Great trek from Ouadane to Arouetine by Chinguetti in Mauritania

Trekking in Mauritania
2022 Mauritania

Great trek from Ouadane to Arouetine by Chinguetti
from December 2 to 17, 2022

Long trek by camel (with camels for portage) in the Mauritanian desert, from Ouadane to Arouetine via Chinguetti, for 2 weeks

December 2 and 3 - Arrival in Nouakchott and transfer near Ouadane

Transfer by minibus for 8 hours then 4x4 for 2.5 hours, via Atar, before reaching our first bivouac in the dunes near Ouadane

Long transfer from Nouakchott to Ouadane in 4x4 (photo credit Rémi)

Pause during the long transfer from Nouakchott to Ouadane in 4x4 (photo credit Rémi)

December 4 - Wadi Tinllab and its palm grove - Ouadane - Tanouchert

Visit to the date palm valley then guided tour of the old town of Ouadane renovated in 2020

Valley of date palms (photo credit Rémi)

The old town of Ouadane renovated in 2020 (photo credit Rémi)

Alley of the old town of Ouadane (photo credit Rémi)

Night in the village of Tanouchert (photo credit Rémi)

December 5 - Tanouchert - Herrour

Walk in the dunes and rerg. Arrival at the bivouac around 6:45 p.m. Bivouac under the stars. Thunderstorms and lightning on the horizon

Sunset in the desert

Beautiful lights on the sand (photo credit Rémi)

December 6 - Léguéynbé - Kerd el Lez

walk in the dunes. Visit the school. Nap and arrive at the bivouac around 5:45 p.m..

Sunrise in the desert

Desert expanse (photo credit Rémi)

December 7 - Kerd el Lez - Tijar - bivouac at Kraa al Haritat

Hot becoming heavy with a little wind. Thicker cloud cover. Thunderstorm turning in the distance around our bivouac in the dunes. Stormy rain between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Pack camels in the desert

Our bivouac in the early morning

Pause on a dune (photo credit Sandrine)

Sunset in the desert

December 8 - Kraa al Haritat - Mghalig al Tillé

Very beautiful Sunset. A little warm night without storm but cloudy. Full Moon

Sunrise in the dunes

Our camp in the early morning, under the stars or in a tent

Our camel trek for carrying our belongings (photo credit Rémi)

Red sunset in the desert (photo credit Sylvain)

December 9 - Mghalig al Tillé - Niyani

Departure in the dunes. Singing dunes in their last third with vibration underfoot in the sand. Arrival at the bivouac around 6 p.m. after 15 km of walking during the day

Dawn in the dunes

Sunrise in the dunes

Dunes to infinity

Dunes sculpted by the wind

One of the guides with his camel (our broom wagon)

Part of the group of hikers walking in the dunes

Our footprints in the dunes

Pause on a high dune, in sepia (photo credit Sandrine)

Pause on a high dune, in color (photo credit Rémi)

Close-up of a camel from our camel trek (photo credit Sylvain)

December 10 - Niyani - Chinguetti

Departure for Chinguetti and arrival around 12:30 p.m. Check-in at the La Rose des Sables hostel. Visit to a library with a Mauritanian scholar.

Breakfast break (photo credit Sandrine)

Visit of Chinguetti (photo credit Rémi)

December 11 - Chinguetti - erg Ouarane: Mghaleg Hmir - Hassi ould Magaïa

Departure around 8:15 a.m. for a 3.5 hour walk in the desert dunes. Long wait before lunch but a very good Sunday meal based on fish and crushed rice.

The camel trek stretched on a dune (photo credit Rémi)

December 12 - Erg Ouarane: Lagueïla - Ould Tahle

Temperature at sunrise of 5°C. Departure around 8:20 a.m. for arrival in an oasis around midday. Meal in the shade of the date palm trees of the oasis. Dinner of rice and vegetables. Cool night between the dunes.

The immense Mauritanian desert

Progression in the immensity of the Mauritanian desert

Our ephemeral traces in the Mauritanian dunes

Progression in the immensity of the Mauritanian desert

The lookout of our group of hikers

Preparing the camp for the night

Sunset over the dunes

Camp fire at nightfall

December 13 - Erg Ouarane: Tinouarderit

Last day in the dunes. Very good dinner of couscous and light semolina. Lots of shooting stars.

Succulents in the sand

Sun in backlight

Our camel trek (photo credit Rémi)

December 14 - Erg Ouarane - Zerga chain: guelb er Raoui

Barking of several jackals at the end of the night. Departure around 8:20 a.m. for 4 hours of walking. Lunch and dinner in the same place as the night's bivouac in the rocky massif of Zarga

First light of day

Zerga Range: Guelb er Raoui

Walking in the desert

The camels of our camel trek in semi-freedom (restrained)

The vastness of the desert

Zerga Channel: Guelb er Raoui

Sunset

Pause in the shade of the rocks (photo credit Sylvain)

December 15 - Zerga Range: Guelb er Raoui - Arouetine - Daklet el Guerdane

Walking in the rocky plateau of Zarga. Total hike of approximately 180km. Minimum temperature in the morning 5°C to +40°C in the sun. Approximately 35-38°C in the shade. Bivouac in the extremity south of the Zarga massif.

Zerga Chain: Guelb er Raoui

Sunset

December 16 and 17 - Zerga Range: Al Ateg - Azougui and return the next day

Walk for about 3h30 in the rockery before leaving the camel team. View of 9 vultures above Zarga moving in the ascendants. Climb 150m in the dune at the end of the Zarga massif to see go back down the other side.