Beyond the horizon in Algeria: the Hoggar desert

A circular route with departure and arrival Hoggar TAMANRASSET

 

The beginning

The alarm clock at 5:30 is traumatic, then the journey unfolds without further troubles.
Arrived in Algiers do not see anyone in the group, had to be in 6, we find only a fellow Algerian, and the agency confirms that we are only 3.
Under a persistent rain we arrived at our hotel which is located on the coast, about 30 km from the capital.
To bed early because tomorrow the alarm will sound at 3:30.

TAM

At 5 we are at the airport, a little man, the agency takes the tickets and disappear, reappear shortly before departure to load the luggage and give us back the tickets.
The flight over the desert is fascinating, we are heading into nothingness.
In TAMANRASSET (Tam) landed, the luggage is a big warehouse and baggage arriving on a cart pulled by 2 people.
An impressive Tuareg we take over and carry us to our hotel, we still return to the airport because a stock has not arrived.
At 17:30, after the SUV was composed of carrovana begin our adventure Hoggar.
Our Land but us 4 Italians (we added a girl Savona) there is also French.
At 20, the driver warns us that we arrived at the camp, look out, but we see no tents.
Meanwhile, the Tuareg stopped and made us get off.
When I asked where she had located the camp seraphically looks around and answers HERE.
Spend the night on a cot beach, sverlo knew we carried a sleeping bag.
Dinner is very good, perhaps even our appetite, the menu consists of raw and cooked vegetables and sardines in oil, fruit ... dates of course.

Under the stars

The cold night Dellal did not make us appreciate the wonder of sleeping under a starry sky in Italy is not anymore.
To wash, we find a source among the rocks, then we take the "path", after going up the hill TAHIFET zoning.
Packed with the usual verure cooked and sardines.
The track to TAZROUK running in a landscape of dark stones.
At 16 we arrived already be in the camp at night.
After dinner spend the evening singing with the group of Algerians.
We are preparing for another night to cool.

We wake with the sun, at 8:30 our traveling companion measure a temperature of - 4 ° C, luckily the sun heats the air immediately.
After loading the SUV with beds distributed.
Today, the landscape changes, we will be traveling an area characterized by large blocks of stone.
After lunch we step between them.
In the afternoon we reach IDELES, the village is in the middle of a vast plain, a group of palm trees indicate the right direction.
We also find a blacksmith shop, we can finally spend some money (we were told that we must spend at least 100,000 during the course of the trip)
Continue the journey, the track becomes blurred and the cars run on the plain each following its own path by giving us a sense of complete freedom.
Tonight we cot with a tent, mattress for the desert.

The last night in camp was spent well even if the "mattress" left something to be desired.
Commencing an approach all'ASSEKREM, began to see strange rock formations, time, however, deteriorates rapidly and when we come to the shelter, the sky is completely covered, even today there is the expected sunset.
While the guides prepare dinner, we climb to the hermitage of Father Foucauld, the wind is very strong and the colors are almost absent.
We return for dinner in the shelter, our group has available a salon, make dinner, and then clears the table instead of tablecloths you put mattresses.
We sleep a little stacked, but at least warm.

We wake up at 6:30, place your luggage, then we move towards the hermitage for the mass.
Outside the hut there is a fog type Po Valley and also a bit of rain, the guides say they were several years since we had a day like this, how lucky ...
Inside the hermitage is good, also because there is a stove that we riscada.
Back at the refuge for Tam, timing improvements.
At 16 we are at Tam, in our hotel.
The dinner consume it at 18.30 then spend the evening through the deserted streets, then a small dance performance by Tuareg and go to sleep.

New Year's evening

We start to Algiers, back to our hotel, we look for a taxi to take us to town, but we are practically isolated.
We agree with the other 2 friends strafogarci with a dinner at the paper, unfortunately the hotel is the only paper napkins, resulting in the usual meat with rice, patience.
We are preparing for the return to Italy with still images of the desert that does not leave us so easily.