Trip to Tibesti, the roof of the Sahara
After almost forty years of tensions in this isolated region, where virtually all travel to Tibesti was restricted, a certain stability makes it possible to explore this remote mountain massif, known as the roof of the Sahara.
Located more than 4 days' hard travel from the capital N'Djamena, Tibesti stretches over an area about the size of Austria in northern Chad, close to the borders of Libya and Niger.
Some 15,000 Tedas, the inhabitants of Tibesti, live in one of the harshest and most remote geographies on the planet.
Lunar landscapes and deep craters in Tibesti
On this trip to Tibesti we will focus on discovering the endless and spectacular landscapes that this part of the Sahara has to offer. A complete and varied range of volcanoes, rock formations, oases, canyons, lava rivers, traditional villages and imposing dune chains await the traveller who joins our expedition.
If infrastructure is generally poor in Chad, it is non-existent in Tibesti. As when we travel to Ounianaga and Ennedi, we will have to carry all kinds of provisions for the journey, but with one difference: during the trip to Tibesti we will spend several days at a time without access to food and any other products.
Exploring Tibesti, the undiscovered Sahara
If the traveller is able to endure long, uncomfortable days of driving, basic cooking, extreme day and night temperatures, uncomfortable wind and a few other inconveniences that may arise during the expedition, he will be rewarded with vast horizons, campfires under the stars, places more like other planets and the pleasure of discovering a region that only a very small group of Westerners have travelled through.
During the trip to Tibesti we will see how the gold fever marks the life of the Tibesti people. Most of the Teda people have long since traded in their camels for Toyotas and satellite phones, and have dedicated themselves exclusively to the gold business.
Many other Africans, originating from southern and central Chad and other countries, seek their chance in these mountains, although many will return empty-handed.
All this is Tibesti, tough people, traders and traffickers, isolated villages, the highest mountains in the Sahara, stunning sandy beaches, volcanic calderas, huge oases and some of the most brutal desert landscapes in the world.
Some points of interest on the trip to Tibesti
- Cross the beautiful Sahelian area towards the north of Chad. A landscape dotted with acacia trees, nomads and mud-built villages.
- See the camel herds of Arab shepherds and Tubus in the desert.
- Visit isolated villages during the journey where the Teda of the Tibesti live.
- Abundant rock art at Tibesti, both paintings and engravings
- The incredible rock formations of Borkou, known as Chadian Tassili
- Walk through the immense palm groves of Faya
- Trou de Natron and the descent into the interior of the caldera
- Enjoy the spectacular scenery surrounding the Emi Koussi, the roof of the Sahara.
- Walk through the lunar landscapes of the Tibesti, seeing the different volcanoes such as the Tarso Voon, the Tarso Tieroko or the Tousside peak.
- Cross impressive dune chains