Tropic of Cancer Trans Saharan Crossing - Horizons Unlimited

**pdutson001** · #1 3 Jun 2004

Last year I heard that nobody has yet crossed the Sahara by travelling along the Tropic of Cancer.
Does anybody know if this is true ? I also heard that the Britsh Army tried and failed but I can't find any info on that either, there must be a book/website or something.

Cheers for any light on the subject.

**Geoff van de Merwe** · #2 3 Jun 2004

How you getting on Paul?
Back in the UK?!
I'll get onto Laura, she'll have the contacts in the army to find out for you.
Geoff

**Richard Washington** · #3 3 Jun 2004

Politics is the impediment for this sort of trip - border crossings are only allowed at certain places.

Two expeditions had a go at a latitudinal crossing: Saviem in the late 70s and Tom Sheppard with the British Army.
Tom has probably written up a detailed report for the RGS.

**Chris Scott** · #4 3 Jun 2004

"Does anybody know if this is true ?"

Yes it is - and it is likely to remain so for the reasons given above.

As it happens there is a box on this topic in the new edition. At least four motorised expedtions have undertaken lateral desert crossings since the 60s - some did better than others.

Ch

PS - http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/001216.html

[This message has been edited by Chris Scott (edited 03 June 2004).]

**pdutson001** · #5 4 Jun 2004

Thanks for that everybody,

The question's been eating me since I heard the story about the 101's in Senegal last year.

I couldn't understand why it hadn't been done, didn't consider political reasons too much.

Thans again.

**Geoff van de Merwe** · #6 4 Jun 2004

Paul,

I spoke to one the expedition leaders of the army crossing of Spitzbergen, he said as far as he knows it was done and the leader wrote a book called 'Roof of Africa',
I found the following synopsis on Amazon:
Synopsis
The story of the 40,000 mile expedition across Africa undertaken by the Welsh Guards led by John Warburton-Lee.

Could make interesting reading.
Geoff