Sahara cycling - Egypt or ???
 

Hello,

Planning a new trip after a nice experience of "desert cycling" (route M5) in the Moroccan Sahara, I'm looking for a new destination for 4 weeks in november. I was already thinking of the "Western Desert Circuit" in Egypt, but as we like off-road cycling does anyeone know if there are some opportunities there?

Or has anyone tips for other regions in the Sahara? This means: where the sand is not too deep (we're not afraid of pushing, but not for days..) and where is some variety and water resources every 3-4 days on a bicycle?

Thanks!
Rafke

Moroccan trip report:
http://users.pandora.be/django

Bettina Selby wrote a recent book called 'Riding the Desert Trail' about riding along the Nile, which is worth a read. She did a lot in Egypt.

I have cycled quite a bit in Egypt's deserts. The Western Desert circuit is well worth doing. With a car you get bureaucratic idiocy and hassle, with a bike you get friendly curiosity. And you get peace and quiet. Getting *out* into the desert can be a faff though, especially Cairo, which is like a suicidal antsnest on LSD.

Offroad in the White Desert between Bahareya and Farafra oases is good fun - its hard chalk there. Some of the sandy areas can be very soft but there is also some excellent offroad stuff round the Fayoum basin area, where there are big gravel desert strips. You can cycle to Wadi Hitan, so called 'Whalebone Valley', from the Fayoum offroad, though its 44km of fairly tough soft clingy stuff.

Watch out though, decent cycle parts in Egypt are very hard to find (do not believe what cycle shops tell you). bring spares with you.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif Happy Trails

[This message has been edited by Runner (edited 22 March 2004).]