Mauritania sits between the Sahara and the Atlantic, larger than France and Spain combined, with a population smaller than Berlin. Most of the country is uninhabited dune sea. The Adrar region in the north holds the ancient ksour of Chinguetti and Ouadane, both UNESCO World Heritage, founded over a thousand years ago and slowly being reclaimed by the sand. It is, by some distance, the wildest desert country we have set foot in.
The nine-day route runs from the high Adrar plateau down through Tifoujar pass, into the palm-shaded springs of Terjit, across the sand seas to Chinguetti and Ouadane, past the Eye of the Sahara, over the Sebkhat Chemcham salt flat, and finally to Zouerat. From there we ride one of the most famous trains in the world: the Mauritanian iron ore train, often three kilometres long with two hundred wagons, from the Zouerat mines to Choum.
This November we're heading in to scout the route. A small founder-only trip to scope the camps, meet local contacts, and ride the train ourselves. Live updates from the field on Instagram. The first public expedition runs the November after.