Hi Mark, what indeed - that's what I thought on my first desert trip ;-) - I saw 2 places far apart, drew a line and rode along it...

I don't know this corner of Libya and have been away so don't know the latest situation out there, but this is my speculation:

It may only be 1000km from Kufra to Dongola but in all my years I have never heard of any legit tourist taking this route, although SE Libya-Chad or Alg-Mori (= as remote) have been done by adventurous individuals. In 10 years I struggle to recall it being asked on this forum.

Even the smugglers we encountered in the Gilf chose to risk cutting the SW corner of Egypt above Jebel Uweinat (more borders, extra risks) than go Sudan-Libya direct. That must say something about terrain/driveable routes or patrols?

If entering Sudan without paperwork was no big deal and solved with a quick packet of fags, you'd think people would try the technically easy and much less risky land route from Egypt to Sudan to avoid the ferry hassle. Iirc, never heard of anyone doing that either.

Don't know what goes on down there now - it may be less disciplined local militias at odds with the new govt. As I say, I'd wait until we've heard of a regular tourist driving in and out of Libya, even just along the coastal transit route, before making too many plans for the south. I believe some may be engaged in this at the moment, and know others who are heading into the south (without cars).
My feeling is that while the new govt is trying to get to grips with the north (where most live) the south (where us desert tourists like to go) is being left for later. Life will go on down there, but you'd think the former fear of the state may take a dive, PGFs may be hanging out, while smuggling out cheap Libyan commodities (including weapons), and incoming narcotics and so on, may be having a heyday. This is all my speculation.

The entire 7500-km Maghreb-Sahel border line from Red Sea to Atlantic is porous, as I'm sure you know, with no more than a dozen actual border posts along its length (mostly in the west). Either you pay someone to take you, or you try and slip out of Kurfa unnoticed (or avoid it altogether) and be ready to face the music in Dongola, 1000km later (assuming you head for there; nearest town AFAICT). Chances are you will see no one along the way - there was a Libyan checkpoint at Jebel Uweinat back in the day - maybe still. But the way things have gone in Libya lately, it would not be a reach to assume you were a mercenary or similar slipping out with your stash, absurd though it may sound to you.
Sudan may be poor, but they're still fond of paperwork and may take a dim view of a tourist trying to slip in from Libya just to take a short cut. At worst it could mean your vehicle gets confiscated and you're extradited. We tried a similar stunt, 2000km across the north of Mali, from Mori direct to Algeria (without checking out of Mori, or in/out of Mali. Once in Alg, what's the worst that can happen, we thought? At Bordj Moktar they were very suspicious when by chance our Alg guide recognised someone and charmed his way in for us (that's what we paid him with an 80VX for...). And yet like you, all we were doing was driving around the empty desert, having an adventure.

There must be vehicle tracks here and there, but I have never heard of a recognised piste or even gros porteur Merc lorries doing this route - as they do/did to north Chad or Niger. Have a look at Google Earth too; the terrain and dune orientation does not seem conducive to the SE transit.

So were we all ;-) but that seems a long way off, if it ever happens - in the south at least. I'm not convinced the new regime controls the entire country yet, or certainly not with the grip which the old one had.

In Libya they smoothed the way at immigration, made money for the northern agencies, paperwork or tax for the state, and hired local guides down south, when needed.
In other words nothing we could not manage in the pre-escort days, but that is the way it is in much of the Sahara these days. I also forgot to mention 'pour votre securite'.

Well they would say that, but how can you properly manage a 4000-km border along 6 countries? Smuggling is a fact of life in the Sahara and it makes a lot more easy money than tourism, I suspect. Plus it's highly likely that in many places local authorities make a cut off it, so why stop it?

I have given a rather pedantic answer to help future readers make up their minds on this subject. I am sure others who know this area better will chip in soon.

Ch

Sahara Overland ~ Trans Sahara Routes

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