controlled by Moroccan troops. One crew member suffered serious injuries. The Polisario Front has no claims on the incident.


September 9, 1978
Strafing carried out from the coast for more than an hour against the Spanish lobster "Maria Luisa", "Winged", "Dorothy", "Caribbean Sea" and "Bataan", with three crew members injured. This attack occurs while negotiating the release of the eight crew members of the Las Palomas. The Polisario Front claims it from Brussels.

October 4, 1978
The South African crew is brutally executed Zuiderster on deck and finished off with machetes and knives. Six people are killed and only two survive the slaughter by hiding and become the dead. Polisario Front claimed responsibility, although a recognized Saharawi leader a year later a group of Spanish hostages responsibility of this organization in the attack.

October 5, 1978
The Polisario Front machine gun and tried to storm the fishing Génesismientras announces the release of the hostages of Las Palomas as a goodwill gesture. The attack is claimed by the Ministry of Defense of the SADR. According to the crew "if we do not run away from there, we were fried alive. We do not know how many weapons used, the only thing we thought then was that we would all die. " The sailors were to be kidnapped, he admitted the Polisario Front, "but the command became nervous."

November 28, 1978
Seven crew members of the Cruz del Mar are carried on deck and surmounted by a command that assaults the Canarian fishing near the coast of the Sahara. The attack generated great excitement in Spain and three survivors identified two of the murderers, the Polisario Front. The organization rejects Sahara accuses participation and Morocco. The characteristics of the attack are similar to that of Zuiderster. Nobody can explain what happened."

Translated by Google

im leaving the UK around May heading for Dakar so might see some of you guys on my way .
cant wait now:funmeteryes:

it was my pleasure lady Priffe :)

Thank you Pera for the interesting links... It's always pertinent to have an idea of the history/points of view of the places that we visit.

BTW, I copied the waypoints above to a GDB file, if anyone's interested please PM me.

some pics
 

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Sorry CaBRita, I´ve been on holiday for a month.

In this video El ex Sáhara español (II) (Objetivo), Reporteros de la historia de TVE - RTVE.es A la Carta you can see the Polisario showing two spanish ships attacked (minute 44:30). I think it must be 1981.

In 1981 Morocco controls El Aiún, Bou Craa and Boujdour, in the rest of the territory the Polisario moved freely.