EXPEDITION EXAMPLES
Grand tour of the Tenere desert Aïr/Ténéré Tour by arbre du Ténéré Aïr-Adrar Chiriet Trek trough Aïr by foot or camelback
Aïr/Ténéré in seven days Aïr mountains Camelback in Aïr 12/14 days River Niger in dugout canoe, Tapoa Park

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AÏR MOUNTAINS in 7 DAYS

 

Agadez - Azel - Dabaga - Elméki


Leaving Agadez, we follow the Telwa oued through Azel, a charming village of settled Tuareg farmers and herdsmen.
Arid moonscapes and emerald-green oasis, volcanic pillars and well-tended gardens, light-footed gazelles and flowering acacia trees: on this stretch of track, contrasts and surprises abound, to the unending delight of the traveller.
In Elméki, Tuaregs still extract tin from ancient cassiterite mines.



Timia - Assodé

Downstream from Timia, a lovely waterfall cascades through a series of basins toward the guelta.
Bright green against the ochre expanse of sand, the Timia oasis offers a striking contrast to the somber lava range that surrounds it. Kel Oui farmers still water their gardens with the wooden pulleys used by their ancestors. They raise corn, wheat, a wide variety of vegetables, even grapes.
Tales of the flourishing past of Assodé abound. The ancient capital of the Aïr is now a ghost town where only a few walls still stand, but pottery shards strewn all over the site testify to its once thriving economy.


Tchintoulous - Zagado valley - Kogo

The road zigzags through small, chaotic valleys, crosses numerous oueds and follows one, the Zilâlet, to Tchintoulous, a village nestled at the foot of the haughty Aguerâguer. Watch for gazelles in this area. The ever-widening Zagado Valley leads us toward Kogo. Huge marble mountains rise up along our path. At last, the Zagado Valley dissolves in the infinite expanse of the Ténéré desert.

Arakao

To reach Arakao, we must meet the challenge of giant dunes and move away from the massive Takolokouzet before we can come back to its base and enter the ten-kilometer wide crater shaped like a crab claw.

Arakao gathers the Ténéré sand through a large breach in its high walls, forming a gigantic sand buttress against the Takolokouzet. An unforgettable night under the desert stars awaits you there.

We leave Arakao through its sand barricade, then cross the Issaouane Oued to reach Illekane and Izane


Illekane - Izane - Adrar Chiriet

In every direction, sand waves roll toward the horizon, sometimes crashing against islands of blue and white marble. Gold, silver and pink dunes nurture delicate flowers and capture light tracks that hint of a secret life amazingly well adapted to its harsh environment.
The multicolored Ifiniyane Dunes rush up against Adrar Chiriet, a dark volcanic outcrop fantastically eroded by blowing sand.


Tezirzek well- Temet dunes

Near Tezirzek Well, a hill covered with rock paintings evokes the rich fauna that roamed the Ténéré when the desert still bloomed. All those species have disappeared, along with the cultures whose life depended on them.
Almost completely blocked by sand, the tricky Temet Pass leads to the highest dunes of the Ténéré, of the whole world, perhaps: forbidding sand walls more than 300 meters high in places. Mount Gréboun towers another thousand meters above them.

 

Temet - Iférouane

After this journey to the kingdom of sand and silence, we reenter the world of the living through Iférouane. This rather large lowland oasis is dotted with well-tended, shadowy gardens; there, we meet traditional metalsmiths and craftsmen.

Goûgaram - Agadez


Our path snakes through the Aïr Mountains, between small rocky outcrops and low hills. Tree-lined oueds provide the sole respite from the sun. At Goûgaram, we leave the mountains to enter the Talak Plain where we find the road running from Arlit to Agadez.



PRICE for the seven-day full-board tour from Agadez for a party of

2 = 1645 Euros (10.800 FF) per person
3 = 1190 Euros (7.800 FF) "
4 = 930 Euros (6.100 FF) "
5 = 790 Euros (5.000 FF) "
6 = 640 Euros (4.200 FF) "
7 or more = 565 Euros (3.700 FF) per person

Prices include:
* 4WD vehicles and fuel
* drivers, guide and cook
* full board, cookware, tableware and one foam mattress per person
* local taxes and route approval (required for desert travel)

Prices do not include:
* drinks and personal expenses
* plane tickets and airport taxes
* food and lodging in Agadez
* travel insurance (trip cancellation, lost luggage, emergency return for health reasons)

NOTE: these prices apply to the 2002/2003 season, save for an abnormal rise in local prices.