Mauritania short-cut
 

Does anyone know if you can get from Nouakchott to Tidjikja whilst avoiding the highway - ie through Bou Naga (on the 953) and then continuing east?

Thinking of giving it a shot in October.

Sam.

Dont know to Bou Naga from Nouakchott, but you would have to head East and then come in from the North - Rachid to Tidjikja (following the Oued)- join onto the Atar 'pistes' as the escarpment from Kang Acheft North Eastwards prevents you from coming in from the West - do you have the Mauritania GPS book ? maybe some answers in there... would be a nice trip, 650 k's or so. What vehicle are you driving Sam ?

Sounds like fun but knowing some other thin black lines on the 741 (ex 953) don't expect much of a piste to Bou Naga, just a better-than-average corridor through the dunes to [old?] camel camps.
And according to the IGN 200s, it gets very complicated with dunes and rocks E and SE of Bou Naga, so even before there consider it a mixed cross-country route with all that that entails.

(Tamassoumit for example appears to be nothing more than an isolated hill with wells where regional boundaries meet - a typical Mich anomaly.)

One thing worth considering in this part of Mori are grassy tussocks all over the sands. A rally mate of mine found them hard work last year and on a bike they're especially tiresome.

Ch

In the french book (La Mauritanie au GPS) there is a description of a trip ( with waypoints ) from Nouakchott to Atar via Bou Naga .
The author have done it with a 2cv .....
I think it can be interesting for you .

RR.

Thanks for all of that. I have the book (which is to be recommended if you are heading for Mauritania, and understand some French).

I was wondering if there were any even more direct routes that had been done - guess we'll have a look whilst we're out there.

Sam.