Tassili N'Ajjer,
Algeria, October, 2023


Participants: 12 confirmed
  - tentative
Trip Status: TRIP FULL

The classic sites of the Tassili n'Ajjer plateau have been inaccesible for a long tome die to security concerns, finally in 2022 the Algerian authorities started issuing parmits again for foreign visitors to ascend the plateau above Djanet. In October 2022 we made a 10 day trek of the most important localities of the Tassili du Tamrit, on this trip we plan to see the never before visited northern sites around Tissoukaï, ascending the Akba Assako on a camel supported trek, returning via Ouan Bender and In Itinen to the Akba Tafilalet over 12 days. This will be followed by a partially car based 8 day trip to a number of remoter sites around the plain of Dider and the village of Tin Akn. The itinerary will be designed in a way that it is possible to join/leave mid-trip at Djanet, permitting participation in only the first or second halves if time is short.

NOTE: the group size is limited to a maximum of 12 participants to avoid overcrowding the sometimes small shelters, and also to allow everyone a reasonable time for photography while not having to wait forever for the whole group to finish. Participants will be confirmed on a first come, first served basis. If you are contemplating this expedition pease CONTACT ME so I can put you on the mailing list, I expect to have firm costs and dates by mid-April.

 

Day 0. – Algiers - Djanet

Our trip will depart from Djanet, which is easily accessible from Algiers with Air Algerie domestic flights. If possible Departure day will be fixed to coincide with the dates when there are late evening non-stop flights to Djanet rather than the three hour longer overnight triangle via Tamanrasset. The late evening departure to Djanet allows everyone to comfortably manage their international flights to arrive to Algiers during the day.

Day 1. - Djanet

I will need a day to purchase and sort supplies, doring which it will be possible to visit sites in the Djanet area, or just relax for a day after the lng flights, before we start our trek

Day 2.-13. Tassili n'Ajjer plateau

We will make a 12 day camel supported trek on the Tassili n'Ajjer plateau, ascending the Akba Assako. The camels will carry our luggage and supplies, we only need to walk with a light day-pack. The ascent on the first day will be the most difficult part (about 250m elevation to be gained), but in comparison to the other passes it is relatively easy, with almost half of the elevation gained while driving to the bottom of the pass. Once on the top, our daily walks will be in the 10-15 kilometre range, on easy terrain.

Our main objective will be the sites of Tissoukaï, and the nearby localities of Ouan Mellen, Techekalaouen & Idoo. We will spend the first six days (including ascent) in ths area, trying to locate as many as possible of the sites recorded by Lhote and others.

 
 

TISSOUKAÏ

The "rock city" of Tissoukaï is one of the most important cassic localities on the Tassili n'Ajjer, with more than 150 panels of paintings located and copied by the 1960 Lhote mission, including some unique scenes with no ready parallels elsewhere.


 

The majority of the paintings are pastoral scenes in the Sefar-Ozaneare and Iheren styles, but there are also a number of important "Roundhead" figures.


 



The area was little visited even before the plateau was closed, there are very few guides who know the area and the paintings. Fortunately the Lhote team prepared a fairly accurate map based on aerial photographs, in other areas this proved invaluable in locating sites, hopefully it will also work at this locality.

 
 

After the Tissoukaï area we will trek towards the south east, towards the Akba Tafilalet, visiting Ouan Bender, In Itinen and the Tamrit area before descending via the pass on the last day.


Day 14 - 20 - Central Tassili

After returning to Djanet to re-supply, we will continue North along the majestic landscapes of the western edge of the Tassili Plateau to the Dider plain and the engravings of Tin Terert.

 
 

TIN TERERT (OUED DIDER)

The Tin Terert engravings (also spelled Tin Teghert), located in a wide tributary of the Oued Dider are closely related to those in the Oued Djerat further North, and also to the Messak engravings in Libya. They are executed on a large conspicous patch of almost flat rock exposure, and are on a very large scale, some of the depicted figures are several metres accross.


 

The engravings depict a number of large cattle (including one that is about life-size and very elaborately decorated) alongside the typical african wild fauna (giraffe, rhinoceros, hippopotamus), and uniquely a scene of several small crouching gazelle.


      
 
 

We will spend 6 days visiting a numbe of scattered but very imortant Iheren style sites (Ouan Segofar, Amakamak, Tin Leh-Leh, Tikadouine), using a combination of vehicles, unsupported day-trips on foot, and 2-3 day camel supprted treks. The exact itinerary will be decided once we know the composition and abilities of the group.

 
 
 

TIKADIOUINE

The Tikadiouine shelter is one of the principal sites of the Iheren style, the finest manifestation of Saharan pastoralist rock art. While all Iheren style paintings depict cattle, human fgures and wild animals in a ver fine line drawing, the particular paintings at Tikaidouine take this to the xtreme, producing human figures that appear almost caricaturesque, with fuzzy hair not seen anywhere else. The shelter was discovered relatively recently, and the lack of visitors mean that it is in a pristine condition, with all figures clearly visible.


      
 
 

On our last day we will return to Djanet in the afternoon, to catch the flight back to Algiers early the next morning.


Day 21. Return to Algiers

With the overnght flight and the early morning arrival to Algiers it will be possible to catch the flights back to Europe and beyond the same day.

 

 

For information on expected costs, planned dates and any further questions, please send me an email.

 

Back to planned expeditions...