Chad: 3000km in the Sahara

[netllama]

As was discussed here, I recently returned from spending nearly three weeks in Chad. Chad is nearly entirely in the Sahara, and has been on my list for years, but the pandemic botched multiple trips. This was a group tour, as there is literally zero infrastructure, and attempting a trip like this solo (even with a sat phone) could mean perishing out in the Sahara.

This trip went far better than my previous trip, but it was far from easy. There were 15 consecutive days of camping, most days were 5+ hours of driving (through open desert), food was very repetitive (basically the same thing for lunches and dinners every day), and there was also sand storms and day time temperatures hovering around 100F.

However, it was very much worth it to see a way of life (there are still nomads and camel/goat/sheep herders that live in the Sahara their entire lives) and unique scenery unlike anywhere else. Outside of Utah and China, Chad has more arches than any other place on the planet, and it has virtually no tourism (no parking lots full of cars waiting to get their selfie at Delicate Arch, no roads, etc). Of course that also means that if something goes wrong, you are very much on your own. We passed several stranded vehicles during our drives where the worst case scenarios transpired. One poor guy had 2 flats and a failed transmission. A 14 wheel truck (packed very high & full with cargo) somehow lost all of his engine oil through some sort of cracked engine block, and had been stuck for nearly a month waiting for rescue. We offered them water, but there's not much more that can be done in those scenarios.

It was truly a unique experience, and I feel fortunate to have seen it. What follows are some of the highlights from the trip:

IMG_1187 Four arches

IMG_1054-bw0 fortress

IMG_0976-bw0 fins

IMG_1155 Archei d'Guelta (ancient camel watering canyon)

IMG_20221118_070559 the slot

IMG_0468 heading to Sudan

IMG_20221111_084730 Faya, the largest "city" in the north

IMG_20221110_140251 the wind always blows to the left. always.

IMG_0951 the window

IMG_0929 lunch stop arch

IMG_0519 lunch stop dunes

IMG_1203 Aloba Arch, the world's 8th largest (by max width)

IMG_1217-bw0 twisted

IMG_1180 the elephant

IMG_0959 the twins

IMG_20221113_171439 camping on the dunes

IMG_1114 the mask

IMG_20221112_072214-bw0 layer cakes

IMG_20221116_074616 so many windows

IMG_20221111_164442 camping at the oasis

IMG_20221118_071606 walk through

IMG_20221113_082400 Ounianga Lakes (fed by an aquafer, salt + algae creates the colors)

IMG_20221116_120630 slot canyon

IMG_1073 the bottle

IMG_1166 the eye of Tokou (wide enough to drive 4 trucks through side-by-side)

IMG_20221109_154501 death

IMG_1010-bw0 baby arch (about 12ft tall)

IMG_0545 the freeway

IMG_20221122_100700 heavy load

IMG_1153 hello

IMG_1209 Aloba arch from the other side

IMG_0497 deep, soft sand for days

IMG_0489 sand storms suck

IMG_0913 tiny windows

IMG_0939 the gateway

IMG_1216 twisted arch again


If you want to see more, I've got about 700 photos posted here, and a detailed trip report available here. Also the GPX track that i recorded for the entire trip is available here (about 3000km).

[trailhound]

Wow! That is crazy stuff.

[Brice]

Twisted arch is spectacular! Thanks for sharing!

[netllama]

Twisted arch is spectacular! Thanks for sharing!

Yup that one is truly unique. The forces that created it must have been amazing (millions of years ago).

[Bluegreen kayak]

So glad you're back, and so glad to have your pictures and account, thank you!

I got a kick out of slowly scrolling down and trying to guess what each caption would be when I reached to bottom of the picture. Some very amusing ones you had.

[TacoLand]

Thanks for the trip report & photos – both pair well with a morning cup of coffee.

[MojaveGeek]

Wow, those pix are incredible. I'll have to go read the long form trip report; your writing is always entertaining. Those roadless desert horizons remind me of places in the Algerian Sahara, back in 1972 when I crossed, before there was a paved (I think) road. There were places where every km would be a 55 gallon drum with a 10 foot pole, other than that, you were on your own for navigation, and that was well before GPS.

Those arches are just unbelievable!

[netllama]

Wow, those pix are incredible. I'll have to go read the long form trip report; your writing is always entertaining. Those roadless desert horizons remind me of places in the Algerian Sahara, back in 1972 when I crossed, before there was a paved (I think) road. There were places where every km would be a 55 gallon drum with a 10 foot pole, other than that, you were on your own for navigation, and that was well before GPS.

Those arches are just unbelievable!

YES! Chad also has those oil drums and striped poles along the "road" through the dunes between N'djamena (the capital) and Faya (the "city" far north).

[David_Bricker]

Spectacular pictures. Thank you for sharing them. Glad you had a good time, and didn't fall victim to the elements. Harsh environment indeed.

David Bricker / SYR

[Daymoth]

WOAH!!!!

What do you use as a camera? Ive already damaged 2 because of dust in the sierra mind you, not even sand dunes. Cant imagine in a sand storm how quick it would crap out.