TSH by bicycle...

[davor]

I'm poping up to this forum every half a year or so, to check out if the time for my plan is ready... Sorry if that bothers you, but you could be of big help to me...
My plan is to cycle Trans Sahara Highway solo, and sooner or later i'm gonna do it...
Now when formalities in Algeria changed again, what do you think about my idea?
How does the 'obligatory guide' fits on a bicycle? or better... How can i avoid it?
Thanks a lot!!!
Davor

[Chris Scott]

>Now when formalities in Algeria changed again, what do you think about my idea?
- Well if they ever relax the current demand for highway escorts then give it a go, but even then the part-piste section from Tam to the Niger border will be a problem.


>How does the 'obligatory guide' fits on a bicycle?
- It buggers it right up. At a per/day rate it will of course be very expensive. The only other way is to do it with a big group of bikes - not much fun either.


>How can i avoid it?
- In Algeria, for the moment you can't. The way things are now I think you may have missed your chance to pedal the TSH solo.

Chris S

(Good book about Sahara pedaling (Atlantic; 15 years ago) and how bad it can get: 'Chasing the Lizard's Tail' by Jens Finke - download on the web somehwere.)

[davor]

Thank you very much for your answers...

I'll monitor it, and hope things will change, and then do it, or maybe even...

Well, i'm photographing for National Geographic, and they did a crazy camel crossing from Lake Chad in Niger to Lybia, all the way up, few years ago, when Lybia was closed as Algeria is now. They must have paid loads to right people, and got it to the political level...
I'm going to Washington this spring to work on one other project for NG, and will try to find it out how they organized it...

Just to know, because, i dont think TSH solo on bike is attractive enough for NG.

Btw. i know there is hard part between Tamanraset and Agadez, and i keep hearing stories that a proper road is being built there, but cannot understand how much of a road is there by now, and when it will be finished if ever...

Thanx!!!

davor

[Chris Scott]

>...but cannot understand how much of a road is there by now, and when it will be finished if ever...

Good question. They were building it out of Tam when I first went there in 1981/2. I was told last week there is 60 odd broken kms south out of Tam and a better road coming north of IGZ (now a town) for about 100kms or more? So 1-200km of piste plus of course all piste from IGZ for 250km to Arlit.

Ch