Sorry:
And do you think it's possible, after Taghit, to go to Beni Abbes then Timimoun without escort nor guide?
RR.

For those heading this way just be aware of this article about the Tindouf area:
https://www.observalgerie.com/politi...NiqdBuT9wg4TsE

further to Daves post,

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/201...SQ0_I1v_X2Oijk

There are some Norwegians in Algeria at the moment heading Tindouf way. No updates from them the last few days

Jon Eirik is alive and back online after being holed up in Tamanrasset after some visa confusion. Dont think they even could drive around in town, and no Assekrem.
Now in Timimoun.
https://www.facebook.com/Afrikatur-2...7621287309114/

This thread is about the newly opened DZ-RIM border crossing, not Morocco.
Those posts relocated here.

I see our Norwegian chum has lately arrived in Tindouf.
Below is a shortened online translation.
You imagine his next post will be deep in RIM.
They're in a TLC with a trailer which looks like it was giving the usual trailer problems. And he is heading trans-Africa?
The old Transsaharienne bus in Camping Dassine (Tam) is looking ever more weather-worn.

Even if the Abada escort is a faff, it's a small price to pay if you have something against Atlantic Route.
To do this route seems to me the crux is the Alg visa. Once you're in, you're in.
Brits (for example) need an invite/escort etc.
No reply yet from a second (southern) agency I asked. (First one said ministry permission denied).
I do wonder if post election, govt has put the brakes on a bit.
Norwayman got in before election.
As usual with Alg, who knows.

Abadla to Tindouf
We had been asked the night before when we were leaving Abadla. We had said 10 o'clock. So about 10 o'clock we were ready. But no escort had appeared. …at 12 o'clock, and the escort had not yet appeared, we became even more annoyed...=
After a while, the escort arrived. So then we just said that we started driving …. we had to explain that we couldn't drive very fast, that we camped, …. they said it was somewhere about 200 km from Abadla where we could camp in safety. So we agreed to drive there....This place turned out to be right at a gendarmerie checkpoint.... The next morning the escort was ready …. We felt that 300 km was a bit much, so we arrived at the campsite about 3 pm. This was also right at a gendarmerie checkpoint.... On the third day we had almost 300 km left to Tindouf. It's a bit more than I like to drive in a day, but we got off early and the road was good quality, so the speed was usable. I also suspected that we would not be allowed to camp in Tindouf, but would be forced to stay in a hotel. And then arriving late would not be as big a problem.... This turned out to be correct. When we arrived at Tindouf we asked if we could camp, but after the gendarmerist had taken some phones, he could say that it was not possible… So we stayed in a cheap hotel..

The Norwegians reports have been interesting to follow, (although sometimes FB's translation is a little weird). Not sure on their final destination but I don't think its trans Africa

Sounds like they'll try and cross today and the next update may be a few days before they can report again

Looks like Afrikatur has checked back in.
It looks like they cut across the PFZ via Bir Lehlou
See his FB page.

They arrived Bir Moghrein after more tussles with the military, both Algerian and Polisario.

If they didn't have a trailer their voyage would be better.
Doesn't sound like they are having much fun but they made it to Maure so well done.

Indeed well done to Jon and crew. They reported meeting another overlander on the same route and had confirmation at the Alg/Mauro border post of other who crossed recently.

They do seem to have a wonderfully naïve approach to the trip (no gps maps, vague paper maps and the useless maps.me app and that trailer!) but they've made it in one piece :D

Their constant bickering with the military is somewhat disturbing.
They don't understand that they are in a militarized zone and can't argue about everything.


How is it the touareg say

Le premier voyage c'est l'expérience

Le deuxième voyage c'est la richesse

I've thought the same reading their reports, now I've no experience in Algeria to speak from a knowledgeable point of view but they have, at times, appeared a little disrespectful in their comments.

New border
 

We recently crossed into Mauritania from Western Sahara, a Mauritanian immigration official overheard a conversation between me and a fellow overlander, he informed us that the border was open to tourists and that you could get your Mauritanian visa on the border.

Two weeks later we met a Swiss couple in a Landcruiser 79 series with a camper on the back in Kiffa, and they had driven this route themselves. They told us no escorts in Algeria and crossed with no problems except some small issue with one Algerian official. The drive from the border to zouerat took eight hours I think.

Hope this helps

Another lucky nationality which can dodge the DZ escort requirements.
Not Brits, afaik. Was just told by an agency that northbound we'd need their escorts right at Tindouf border + the army one from there to Abadla.

8 hours for 1000km of piste is pretty good going ;-)
Though I noted some Dakar cars yesterday averaged 120kph, including half a day of dunes 8-/

Just got a call from Jon Eirik in Nouakchott. They are well and parking the trailer while they continue south. Original plan was Ghana but Algeria took so long they will probably settle for Bissau.

From what I have just been researching about West Af the last few days, if avoiding Mali completely (as some are doing) the countries in that SW corner are especially tough with a trailer.
Spot the car in the picture.
But looks like they popped in to the Shackleton on the way down.