Egypt WDT

We left Cairo quite late towards Baharriya, but as we drove the road a week before we did not mind

South of Bahariyya, the classical Oasis route

This is the famous Black Desert hill which tourists from Baharriya come to visit. We will see many more similar hills on our Western Desert Tour

Stones from Crystal Mountain are nice and transparent. It is near the tarmac road, so it is often visited

Crystal "Mountain", next to Baharriya - Dakla road

White Desert, Egypt

Ned posing for a picture. He was one of the two other tourists on our Western Desert Tour

The White Desert attracts many tourists

White Desert, Egypt

Leaving the White Desert in Southern direction towards Dakla oasis

The White Desert has some soft patches which produce a lot of dust when driving through

Leaving the White Desert in Southern direction towards Dakla oasis

The brownish colored sand only covers the white talg below

On the way from the White Desert in southern direction towards Dakla oasis

On the way (well, with a break...) from the White Desert in southern direction towards Dakla oasis.

pushing out went surprisingly easy

On the way from the White Desert in southern direction towards Dakla oasis

A few km North of Dakla Oasis

Dakla Oasis

Desert Lodge, Dakla

View South from Desert Lodge, Dakla

View North from Desert Lodge, Dakla

Desert Lodge, Dakla

Hot Spring at Desert Lodge, Dakla. Very pleasant after a day out in the desert

Islamic City, Dakla Oasis. Today, there remain only a few inhabitants in the old town which is picturesque. An inhabitant acts as tourist guide.

Old Mill in Islamic City, Dakla Oasis

Islamic City, Dakla Oasis

Dakla Oasis, green fields with sand dunes in background

On our way from Dakla in South-Eastern direction

We joined an organised trip to the Western Desert - we were a total of 3 vehicles

Abu Ballas, the water reservoir that enabled medieval attacks on Dakla Oasis

Abu Ballas

View from Abu Ballas

After we had lost the track of our guides vehicle, we took a picture in case it would happen again

It is surprising how quickly you loose sight of another vehicle on a seemingly flat sand sheet

Mud loins, formations that were created as the area was still covered with water

Mud lions, Western Desert, Egypt

In 1977 Saviem/Renault crossed a large part of the Sahara and left sign-posts - which can be seen on Michelin maps

On sand it is best to not drive in a previous track

You develop a different sense for distance

The two other tourists on the tour, Steve and Ned

The landscape is varied and changes frequently

Gilf Kebir (with Victoria)

This truck did not survive the British Long Range Desert Tour of 1942

Our group (without the 3 people in the support truck) from left to right: Guide, Victoria, Military Officer, Ned, Reto, Steve

The failing truck led to a fuel stop for the others. We were impressed how the desert was crossed during WW II

Western Desert, Egypt

At the end of a wadi a barrier dune enabled a lake to form in prehistoric times. Humans lived on the shores

and today left-overs such as arrow-heads can be found

Western Desert, Egypt

Airport of 8 Bells, used in WW II

Detail of the arrow of 8 Bells airport

Cruising over the great sand sheets towards Uweinat was easy and fast in some areas

On the way to Uweinat (guides vehicle)

Crossing the border Egypt/Sudan near Uweinat (no border post)

Sudanese side of Uweinat. Despite some trees, there is no surface water or a well

Uweinat, Sudan

Uweinat has many prehistoric rock art remains

Uweinat, Sudan

Uweinat has many prehistoric rock art remains

Caravans used to stop in Uweinat, but not all camels survived. There are many skeletons

Uweinat, Sudan

Another border sign Sudan/Egypt

Heading North from Sudan through Egypt to Lybia

Remains of an Egyptian Military Truck. Desert driving is tough on vehicles

Top of the Aqaba Pass (Gilf Kebir, Egypt), a long and sandy ascent. If you don't make it in one go, you should drive down and try again...

View on the Aqaba Pass (Gilf Kebir, Egypt)

Aqaba Pass, Gilf Kebir, Egypt

near Wadi Sora, Egypt

Our campspot near the Cave of the Swimmers

near the Cave of the Swimmers

2 out of the 9 swimmers

Cave of the Swimmers, Egypt

View from the Cave of the Swimmers

Victoria showing two little swimmers

Cave of the Swimmers

Western Desert, Egypt (very near to Lybia)

Fugini Cave, near Cave of the Swimmers

Fugini Cave, near Cave of the Swimmers. It is also known as Cave of the Hands

View from Fugini Cave

Fugini Cave, near Cave of the Swimmers

View from Fugini Cave, near Cave of the Swimmers

Fugini Cave, near Cave of the Swimmers

Heading North-West from Cave of the Swimmers

Reto discovered the Matterhorn mountain in Egypt

Heading North-West from Cave of the Swimmers

Tea Stop in Lybia

Border sign Egypt/Lybia (no border post)

Lybia/Egypt border area

Lybia/Egypt border area has fine sand, which is more like dust

Lybia/Egypt border area

Antar, the driver of the Liaz truck. He is very experienced

Lybia/Egypt border area

Reto was allowed to drive in the truck for a while. It was bumpier and slower than in a Toyota

Lybia/Egypt border area

Victoria using our solar shower in Wadi Abdelmalik

Reto drying himself and keeping warm after showering

It got cold that night, as our guide proves (the skiing gloves are from Austria)

Loading Diesel in the desert

Wadi Abdelmalik, Egypt

Lonely tree in Wadi Abdelmalik, Egypt

Wadi Abdelmalik, Egypt

Egypt/Lybia border area

The southern tip of the "Great Sand Sea". When trying to make a picture, we suddenly got stuck...

The quickest solution for getting out of a soft patch of sand is by being pulled

Southern end of the "Great Sand Sea"

Self-Exposure during our sundowner snack, where we spent the night, on a dune above the silica glass area

Our nightspot on a dune above the silica glass area. Please note Victorias exclusive toilet

Our nightspot on a dune above the silica glass area.

Victoria looking for Silica Glass

Silica Glass

Truck crossing a dune

Typical tea stop

Cruising through the Great Sand Sea

Great Sand Sea, Egypt

Used fuel barrels are used as indicators and can be spotted from far away

The nights were less windy in the Great Sand Sea, so we were able to use the fire-wood brought from Cairo

Campspot in the Great Sand Sea, Egypt

In the morning a strong wind picked-up - by 11am it was a sand storm. The truck was very unfortunate to then have a flat tire

Changing tire in the Great Sand Sea during a sand storm

Visibility was obviously poor - we tried to drive as close as possible...

... which prevented us from keeping the sometimes required speed for crossing soft patches of sand. So we got stuck...

But the truck was a lot worse off - he got stuck 10 times that day

The truck managed to move far in soft sand, leaving deep tracks behind. But sometimes, it was not far enough...

Our support truck in the Great Sand Sea

Sand blowing off a dune

In the evening the wind settled down and we spent a pleasant night

The next day there was only little wind

The truck driving down a dune, the guides vehicle can be seen in the distance

Petrified wood

A little pull can make all the difference

Bir Wahid, near Siwa Oasis

Great Sand Sea, near Siwa Oasis, Egypt

After 2'000km offroad we were back on asphalt

After 2'000km offroad we were back on asphalt (the first few km from the last gas station were not offroad)

Road in Siwa Oasis, known also for its over 300'000 palm trees

Qara Oasis, Qattara Depression, Western Desert, Egypt

Since centuries, there are always only about 400 people living there

Qara Oasis, Qattara Depression, Western Desert, Egypt

Since centuries, there are always only about 400 people living there

Heading North towards the Mediterranean Sea

The desert becomes liveable the more North you get

Marsa Matruh, on the Mediterranean Coast, Egypt

We crossed Egypt from South to North on our Tour of the Western Desert

There were 30cm wide patches of very hard sand followed by 2 meters of very soft sand. After a few hard and high "flights" from on to the next, Reto drove slower - then we were suddenly stuck...

It is a scenic one day drive (if you don't get stuck too often).

There was one sandy pass that required us to lower tyre pressure in order to make it up

After another ascent we reached the most scenic pass we have been to in a desert environment

It looks like a glacier, but it is sand. Skiing might be possible...

The truck transported one barrel (240 litres) of diesel for us from Dakla to Uweinat, which was a comfy solution as we did not need to put 12 jerry cans in our car. That would have reduced our living-space noticeably. Our Land-Cruiser used 20 litres of diesel per 100 km on this tour, as there was a lot of sand-driving which required full power in low gears

After 10 days with no water- and fuel available on the trip, we were happy to arrive in Bir Wahid, a pool in the Great Sand Sea about 10km South of the Siwa Oasis

We left Cairo quite late towards Baharriya, but as we drove the road a week before we did not mind