Sahara Desert in Morocco?
Replies: 25 - Last Post: Jun 14, 2010 3:54 PM Last Post By: obamaberber
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15
Fun to see how a debate about whether Sahara is or not is in Morocco increased to the global debate on the Sahara as such.Anyway I wish also to cross one day the whole Sahara.
18
Is that my 900 miles estimate you're referring to?If you take straight line measurements in Mapsource from Tah (border point of Morocco/Western Sahara) to Fort Guerguarat (border of Western Sahara/Mauritania) and then on to Rosso (border of Mauritania/Senegal) it comes out at 844 miles. So, yes, my 900 miles (1440km) is probably an underestimate.
19
My dear Tim, stop to fight with me the whole time, please, you are not expert of Sahara. I was also in Guelmim for example. The map of Sahara I have already many many years, I was reading so many books about Sahara etc. I know very well therefore where is Sahara. But anyway I say that even one piece of Sahara is in Morocco.And many people not have time, not possibility either to go longer than to this little piece of Sahara as Erg Chebbi or Zagora even if they wish to go longer. So they will have a little feeling of to be in Sahara even if it is only one little point of so big areaif you understand my bad English and what I can mean with that.
20
To add a little on the Trans Saharan route as it was known then.The route we followed was Laghouat, Ghardaia, El Golea, In Salah and Tamanrasset. Hell, I had to look up the spelling of these towns but i did remember there order as you moved south.
Back then the route was marked by 44 gallon drums spaced at 5 km intervals. The route or 'road' was just sand and rocks and was in pretty poor condition so anyone travelling by 4x4 just used these 44 gallon drums as markers. The route was probably a couple of kilometers either side of these drums as everyone tried to find the best piece of Piste.
There was a bit of traffic then with this being the main route from north to south. You would pass a couple of landrovers with brits, aussies or kiwis with the odd froggy car making an effort to get through. Lots of old rusted wrecks that couldnt quite make the journey.
At intervals there would be permanent wells where you access water with the goatskin bag on a rope trick.
I f you stopped in the middle of nowhere for a pee stop or for lunch you think you are alone until some toureg or Fulani person comes out of the sand and asks for water or a smoke.
There were lots of wild camels. There seemed to be bad dust storms every few days which prevented us from driving until it blew over.
The bolongerie ( french spelling is poor) bread shops in the town were something to be savoured. We always waited in the morning befor leaving a town to get these wonderful gritty from the sand loaves.
Does anyone here on TT know whether the route is now sealed? There were no known plans at the time we went through as we asked but maybe by now they might have made the effort.
Also Kate, I would jump at the chance to go back and explore the area again and maybe even further to the East and take in the Tassili and Dajanet.
Maybe one day eh, but i will be too bloody old and cranky if they leave it much longer.
Cheers.
22
Let me through this in to the mix then…………What about desertification?! The actual size of the area known as the Sahara changes all the time, so maybe each crossing you guys have done was a different. The sands of the Sahara can shift for miles every year (mainly due to agricultural methods and over grazing).23
yes I remember even from M´Hamid - first time I was there was year 2000 and then 2005 and I almost not recognized the place there I toke pictures first time I was there. Even if it is not so much sand there so even that sand was moving from that place to other place - difference could be something about one or more kilometers.
