Argeen border crossing on foot
 

Hello all!

Next July I will start a journey on foot from Cape Town to Cairo solo (if Covid allows it). I want to walk every meter so the Argeen border crossing is my only option. I will arrive there somewhere mid 2022. I was hoping to ask some questions, and any other advice/experience related to this is most welcome!

- As far as I know Soleb is the last resupply point available.

> Does anyone know how much options there are for resupply here? I would have to stock up on food for at least a week (for the desert section, I will drag a cart for food and water). If there are enough dried/nutrient dense foods available this would be great, otherwise I would have to send a food package here.
> Is there any other (minor) option between Soleb and the border where I can resupply on either food or water?
> Are there any options for resupply at the border? (are there any shops or similar)
> Does anyone have a gross indication on the amount of vehicles driving this road daily?

- Does anyone have more recent experience with crossing the border? Or does anyone have experience crossing this border by other means than car or bus?

- Is it still necessary to arrange a fixer? Or will a bunch cash at the border do the job aswell? If so, where to find/contact such a fixer?

A lot of questions; any advice/experience would be most welcome!

Thank you and kind regards,

Frits

I have not done this route but would have thought that in Sudan anything is possible, people will be helpful and by then you will be an expert in managing your situation in pursuit of your goal.
Plus there looks to be riverside agriculture not far from the road halfway up from Soleb to the border. And so you assume there will be people and all their basic needs.

The Egyptians (specifically the men in hats) will be another matter – less flexible in the classic African sense.
If the army say their border area is a military zone with no unescorted roadside pedestrians allowed, that will be it.
No border guard will risk letting you set off for Abu Simbel, no matter what you pay them.
Permission will need to come from much higher up the food chain. Locating who that person is and winning them over by whatever means will be the key.

Because of that, setting off in the other direction would be less complex. You can spend time in Aswan or Abu S working it out, which may include a negotiator.
And in the desert it appears the wind is with you, too.

Thank you for your quick reply Chris!

So do you expect the Sudan side to be less restrictive? Or do you mean it will be easier to 'persuade' them to allow me walking the Sudan side. Since the Sudan side is geographically spoken pretty similar; just a desolate road in the desert.

Regarding your comment on the Egyptians not allowing me to walk further once I cross the Egyptian border; I thought the obligatory security escorts etc. were not necessary anymore for a few years now. Or is the border area still heavily militarised? If so, do you think paying for a militairy escort (Argeen - Aswan) could be a viable solution to this problem?

In order to obtain some legitimacy I will approach Arabic newspapers before I reach Sudan, which may help me with the border crossings and dealing with police/militairy. In addition, I'm currently studying Arabic to extend communication possibilities aswell as earning their respect. Do you expect any such measures may help increase my chances? Or are thick pockets the only means here?

Kind regards,

Frits

Hi Frits, to be clear, I am merely speculating based on my experience travelling in this part of the world. Others may have more recent experience on the ground.

Compared to Egypt, yes.

I don't think it will even be an issue, certainly not if you were walking to Wadi Halfa. Argeen side may be different.

Yes, and all sealed now I think, so easy for a cart.

The border is not militarised in the sense of minefields and missiles pointed at Sudan, like the DMZ. It is controlled by the army (as was the whole Gilf and Sand Sea, afaik). They manage it as they please.
I suspect that the whole ridiculous barge business was a racket that dragged on for decades, when clearly an overland crossing via Argeen made sense.
I know that Aswan to Abu S became free of escorts; I'm not sure if the road on to Argeen is in the same category.

It could be. In the past people paid huge sums to use Argeen.
I would consider going there (Aswan, Abu S) beforehand and try to meet people to set things up in advance. Rocking up at the border unannounced could misfire.

Especially in the Sahara, people will be baffled by your endeavour, not admire it.
Walking is what poor or crazy people do.
'What will you westerners think of next' I remember a border guard saying in Micheal Asher's book. He had a point, so don't expect support for the 'plucky adventurer'.

Arabic would definitely help – just make sure it's the right one for Egypt.
In the end it will pivot on a finding the right fixer/negotiator in Egypt to intercede on your behalf. They will deal with the costs.

Hey Chris,

Thank you again for sharing your experiences!
From your story it does not even sound that bad, as the biggest trouble would only be on the small stretch from Argeen to the intersection with the road to Abu Simbel, only 100kms (and the crossing itself ofcourse).

I have no experience with fixers/negotiaters. Do you have any suggestions on how to get started? Do these people operate publicly or is the only way to reach them through backchannels?

I have no experience either.
If I am visiting restricted areas I just slip through quickly or hire a local guide/escort.
You might try contacting a tour agency in Abu S.
They will of course be rubbing their hands...

Start by coming across as if the road is open to walkers (it may well be), and explaining you want to hire them to meet you somewhere with a food and water.
They will then come back saying how immensely complicated and costly (or forbidden) your request is.

Weather wise, you said earlier: 'arrive mid-2022' but Sudan is exceedingly hot at this time. I would plan to leave Khartoum in early November and expect to reach the border around Xmas.

Thank you for your suggestions! I intended to visit Egypt before starting with my walk, so I might aswell visit Abu Simbel then to sort things out.
Regarding climate, you are right. I will start later to avoid the desert heat.

As for food i can only speak for Wawa (other side of the Nile directly opposite Soleb; you can probably find someone with a boat that will take you there as i found someone willing to take me to Soleb and back to Wawa) there is a truck stop with a little shop/supermarket selling basic food and drinks. At the time (2018) they didnt have bottled water there so i had to settle for cola/sprite. This was actually the case for most of these small villages. They didnt have bottled water (they did in the larger villages but often in the tiny settlements they only sold soda drinks. Almost all of these villages have however large clay jars filled with water (probably from the Nile). I never drank from those but met some other traveller that had just been drinking from the Nile without getting sick for weeks (but i wouldnt recommend doing that just to be safe).

Thank you Abbas,

If there is nothing in Soleb that will be useful! Regarding water; I will carry a filter so the jars of water will be fine.

Frits,

Soleb is a small village with no shops, you would find some fresh produce there corresponding to the time of the year, but nothing else. Bear in mind that the road from there goes far inland in the desert, away from all settlements, so you would not be able to get anything along the way. However there is much traffic along the road (trucks & buses) so there is no risk in the sense of being in the middle of nowhere should something go wrong. However it is a pretty long stretch a good 250km from Soleb to Abu Simbel, there is practically nothing in-between. Argeen is just a border post, nothing more (on GE I see a few stalls on the Sudanese side, but I doubt that much is available there).

There is one issue however. Since gold was found in the north western desert, a huge mining support town sprang up near Toshka (not to be confused with the similarly named place in Egypt) about 30 kilometres north of Soleb. It is a pretty rough place, it was the only place in Sudan where I ever felt uncomfortable (we uplifted some fuel there), and looking at my Sudanese companion, I was not alone. It is not the place to walk past all alone...