the border with Libya is to all intents and purposes closed.
These days, with Algeria and for tourists, yes. But a connected Libyan agency could possibly open doors. Not having a car and all the associated papers makes it less difficult.

Is it simply a case of pot luck at the border, and the goodwill of locals?
In West Africa maybe but in Libya, as far as tourists are concerned, I don't think so.


Equally, if I enter Libya in the Never Never and have a valid visa for the country in my passport, leaving it until I get to a military post, is it likely that i would simply be turned back?

You will have to sort it out with the agency that organises your invite. I imagine the visa will require a date and a recognised entry point complete with forms and men in hats. These days AFAIK in Libya that is only Ras Ajdir in the west and Saloum or whatever it's called in the east. As in Algeria, if you disregard regs it's the agency who also get in trouble/lose their license. It's not like turning up at an outback Mali border where you can talk/pay your way out of it.

One of my problems is that I rarely cross borders in the usual places.

Well these days with Al Qaeda of the Mahgreb knocking about you will need a good reason not to. We did a big west-east crossing a couple of years ago (with cars) and took liberties with border regs out of Mori, across Mali and even into Algeria where we got lucky and got right up to the Libyan border. Carrying on east in the same gung-ho manner into Libya would have ended badly at the first checkpoint.

Your very first step is to make contact with a Libyan operator and see what they can do. Then the Alg side will be relatively easy to organise.

Ch

Try this guy in Ghadames (in French - never met him but sounds like could even be a desert & camel man, not a northerner).
You'd think he'll know about Deb Deb for sure.

Aboubaker Aboukassen
abukas2000 At yahoo dot com

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail