Until few years ago we hadn’t heard of Libya apart from the Lockerbie disaster and terrorism related TV news. But lately Libya is opening up and its natural beauty and rich history have a lot to offer to everybody. However for 4×4 adventurers fed up with hassles of Morocco and European ban it all legislations it is a heaven sent destination.
Getting to Libya is still a major undertaking even in 21st century. Unaccompanied travel is forbidden and the only way to travel is through a local travel agency. They will provide a guide and (since the tourists snatching incident in Algeria few years ago) a policeman as well. Both are compulsory and there is no way of travelling without them.
Taking your own transport has its added complications as there are several taxes and insurances to be paid off. Foreign plates have to be exchanged for Libyan ones and failure to returned them is fined by 500 Euros .
We weren’t able to source a UK based agency which would provide and organize the above, but I was lucky enough to get hold of details of a tried and tested Libyan agency which could sort it all. All they needed were our passports, V5 copies and a transfer of large amount of Euros to their Swiss account… After analyzing the situation for few weeks and checking the agency’s references we have wired the info and the money and started preparing our vehicles.
We were travelling in 3 Defenders. 2 Tdi200 90s and one Td5 110. Our veteran vehicles had already travelled to Morocco, Western Sahara, Turkey and Syria in previous years so they were partly ready for the adventure. However, we had to face the fact they were going to be subjected to a much more hostile environment than anything that we had previously thrown at them. After all, they would have to survive 4000 miles of motorways and potholed tarmac as well as 2000 miles of deadly Hamada (stone desert) and sand dunes terrain. A good set of tyres and upgraded suspension system were on the top of our list of priorities.
We have been using the Britpart yellow springs in combination with DeCerbon + 2inch shocks for years and had never had any problems with them, so the choice was an easy one. Britpart kindly donated the sets as well as adding their yellow polybushes.
The right choice of tyres posed a slightly bigger problem. Michelin’s XS sand tyres were an obvious choice for the dunes but we had to compromise due to the large distances that we needed to cover on tarmac and Hamada. My Grabbers AT2 performed perfectly on Hamada, but failed me in Erg Chebbi last year and we had a similar problem with Goodridge’s MT worn by 110.
David, the owner of the 110 who runs a Land Rover garage in Czech Republic suggested the new Matadors Izzarda AT tyres. They were worn by this year winners of Tuareg Cup and by a well ranking Spanish Mitsubishi on the last year’s Dakar. We contacted Matador who kindly responded by giving us 6 of their 265/70/16 tyres per vehicle as well as some tyre puncture repair kits. I have never used such massive tyres on my landrover and I was worried they would be too wide for old Tdi on the motorway. However, they proved themselves a perfect choice allowing us to drive up to 80 mph across the Europe, sticking to the surface in the sharp bends, wet and snow of the Alps. They also performed flawlessly on the sand when deflated to 1 bar.
We added other must have equipment to our list including towing and sling ropes, set of sand ladders, HD tyre compressor per vehicle, roof tents and raised air intakes with swirls.
The CB radios had became an essential piece of equipment during our past journeys allowing us to pass on info on terrain as well as helping to entertain during the boring stretches of motorway and Hamada.
Last but not least I can’t forgot to mention our 40l freezer run of 110’s second battery which proved an invaluable kit and made the heat of the deserts more bearable and allowed us to have few nice barbeques in the middle of Sahara anytime we felt like having one.
After 4 months of preparation the longer March days arrived and we set off. We decided not to stop in Europe and Tunisia unless we had to and managed to get to the south Tunisia in four days (including a 24 Hr ferry crossing from Genoa to Tunis). On the morning of the fifth day we arrived at the only open border crossing between Tunisia and Libya - Ras-Ajdir.
Rolling south through well tarmaced roads of Tunisia.
To our huge relief Hadi - our Libyan guide was waiting for us on the other side of the border and he immediately won our sympathies by his efficient and professional approach and a very intelligent sense of humour. After 2 hrs of hassle from the Tunisians we were expecting the same from Libyans, but to our surprise we were only subjected to a light hearted search of one of our land rover - just to check we aren’t importing any alcohol, drugs or guns. Hadi handed us our prepared folders with our paperwork - Visas, vehicle documents, Libyan number plates and 20 minutes later we were heading towards Ghadamesh.
The first few minutes into our journey we decided to stop and check our vehicles as the oncoming cars were constantly flashing at us. We found that everything was fine and the flashing is a traditional warm-hearted greeting of foreigners. Libya is apparently changing and all tourists are welcomed. Pleasantly surprised we continued our journey.
Hadi; the big land rover fan and an owner of a V6 Discovery; had obviously wanted to finish this 400 mile journey before the dawn and with overchipped and overdrived Td5 on his back managed to shake off our two Tdis several times. However, he always stopped once he realized he had lost us, waited for us to close the distance and continued in his rally to Ghadamesh. We rarely drove below 60mph stopping only for a dinner and an excursion through ancient Quasr on the edge of Jabal Nafusah. This mountain range acts as a natural buffer between the Sahara and fertile strip of Libyan coastline.
7th century Quasr; stone fortress which used to be home to 300 families in Nalut
We arrived to Ghadamesh late in the evening and high on adrenaline failed to fall asleep after pitching camp in the gardens of a hotel on the town’s outskirts. We chatted by the campfire and planned the journey ahead. Alex, the owner of Zebra stripped 90 was describing his experience at the border crossing where a giant bearded local with an incredibly sharply carved face approached his Zebra and was staring at him. After few seconds of nervous looks and an attempted smile he stretched out his hand, handed Alex a few colourful sweets, smiled broadly and walked away… So, it may not be such a hostile environment after all.
Just when we were about to go to sleep we realized we were witnessing an eclipse of the moon and decided to stay up until late hours and watch it with help of binoculars. Libya couldn’t prepare more spectacular welcome for us.
We had spent the following two days exploring the Ghadamesh Medina (old city) which is under the protection of Unesco and rightly believed to be a Jewel of the Sahara. 
Ghadamesh Medina belongs to the most beautiful and well preserved old towns in North Africa.
Ghadamesh Medina is the most beautiful of all African
Meddinas a rightly pointed to as a Pearl of the Sahara
The history of Ghadamesh dates back 3000 years B.C. and although it was isolated settlement which didn’t produce any goods, or fruits it became the biggest crossroad and market town of Saharan caravans. The story explaining the naming of Ghadamesh talks about the ancient caravan stopping for a lunch at a tiny oasis in this area. After lunch the caravan set off on their journey again shortly after they had left one of the men realized that they had left a pan behind. Horse rider was sent to retrieve it and as he reached the camp his horse pawed the ground and fresh water sprang to the surface. In honour of this occasion the place had became known as Ghad Amesh (Yesterday’s Lunch).
We spent our first day exploring the cool white washed streets of the Medina which were only deserted 20 years ago after the government built up a new modern city behind its walls. We had met a few Ghadamsis who had came back to cultivate the gardens left there by previous generations. One of them invited us in to his house which although very simple was surprisingly cool in the heat of the early afternoon sun.
The second day was devoted to the new city and its Shisha tea houses where we were finally introduced to our desert guide Suleiman. The 58 year old Arab Bedouin didn’t look his age at all and his weather beaten face oozed the respect and revealed decades of desert life. For the last 25 years he has been working as a guide and had led many French and Italian organized Archaeological Expeditions. We sat around the table and looking at the map of Libya discused what was ahead of us.
In the next 2-3 weeks we needed to cover around 2000 miles of dunes and hamada tracks and with exception of refuelling in Ghat and Garama we couldn’t see any tarmac at all. We divided our journey into 3 legs.
The first part will see us undertake over 500 miles long piste between Ghadamesh and Ghat where there’s not a single village or well in the area. . It will take us through the very tough terrain of Hamada al Hamra and partly through the Idhan Abwari (Ubari Sand Sea).
This was good news as Hadi wasn’t sure whether we would be able to get a permission to travel alongside the Algerian border to Ghat. Several expeditions before us had had their permission rejected and had to take via an alternative journey to Ghat through the heart of Hamadah al Hamra and Sebha. This would have meant a 500 mile detour.
Hamada driving is a tiring but never completely boring experience which tests both driver and vehicle to the limit.
In the second leg of our journey we will explore the prehistoric rock art of Jabal Akakus and from there we would continue towards Fezzan and the biggest Sand Sea in Sahara - Idhan Murzug. We’ll finish this part in Garama.
Our last leg will take us through the Southern part of Idhan Ubari where we planned the visit of mysterious Ubari Lakes after which we’ll continue through the Ubari dunes to Birak. There we will rejoin the tarmac which we won’t leave for the next 600 miles north to Tripoli. We were hopping to spend the last few days exploring Roman cities of Leptis Magna and Sebratah.
After the meeting we went to get the fuel, water and food supplies. We were told the first leg would last 4-5 days, but decided to take enough water and food to live off for seven days.
Each Land Rover was carrying 110 litres of diesel; which at cost of less than 10pence per litre was the cheapest item on our list, 40 litres of drinking water in cans and 40l in plastic bottles.
The following morning Suleiman picked us up and we set off South to Ghat.
30 miles after Ghadamesh we realized how important is to keep together when David (nicknamed by Hadi and Sulejman to Schumacher) couldn’t bear Sulejman’s slowi tempo and zoomed off towards the zenith braking Sulejman’s one and only rule - never to loose the sight of fellow travellers.
Vastness of Libyan Sahara is mind blowing. It covers 93% of Libya’s 1.7 mil sq km, quarter of it is covered by sand dunes.
110 which wasn’t answering our CB calls due to its distance was obviously following the GPS points from Sahara Overland, disappeared behind a little elevation and in few minutes we lost its dust trace as well. To our horror Sulejman, who didn’t have the CB radio and wasn’t aware of the situation turned sharply left and was driving 90 degrees West from SO GPS track. We stopped to consult on the situation and then realized one of our landys got a puncture on top of it all. Even though it only took us 15 minutes to fix the problem we were unsure which direction David had taken so we decided to wait and hope that he would retrace his tracks. 2 hrs later we were becoming desperate and decided to return to Ghadamesh in hope of finding our lost Land Rover there. Sulejman suggested driving in an Eastern direction in hope of finding David’s tracks. A good idea but not that easily achieved in the sea of tyre tracks around Ghadamesh. Five minutes later after investigating the Izzarda’s tyre pattern Mr.S discovered what he was looking for and five minutes after that we found the lost crew of 110 lying nervously in its shade. Relieved, but angry at David’s stupidity we gave him bit of the stick but felt humbled in front of Sulejman. Feeling like a bunch of Europeans on a weekend break we continued our journey south. The next 200km through the Hamada passed without an incident. The terrain was constantly changing from the gravel to black lava fields and soft dust patches sometimes forcing us to slow down to walking pace and at others letting us whiz through hard gravel tracks at 60mph. That evening in the camp we found ourselves arguing with lost 110’s crew and apologizing to Sulejman.
Stopping for a lunch break by the 15 million years old fossilized trees.
The following day at about 250km mark we reached the first dune field. This was the most eastern part of the Erg Ubari where dunes were just a few meters high giving us the perfect terrain to practise our desert driving. While Suleiman was lecturing us in his mix of English-French-Italian on the driving style we had let our tyre pressure down to 1.2 bar. He told us to forget about the brakes and the low range gears and recommended the second gear with the engine in high revs which should get the land rover with the help of momentum as well as torque to the top of the dune. The real problem, of course, is to guess the exact momentum and power the vehicle needs in order to reach the top without stalling just in front of the crest, or worse still - without overshooting the dune. Too much speed on the top of the dune, as we had learned from a group of Italians we met in Akakus, could lead to disastrous consequences. One of their guys charged the Defender uphill too fast, overshot the dune and turned the vehicle on its roof. Only the sturdy security bar saved the drivers live…
First few attempts ended up in a failure. One panics and lets the accelerator pedal off too soon during the dune ascent when not seeing the terrain in front of the bonnet which is aiming straight for the sky. But we soon got hang of it and dune driving had became a real fun and an adrenalin sport. The day was devoted to learning and crossing the 50 mile stretch of the dune field. It’s amazing what a difference the 265s on 1 bar do to the desert driving experience. Our land rovers were rolling over the steepest dunes we wouldn’t even dare to attempt crossing last year in Erg Chebbi. Sulejman always stopped on top of the higher dune with sharp descent and was showing us the direction and whether to ‘boot’ it or ‘ease off’. In this style we soon conquered our first dune field and camped on its southern side by the dawn. We had our first moon-free desert night and were enjoying the 180 degree view of the pollution free star sky while excitingly discussing the day’s experience.
‘Duneboarding’ became one of the many highlights of the trip.
We arrived to Ghat after another two days of flat sands and amazingly tough volcanic stone Hamada. The last 200km of Hamada cost me another puncture on sharp stones and made my Defender’s dashboard clocks turn by 20 degrees clockwise. Deflating the tyres to 1.5 and 1.7 bar helped to ease the bumpy ride on hamada a bit, but strengthened the possibility of the puncture.
What was worse Sulejman broke off his front spring holder and David broke rear halfshaft. Luckily his 110 had ARB diff locks fitted so he could still use 3 of his wheels proving his overchipped 110 as capable as our standard 90s. Both accidents sent in vain our plan of driving off-road all the way to Ghat and we were forced to join the tarmac for the last 70 miles on the way to our destination.
110’s broken halfshaft prepared us many winch and rope recoveries in the soft sand
Ghat welcomed us with a brewing desert storm coloring the whole city to one shade of beige. The air was thick with the flying sand particles and temperature had risen to just below 40C in the shade. I remembered Sulejman’s saying ‘Ghibli always comes from the South’…
There was nothing one could do to avoid the ever present sand. It got literally everywhere - into your food, water, land rover, tent, sleeping bag and worse to your lungs. After last few days of dusty hamadas we already felt short of breath and tracheas and lungs were paying the toll. We had decided to stay and wait for the storm to pas, fix the broken Toyota and generally gather the strength. On the phone call to Tripoli Hadi promised to try his best in searching for the correct type of halfshaft. I was tempted to call our friends in Britpart and see whether they could ship one over, but Hadi insisted on getting one himself as delivery services are too slow in Libya and he promised to send it straight to Ubari - our next destination.
The storm hadn’t weakened over next two days so the decision to start the second leg by driving to Sardeles - the Gate to Akakus was made in hope of loosing the storm in mountains.
This hasn’t happened though and first days in Akakus were bit of the disappointment as we couldn’t fully enjoy the amazing views of its other worldly basalt rock formations.
Instead we began to explore the amazing rock carvings and paintings some of which date back to 10 000 years BC. Surprisingly they depict the animals which long don’t live in this area. It is not unusual to find engravings of elephants, giraffes, lions and cattle which all lived here in savannas until 5000 years ago before the climate condition changed and Akakus became drier before finally turning into the desert known today.
The driving conditions were very easy here. Combination of flat sands and stony surface gave a way to some smaller dunes on the South West side of the Akakus by the 100m high naturally formed rock gate. The weather finally turned to better although the temperature dropped rapidly to low twenties and close to zero at nights.
We decided to camp by the Gate and spend a day exploring surrounding dunes and mountains as well as practise more deserts driving prior to arrival to Murzug Sand Sea. The surroundings couldn’t be more beautiful and observing the sunrise over Akakus from the top of one of its mountain felt like looking at another planet.
Akakus was rightly granted status of UNESCO heritage site. Its combination of orange sand dunes, amazingly formed rock formations and prehistoric rock art make it one of the most spectacular areas we’ve ever seen.
In the morning we set off for Idhan Murzug; the biggest and largest dune fields of Libya. Dunes of this Switzerland sized field suppose to be well over hundred metres high and should be by far the most dangerous to drive in.
We expected to come across another long stretch of hamada on the way there, but were pleasantly surprised by fast flat sand. Within an hour we reached the Iguidi Ouan Kasa sands which are only 30km wide but looked much higher that the ones of Idhan Ubari. We quickly dropped the tyre pressure and got into the dunes. Sulejman was waiting at the crests of the first ones but impressed with our progress decides to drive to the top of the field while we waited for him to find the best route. Then it was a question of keeping the engine revving and concentrating on the terrain ahead. On the next set of dunes I got it all wrong when I hit the soft sand just few feet off Sulejman’s track. I lost the power, couldn’t change the gears quick enough and got stuck. This meant reversing all the way down to the foothill of the previous dune formation in a low range as lack of the momentum kept me getting stuck in the high range. I ended up revving the engine while reversing and before I reached the bottom dunes my water temperature clock climbed all the way to the red. While cooling the engine on idle with the bonnet opened I couldn’t help thinking about Sulejman’s amazing navigational skills. Sometimes it looked he’s deliberately choosing the more complicated route, but as I just learned now he simply knows where to expect the soft sand and where he can get through by driving on the more compacted sand.
I’m getting over the formation with ease on a second attempt and shortly we hit the flat and barren Murzug Plateu which is contrasting sharply with the magnificent dunes of Idhan Murzug visible in the distance.
Idhan Murzug welcomed us with sand dunes towering hundreds of feet high.
We had realized the scale of the dunes by the distance which we had to cover before we reached their foothill. The dunes show off several colors from grey at the bottom to beige and yellow on the top and are amazingly formed into whipped cream like shapes. We camped between two closest ones and tempted by curiousity climbed to the top of one of them. Turning back we could see our camp looking as a needle head pinned into foothill of the opposite dune. On the other side lies a true sand sea, huge dunes disappearing in the distance just to uncover tops of other more distant dunes.
Camping in Erg Murzug was a humbling experience. Our Land Rovers are disappearing against the backdrop of the surrounding dunes.
Watching the stars by the campfire while Sulejman’s baking the bread in the hot sand we listened to his stories of lost caravans crossing the Murzug on their way to Niger. Whether fairy tales or truth, we listened quietly and were looking forward to tomorrow as Mr S. decided he has enough confidence to take us through the Northern edge of the Sand Sea.
Sulejman is preparing his evening ritual of super sweet strong green tea. Libyans certainly don’t need an alcohol to get their heads spinning.
In the morning we are excited as we realize that we don’t know of anybody who was allowed to drive through this area. We set off along the foot of the dunes to find some easier access into Murzug Sand Sea. Sulejman is finding a break between the high dunes and entering the Sea via a long stretching but not too steep dune. We immediately notice the difference in the color. The beige of Murzug is much harder to read and we rely 100% on our guide. What looks like a mile long dune changes into 3 and as the morning progresses we are getting really confused by the terrain. Driving with the sun in our backs means that all the shadows are hidden behind the dunes and any breaks in the terrain. The driving becomes very dangerous, area ahead looks like an unbroken flat dune and we always get surprised when Sulejman’s Land Cruiser suddenly rises few metres high and disappears behind the dune we can’t see. By the 11am we are reaching the top of the field. This is where we use our sand ladders for the first time. Ironically it is Sulejman who needs help. His heavy Toyota sank in the field of soft sand and needs recovery. Our lighter and lower geared Defenders were able to reverse, but we need to do some digging around the Land Cruiser. After the completion of the recovery, Sulejman decides the sun is just too high to continue in our journey. Not even the old Desert Fox can read the Murzug in these conditions. We are waiting until 3 pm when the sun gets low enough to show us the hidden dips and dunes and we setting off again. The terrain is easier to read now and we’re throwing our Land Rovers up and down the hills of sand for the next couple of hours.
Driving in Idhan Murzug is a dangerous but highly exciting experience.
The driving is exhilarating and adrenalin produced can only be compared to the bungee jumping. I catch myself yelling with mixture of joy and fear several times when descending very steep dunes.
At the end of the day we are getting to the edge of the field again. However there is a long ridge-lined dune ahead of us which needs to be overcome before we take the final slope down.
The dune is a problematic one as it rises sharply to about 10m high and hasn’t got low enough angle for the vehicles to get to the top. Sulejman fails 3 times to get there by traversing it and decides to tackle it straight on. This is the first time we see him ‘to boot’ his 4.5 litre petrol Toyota. It roars, rams into the foot of the dune, jumps up and climbs to the top… We trust our Land Rovers with our life, but are convinced there’s no way our downtuned 2.5s will get us there. Heart beating I’m starting my Defender, reversing to get a longer run, changing to the second and hitting the dune. The Landy rears up with sand exploding around it, lands back on the dune and is propelled by the momentum to the top. Hands shaking I stop on the dune crest alongside Sulajman and I can just about return his approving grin.
All of us conquer the last dune on our first attempt and are all ecstatic. Sulejman himself is smiling broadly and obviously high on the adrenalin too is tapping everybody on the shoulder: ‘Bien, baha, good’. Last surprise Idhan Murzug has installed for us is the final descent from the top of the field. What looked like a few hundred metre drop turns into over a kilometre long descent. Sulejman’s Cruiser is disappearing in front of us and it turns into a tiny boxcar in the far distance. We know we can’t use our brakes in this treacherous sand terrain so we are letting the engines do the work. However, the slope is just too fast and we end up reaching nearly 60mph at its bottom. Our descent continues through a valley surrounded by magnificent dunes on both sides. At its end we pass some dead tries and the scenery reminds us of postcards from Namibia.
What a day! Exhausted we’re getting to our tents by 9pm.
Dead trees are reminder of the unstoppable expansion of the desert.
Next day we reach Gerama, the provincial town on the road from Sebha to Ghat where we replenish our supplies, enjoy a welcomed shower and where we suppose to stay overnight in its only hotel. However, after the Murzug experience we refusing the comforts of the civilization and in expectations of another dune camping we are persuading Sulejman to take us to nearest sands. His expression tells he was looking forward to the hotel, but he agrees and takes us north of the town to the foot of the Ubari Sand Sea.
Here the dunes are much smaller and have the familiar reddish tinge. Sulejman is leaving us to now well drilled task of making the fire and setting up the camp and leaves for Ubari where Hadi managed to send the halfshaft. We begin to believe he must be part of Kadafi’s family as so far he fulfils even the most demanding promises made.
Evening campfires in the dunes bring on conversations on desert driving as well as more philosophical themes.
In the morning we head off towards mysterious lakes of Ubari. There are supposedly at least eleven of them in the area and placed in the middle of high dunes they are nothing short of a miracle. Finding the lakes isn’t difficult as there is a large amount of tyre tracks heading towards them. The lakes are becoming a bit of a tourist destination due to their short distance from Sebha’s international airport. Tourists rent the local 4×4s with driver and guide and pay silly money for a day of dune driving and chance of seeing this desert wonder. We feel partly sorry for them as we see 3-5 of them crammed at the back seats of Toyotas enjoying their few hours of glory, but the feeling of incredible luck that we were able to travel around under our own terms is far stronger.
Sulejman is choosing the least frequented, but much harder terrain and is fully confident in our driving skills by now. As a matter of fact he only stops by the first lake where we arrive an hour after him delayed by constant picture making breaks. Initially we had to cross the higher dune barrier before reaching the plateau with lakes. Dunes here are short, steep and very frequent so the driving reminds the ride on a rollercoaster. Constant up and down is exhausting but very much fun to do. First lake we found had dried up, but the next one; the biggest of them all - Gabroun was just mind-blowing. Set against the backdrop of 100m high pinkish dunes and doted around with palm trees it’s like nothing you ever see anywhere else. The water consistency is very similar to that of Death Sea in Israel and we couldn’t wait to try it. Swimming in Gabroun was a strange experience. The heavy salty water makes one float without any effort, but precaution has to be taken with any cuts and scratches which start to burn badly immediately after the contact with water. Strangely enough the water was getting hotter deeper we went to the point one couldn’t stretch the legs to 4 feet below the surface. After the swim we were grateful for our solar showers which got rid of the burning salt fast.
Gabroun. One of the dozen lakes in Idhan Ubari which turned to be a great swimming experience.
We camped few miles of Gabroun at the top of the close by dune field. Getting there was another amazingly exhilarating dune drive and the views were as beautiful as ever. I thought that after 2 weeks of the desert travel nothing can surprise me any more, but yet sitting at the top of the dune with oasis and lake in the distance on one side and Ubari Sand Sea stretching from here to the seaside on the other, I experienced the surrounding beauty as never before.
However, I felt sad too as this was to be our last camp in real Saharan dunes. Tomorrow we will drive towards Sebha and later North to Tripoli and the cost.
In few days we will also have to say goodbye to Sulejman, the real man of the desert who showed us one can survive The Sahara with only the sack of flour, 2 barrels of water, sweet tea and a pinch of salt.
Today however, I will enjoy the sunset and the stars by the campfire with knowledge that I will be coming back. I got bitten by the desert and I will be visiting my new friends soon again.
Moonset over dunes in Akakus.
More photos at www.rophoto.co.uk
Pohori Zagros
Teheran
Jak se bude vyvijet planovani dal a info o priprave auta dam k lepsimu priste.
