Any information especially about the track Néma - Oualata - Tichit - Atar. Our website: Welfaredaddy

I'm doing a similar route by bike leaving UK on 10th March... we could link up for the more challenging sections?

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Bonis Se Aliovorsum Avertentibus Hic Crescit Pravitas

Also following the route in part (on GS), but heading for Senegal. Will be leaving Marrakech March 28th., a little behind the both of you.

Safe & happy travels.

Mike

All,

Looks like I am a bit in front of you. In Ouarzazate, Morocco at the moment on a KTM 640.

Should be in RIM end of next week and then planning on doing Noudhibou to Atar to Tidjika to Tichit to Oualata to Nema. All the points for these are covered in Sahara Overland.

Jose Brito has also previously posted on the HUBB the points from the track Nema to Timbuktu.

Send me a PM if you are interested in joining up for any part of the route.

cheers

Hi,
Whats your plans for getting from Nema to Timbuktu.

Thanks

Graham

The Beast of Burden team took this route last month. I'm working on pics and a write-up which should be up on our site on Wednesday.

in the meantime here's some pointers:

* Don't rely on hookups – this year we saw only one other tourist vehicle between Atar and Timbuctu. Security fears have had an impact.

* Between Ching and Tidj there has been a lot of dune movement, even since last year

* Although most route descriptions state there is no distinct piste between Aratane and Oualata, we found good, well-marked tracks the whole way.

* Between Tidj and Nema in general, stick to the piste like glue or your progress will be difficult. The IGN maps are useful to have

* Diesel was available in drums at Tichitt and Oualata. No petrol, but if you have time and money I'm sure something could be arranged.

* Register with the Gendarmarie in Tichitt - they're friendly (ask for a game of petanque!) and perhaps your best chance of help if things go wrong.

* If entering Mali SE of Nema, (via one of the so-called 'smuggler' routes) try and go through all douane and police procedures at the border (Lere) rather than hoping to do this at Timbuctu. In Mali the Douane are entrepreneurs and missing papers will cause you problems or cost you ££.

It's a wonderful route, a real epic, but not to be taken lightly for single vehicles or heavy bikes.

Good luck!

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Pictures, Mauritania 2011

Hi Mike,
will be in The Gambia to pick my GS up on April 23rd and will be heading slowly back towards Spain..with no particular route in mind..whats your destination after dakar??
Cheers Tom

Hi Tim

Well apart from a departure date from Marra (March 28th), have no strict time plan. Heading down the Atlantic route into Senegal - then into Gambia - and sloooooooowly back up again. Plan to try to see some different parts of Morocco not yet visited on the return leg.
I'll PM you my mobile number ...... perhaps you like to text me when you're down there, with a view to meeting up if timing permits?

Mike

PS Curious to know what your GS is doing in the Gambia!

Tom, Tim, Tom, Tim ...........yet another senior moment!

My apologies TOM!

M.

Yeah i know..its a bit of an odd place to rest my Gs..but the story goes like this..Was on the portsmouth/bilbao ferry last november and met Orrin a south african lad on a honda XL600...headed for his home country....And..after helping him with his final preparations at my house in spain...waved him goodbye and wished him well...but like things work out sometimes...coz we were in touch by text...decided off the cuff a couple of weeks later to go meet him in Marakesh and ride along with him for a bit..anyway yeah we had a cracking time...and split up in northen Senegal..me heading the Gambia and him heading to Timbuktu...My problem was that i needed to be in the UK for xmas to meet up with my daughter and at that time i had only 2 weeks remaining so..rather than rushing straight back up through the Western sahara..basically backtracking..id put the bike there in storage and return when i had more time to enjoy the return journey...yeah thats about it really...have a safe trip Mike..and if you need any info on the atlantic trip just let me know mate....
Cheers Tom