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Tassili N'Ajjer, Algeria 7th - 29th October, 2023 There is no published catalogue and accepted nomenclature of the Tassili sites, the provided site numbers are for convenience only, developed by myself utilising the topographical names used by the Lhote missions and others to be able to reference individual shelters. False colour images processed with DStretch, a freely available software developed by Jon Harman Quick link to the start of the second part (Central Tassili) of the trip account

While the biggest concentraton of rock art on the Tassili n'Ajjer plateau is around the Tamrit - Sefar - Jabbaren region, the 1947 Swiss expedition led by Yolande Tchudi and the later Lhote missions recorded a number of unique and intriguing sites some 35 kilometres to the north centered on Tissoukaï, accessible via the Assakao pass that is suitable for camels. Visiting this area has long been on my wish-list, this year we organised a 13 day camel supported trek to locate as many as possible of these sites. The first part was followed by another nine day combined vehicle and camel supported visit to the Central Tassili, again mostly to sites not visited previously.

Day 0. – Algiers - Djanet

With the usual late evening flight to Djanet, most of our party arrived with various flights during the day or the day before. While Air Algerie re-shuffled the schedules and the flight was the long one via Tamanrasset, departure and arrival was on the minute, so we could still have some sleep at the Essendilene Voyages premises.

Day 1. – Djanet - Akba Assakao

Originally I was planning a lazy morning in Djanet, purchasing the needed supplies and driving out to the bottom of the pass in the afternoon. However a few days before departure there were some heavy rains, washing away whole sections of the already bad track that looked so promising on Google Earth. While waiting for the luggage at the airport with Salah we quickly prepared a plan B. Not far from Aït Talwaten there is a car pass leading to the low plateau at the foot of the pass, and Abdou confirmed that it was still useable. While the track was expected to be bad, it still allowed a longer but feasible access. We decided to start as soon as possible, after a quick visit to the shops and market to top up supplies, we were ready to depart by 10am.

To be continued

We plan to return to the Tassili n'Ajjer again in October 2024, to make a two week camel supported trek to the finest classic sites of the Tassili (Tamrit, Tin Tazarift, Sefar, Jabbaren), plus some lesser visited areas. The trek will be followed by a visit to the central part of the Tassili, with an exact itinerary to be decided as departure time draws closer. Please check the News page periodically or "like" the FJ Expeditions FaceBook page to receive notices of news and updates.