FJ Expeditions Home Page

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This website is dedicated to the Libyan Desert (or Eastern Sahara), one
of the least explored and most strikingly beautiful places on this planet.
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Last updated: 11^th August, 2010. What's New?

The site contains three sections:

The Libyan Desert

Contains general background information on the Libyan Desert, including geography, a detailed account of and various original documents relating to its history and exploration, descriptions and photo galleries of the main rock art and archaeological sites (Wadi Sora, the real "Cave of Swimmers", Karkur Talh rock art sites, Ain Doua, Abu Ballas and others) and information on the desert's fauna and flora.

Expeditions

Provides news updates and itineraries for expeditions planned by Fliegel Jezerniczky Expeditions, as well as reports and many photos from past expeditions. Section also provides practical information for expedition participants.

Resources

Provides a selection of high resolution Landsat images of the Libyan Desert, as well as links to the few websites, and a comprehensive bibliography of various books books and articles related to exploration, history and rock art of the Libyan Desert, including a full listing of the various editions of Almásy's writings. There are some hard to find old books and maps available.

RECENT ADDITIONS

See also the NEWS section !

			2010 June - Upper Brandberg, Namibia The account of our first expedition to the rock art sites of the Upper Brandberg mountain, Namibia. We had a very tough, but amazingly beautiful ten days on the top of the Brandberg, seeing many of the principal sites, a trip we plan to repeat on a regular basis.
			2010 March trip account We had a very pleasant and fruitful trip to Uweinat and the Gilf Kebir except for the weather. The week long windless heatwave at Uweinat, coupled with freezing mornings and a sandstorm later in the trip will be long remembered...
			Rock Art of the Libyan Desert Second Expanded Edition now available! The Second Edition of the illustrated catalogue of all known rock art sites in the Libyan Desert had been published in October 2009, now available for purchase. Nearly 300 new sites and over 4000 new photographs were added. Note: a special discount applies to those who purchased the First Edition.
			2009 November trip account We returned to Uweinat after a year and a half's absence. Our objectives were to ascend the summit, and explore some remaining blank spots in the upper areas of the mountain, all of which were met with spectacular results.
			8^th August, 2009 - 10^th Anniversary of the website launch It was ten years ago that the precursor to this website made its modest debut. Since then we have come a long way, the event is celebrated with several updates, a little facelift, and the announcement of new expeditions.
			I have finally managed to complete the project of translating all of Almásy's writings relevant to the Libyan Desert into English, including a corrected and annoted transcript of the Operation Salaam diary. PDF or CD versions may be ordered on-line.
			2009 February trip account The account of our trip organised together with BC Archaeology travel to The Gilf Kebir, with a fine new find in the middle section of Wadi Abd el Melik, and an astonishingly green Wadi Hamra.
			A pharaonic inscription at Uweinat! In late 2008 Mark Borda and Mahmoud Marei have discovered a pharaonic inscription at Jebel Uweinat, a most amazing find that will require a complete re-thinking of our understanding of the deep desert travel capabilities of the Ancient Egyptians.
			2008 March trip account Traces of an astonishing amount of recent rainfall were observed all accross the Gilf Kebir, an area where except for a few isolated patches no fresh vegatation was oserved over the past ten years.
			The lost bag of signalman Alec Ross In August 2007, a bag of a WWII british soldier was found near Wadi Sora, with all personal belongings. Here is the fascinating story, with photos of the finds.
			2007 October trip account An account of our October expedition, organised primarily to explore unsurveyed parts of Jebel Uweinat. We did make some splendid rock art finds, however the highlight was to observe the aftermath of yet another summer rain, which left pools large enough to swim in all over the mountain.
			2007 March trip account with video footage An account of our March expedition to visit the rock art sites of Jebel Uweinat and the Gilf Kebir, illustrated for the first time with digital video footage.
			It rained at Uweinat !!! The miracle we've been waiting for seven years repeated itself! On our last visit in October, Karkur Talh and other valleys were filled with lush green vegetation, and millions of yellow flowers. The flora and fauna pages have been extensively updated with the noted new species.
			New rock art finds in the Wadi Wahesh Instead of the cancelled Sudan trip, we decided to make a two week expedition, principally to Jebel Uweinat, to continue exploration of the unknown parts. In the upper reaches of the Wadi Wahesh (south Uweinat) we found a very rich group of paintings, some of them in a hitherto unknown style.
			2004 October trip account Added the account of our October trip to Jebel Uweinat and the Gilf Kebir. The highlight of the trip was undoubtedly the show put on by a horned viper, who proceeded to have it's dinner right in front of our cameras.
			Unpublished historic photographs by F.G.B. Arkwright Bimbashi (capt.) Arkwright was Commanding Officer of the No.1. Motor Machine Gun Battery of the SDF, occupying Bir Murr at Uweinat in 1934. His sons, Anthony and Philip discovered these photos in a family album, and have very kindly permitted them to be shared with all of us. Some photos show Almásy, as well as the ascent of Uweinat.
			Exploration of Arkenu & Western Uweinat Account of our 2003 October trip to Libya. Exploration and new rock art discoveries at Arkenu, Karkur Idriss and Karkur Ibrahim. Visit to Jebel Sherif and South Uweinat thwarted by Libyan officialdom.
			Mystery of the "White Blob" solved Traverse of the Great Sand Sea, exploration and new rock art discoveries near Wadi Sora and Karkur Talh. All in the latest trip account.
			Spectacular rock art sites discovered A number of truly spectacular paintings and dozens of other new sites were found during our expedition to Uweinat and the Gilf Kebir in October, 2002.
			The SDF Kufra Convoys The little known history of the Sudan Defence Force truck convoys supplying Kufra from Wadi Halfa in 1941-42. Contains an account intended for Bagnold's never published LRDG history.
			Sister site on the Tassili N'Ajjer Have created a sister site with many photos and description of rock art sites in the Tassili N'Ajjer, southern Algeria, based on our 1991 and 1993 trips
			Unpublished Bagnold Photographs Stephen Bagnold, son of Ralph Alger Bagnold, has most graciously provided scans of unpublished photos of the early expeditions.

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