Balade Beïdane (15-Day Camel Trek)
A two-week camel trek through the land of the Beydanes (Mauritanian region) between the historic town of Ouadane and the oasis of Terjit, passing through the holy city of Chinguetti: fourteen intense days traversing ergs with magnificent dunes, palm groves, canyons, and splendid valleys. This trek offers a comprehensive overview of the Adrar region.
Highlights: Ouadane – Chinguetti – Erg Ouarane – Zarga – Terjit – the pace of the camel caravan – Campsites
VOTRE VOYAGE
J 1 CASABLANCA - NOUAKCHOTT
Arrival on the flight from Casablanca around 1:45 a.m., followed by a 30-minute transfer to the hotel.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
J 2 NOUAKCHOTT - OUADANE
After breakfast, departure from Nouakchott for the town of Ouadane. Stop for lunch in Atar, the capital of Adrar, and continue on to Ouadane. Arrival around 6:00 p.m.
Transfer by minibus and 4x4 6 to 7 hours
Overnight stay at a guesthouse.
J 3 OUADANE - AMDL EL GUEBLI
Meet our camel team and begin our hike through the dunes of Erg Ouarane, heading southwest. Camp near Emedl El Guebli.
3 to 5 hours of walking.
Overnight in a camp.
J 4 AMDL EL GUEBLI - TENOCHERT
We’ll stay in the dunes of the erg, walking due west toward the beautiful little palm grove of Tenochert.
3 to 5 hours of walking.
Overnight in a camp.
J 5 TENOCHERT - RGHEWIYA
We leave the Tenochert palm grove via the northern pass. We’ll have a picnic under the acacia trees at Lemheybess before arriving at the semi-nomadic camp of Rghewiya. A small dance party with our Moorish friends.
2 to 5 hours of walking.
Overnight in a campsite.
J 6 RGHEWIYA - MEZROUGATT
We leave the Rghewiya camp and head southwest through the beautiful dunes of Teijert. We set up camp at N’touchat.
3 to 4 hours of walking.
Overnight in a camp.
J 7 N’TOUCHATT - TWEYIRET
From Mezrougatt, we continue our camel trek through beautiful interdune valleys toward Lemreyveg, in the Chingeitti Valley. We follow the batha, where acacias and leptadenias mingle with balanites, before setting up camp on a beautiful dune facing the small Tweyiret palm grove.
3 to 5 hours of walking.
Overnight in a camp.
J 8 TWEIYIRET - CHINGUETTI
Continuing due west, we press on through the beautiful dunes of the Erg Ouarane toward the ancient caravan city of Chinguetti, where we arrive around midday. We visit one of the oldest libraries (containing ancient manuscripts) and the ruins of the old city of Chinguetti, considered the seventh holiest city in Islam.
Chinguetti has about ten libraries, four of which are open to the public. Some items in these collections date back to the 11th century, including some written on gazelle skins. Most of these works deal with religion and the Quran, but many cover science, geometry, or literature. The city has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
2 to 4 hours of walking.
Overnight at a guesthouse.
J 9 CHINGUETTI - LAGUEYLA - MGHALIG
Departure for the dunes toward “Lagueila,” a beautiful little oasis in the heart of the “Mgalig” dunes. You’ll find yourself immersed in a sea of golden sand stretching 360 degrees around you. Dinner and overnight stay in a campsite in the sand in the middle of the Erg Ouarane.
3 to 4 hours of walking.
Overnight stay in a campsite.
J 10 M'GHALIG - TINOUAGHERIT - AROUEITINE
Staying in the Mghalig region, we continue walking through a landscape of rare and unimaginable beauty: vast dune fields stretch out one after another, all resembling one another, until the Erg Ouarane comes to an end as it heads west toward Tinouagherit. We’ll stop for lunch under a beautiful acacia tree.
Our late-afternoon hike will take us across a stony reg dotted with barkhanes. Camp at Aroueitine, facing Mount Zarga, which means “the variegated mountain.”
5 to 6 hours of walking.
Overnight in camp.
J 11 AROEITINE -TICHILIT - DKHALILIMOISINE
We’ll walk along and across the “Zarga” mountain to take in the panoramic views. Lunch under the acacia trees at the foot of the beautiful Tichilit El Ateg dune.
We’ll cross the final dunes of the Erg Ouarane and set up camp at the foot of the “Lemmoïzine” plateau.
A 5- to 6-hour hike.
Overnight in a camp.
J 12 DKHALI - EGEYLIT - NWAJE
A quick climb and hike across the “Lemmoïzine” plateau along ancient caravan trails, followed by a descent into the ‘Irat’ canyon. Camp at “Nwajje.”
5 to 6 hours of hiking.
Overnight in a camp.
J 13 NWAJE - M’HEIRETH - ICHIVE
Descent to the beautiful 8-kilometer-long oasis of “Mhaïreth.” Ascent of the pass leading to the sandy wadi of “Ichive.” Camp.
3 to 4 hours of walking
Overnight in camp.
J 14 ICHIVE - TERJIT - N'TEZNT
From the top of the N’Tourvine Pass, you can admire the Adrar canyons. Tergit and its warm spring await you for a refreshing swim. In the late afternoon, we continue on to the N’teznt wadi, our final campsite.
2 to 3 hours of walking
Overnight in a campsite.
J 15 OASIS DE SEWEIGUYA - NOUAKCHOTT
We’ll take one last short walk in the morning toward the meeting point with the cars, the Seweguya Oasis.
Early picnic lunch and departure for Nouakchott
2-hour walk + 4- to 5-hour drive.
Dinner at a restaurant and transfer to the airport at midnight.
J 16 NOUAKCHOTT – CASABLANCA on the return flight at 2:45 a.m.
Fiche Technique de Balade Beïdane
