Some Mauritanian info:

[armadillo]

Salam!

- Back from RIM 3 weeks a-go with a 93 model , no problemas yet at the new Ndb - Western Sahara border. We arrived at the RIM border at night and the RIM officers were nice and very polite. They used our torch to search (lightly) our very loaded car. Next time I may carry a carnet, RIM is changing rapidly in some aspects.

- Renewing the 3 day visa at Ncktt was a real pain, tourist had to wait in the funky S.N. building for much longer than expected, some even had to pay more, specially if you don't speak french properly.
If you can, get the 1 month visa at your country of origin, or anywhere else.

- More: a friend who works in the new gov showed me the dossier with all maps and data for the construction of a tar road from Kiffa - Tidjikja - Atar (near the oasis) He said it will be finished in about 3 years. They want to keep tarring til Tindouf

- For Richard K.: We only did see 1 vehicle in the piste (local) bet Tichitt and Oualata. All 5 wells bett Tichitt and Oualata very easy to find with good water at less than 10 meters. Water consumption was about 7 liters per person, temperatures (Jul-August) about 43 C. some more in Tichitt where temperatures did not drop at night and the air was hot like a hair dryer.

Price for Diesel in Tichitt 300 oog (they asked 350-400) There was no petrol but we left 150 liters at the ouberge next to the check point.

Finding the piste bet after Aratane wells and 60 km before Oualata was difficult, there was no traffic for long time, not tracks and lots of wind. About daily dust storms and extreme rain in the Nema area, the piste with Oualata became a 150 meters wide impassable (for us) oued

We meet Matt, --an american solo biker with a new Kawa 650-- in Nktt and help him to carry his water and fuel to Tichitt. He fried the clutch 40 km's near Ganeb wells, after 6 days of very soft sand. The bike did not overheat. About two years a-go, in March, we meet in Tichitt an experienced german biker with a broken KTM. Is the Tidjikja - Tichitt- Oualata piste so demanding for a bike?

Let me know if you need any more info of this track for your bike trip

Sidi Jose Brito, thanks for the info --and the w.p.'s you did send me!--

[manfredschweda]

Just in case someone wants a few impressions of the RIM
This Fab Trek - my big world journey: Mauritania

we went up from Senegal along the beach then crossed over to Atar around Guelb er Richat Chiguetty down to Tidjikdja Tichit Oualata Nema. I would not want do it in summer.
Manfred, Casablanca going south.

[NCR]

Originally Posted by armadillo

Is the Tidjikja - Tichitt- Oualata piste so demanding for a bike?

In August, any soft sand piste will be demanding for any bike or car...

Done it in 2005 with a Xr 650 R and had no problems. Mate with a 950 Ktm had none also.

[Matt Roach]

Armadillo,

Thanks for the update! Do you know if there was any petrol being sold from jerrycans in Oualata?

cheers

[Richard K]

Hi Lluis, glad to hear you survived the Summer burn! Now I feel like we're taking the easy option by going in January - even with the fuel for 5+ bikes!

Sounds like the LC was a success?

I'd certainly be interested in any more route waypoints or well details. Will send you a email.

[armadillo]

- Matt Roach, in Oualata there was some petrol in plastic jerrys . In Tichitt generally you can find some, as well, but it was being used in a (broken) welding machine. In RIM it's far easier with Diesel.

We normally add some good additive to the fuel. This time we also used a filter, Mr Funnel, but it was not really necessary.

----

- There is a certain beauty in traveling in Mauritanian Sahara during the summer, it's is certainly a different Sahara. During the middle of the day you just lay down in a shadow, unable to do nothing, not even thinking, just waiting. Great time for a spliff. When the sun goes down life comes back again.

Rolled shadow attached to the roof rack: 3x4 meters of 2 or 3 layers the plastic stuff with very small holes in it, used normally to protect young plants from the sun. It works great, little noise with wind, and it's very light.
We had no real difficulties with the heat but found it difficult to be drinking most of the time and still be thirsty (and urinating about nothing)
The 80 is got a.c. but we found not need of it in Mauritania except in the hot and humid parts of Spain!

However locals told us the months of May and June are generally the worst in RIM, soldiers in Tichitt said they got more than 55 Celsius day and NIGTH during some days in those months. They found those temperatures just unbearable.
Well, I guess one good thing in traveling during summer is that is quite more difficult to find bandits on the piste.

Richard K.
It was my first trip with a TLC80. I don't like the esthetics of it , --L.W: "ethics and esthetics are one and the same"-- but the power and fuel economy of the 80 are very helpful in the Sahara. The loaded 80 did keep the temperature needle in the middle during the difficult conditions --I guess the narrow 750's helped a bit-- and had no problemas except a broken winch, overused for crossing wet oueds south of Oualata.
The second car, a 1975 LR Series III, was also a success during the 4 week trip in hot sands and had only minor problems: continuous overheating and some lack of power. Routes ? I'd like to see "Mauritanie GPS" book. Well, we drove north of Tichitt to see some engravings and experience off piste driving, but took no w.p.'s. Too busy keeping the vehicle moving. The loaded Series III just couldn't go up the long sandy hills (there was no piste). In the other hand, the recoveries of the heavier 80 were quite long and exhausting. A blown-off air jack and no hight-lift did not help.

I'll send you (or anyone) the beautiful pics ,taken by Masato Nishikawa, of the sand-dust storms .

Thanks !

[Jose Brito]

Awesome picture armadillo!

Glad to know that the waypoint were useful!


Cheers,
José Brito

[robertson]

Tjank's armadillo for you rinfo...You where eating Tagine 80km from the frontier of RIM...got the same promlemas as you american friend...Les disc d'embragage wher burnt!! for both motos...malis was te solution...Hope to meet you soon again..i still remember your face when coming from RIm..now i understand...
Espero trobar-te per Barcelona algun dia i aprendre mes!

[Richard K]

Cheers Armadillo, I've sent you a pm

[armadillo]

I have placed some nice pics from Masato Nishikawa and Gal Sinay on the web: viajes y aventuras.com

This web, made by Mr. Carrion (a member of H.U.) is somehow the Spanish H.U. You got to register but it's safe and there is lots of info --in Spanish-- and pictures.

In our pics you can see what happens when you put in your mouth more than you can chew, and, stupid but lucky, you get a-way with it.

http://viajesyaventuras.mywowbb.com/forum1/992-1.html

[mar]

armadillo,
do you know if there is petrol (no diesel) in choum an chinguetti, too? if i understood you right there is a psossibility to get petrol in tichit and oualata? where heading there with 3 bikes in about 5 weeks.
cheers
mike

[armadillo]

Hi Mike, sorry for answering so late,

As far as I know, and in RIM you never know anyway, which is part of the fun...

- Chinguetti: there is a normal fuel station in front of Spanish hospital, hand powered.
- Tichitt, Oualata, from drums. The nicest guy in Tichitt with petrol, (the one who was less hard to have business with) is in front of the main store.
- Oualata is less difficult than Tichitt however when you get there you may be quite tired and not easy for bargaining.

Please don't pay too much for the petrol. They know that without their petrol you go no-where. Remember than is low octan petrol, not left overs by the "Dakar", a good aditive will help the engine.

Good luck !

[mar]

armadillo,
many thanks for your answer - helps with our planning. by the way - how much is "too much" payed for the petrol?
cheers
mike

[GD_SPb]

Before to ask my questions – the short preview.
(In Jan-Feb 2007 we with friends went from Russia to Gambia on the western route. In Jan-Feb 2008 we wanted to go to Bamako through Algeria and Niger, but in the north of Niger… (you know) . But we want in desert.In 2007 we went by 4WD cars. But I do not love 4WD cars )

• Can I go from NDB to Choum by 2WD? Too most about Chorum-Atar
• Can I go from Atar to Tidjikdja by 2WD? Too most about Tidjikdja - Ayoun’el’Atrous (or Tidjikdja – Kiffa).
• Is GPS necessary for road Chorum - Atar or there is 1 road only?

Thanks

[Richard K]

The short answer to all of your questions is "no". Sorry to be so negative!

One day I would like to try - perhaps with a stripped-out Renault 4 - but the reality is these pistes are not for normal 2WD's.

You could drive NDB - Choum, but you would have to use the rail tracks.

Originally Posted by GD_SPb

Before to ask my questions – the short preview.
(In Jan-Feb 2007 we with friends went from Russia to Gambia on the western route. In Jan-Feb 2008 we wanted to go to Bamako through Algeria and Niger, but in the north of Niger… (you know) . But we want in desert.In 2007 we went by 4WD cars. But I do not love 4WD cars )

• Can I go from NDB to Choum by 2WD? Too most about Chorum-Atar
• Can I go from Atar to Tidjikdja by 2WD? Too most about Tidjikdja - Ayoun’el’Atrous (or Tidjikdja – Kiffa).
• Is GPS necessary for road Chorum - Atar or there is 1 road only?

Thanks