Algeria Sahara Hoggar Trek

Tamanrasset, Algeria · Algeria

Extreme7 daysAfrica~£2,500 est.

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Overview

The Hoggar is the Sahara with its bones showing: a volcanic highland rising from Tamanrasset to the Assekrem plateau, where basalt plugs and spires crowd the horizon like a petrified storm. Charles de Foucauld's 1911 hermitage still stands on the plateau rim, and watching dawn ignite the peaks from it is one of the desert's great set pieces. Trekking here means moving camp with Tuareg guides and their camels between wind-carved gorges, gueltas — hidden rock pools — and sand valleys, with tea brewed three times over the coals each evening. This is expedition Africa in logistics if not in gradient: an Algerian visa arranged well in advance, a licensed local agency and guide (mandatory for the deep south), 4WD support, and six litres of water a day. Winter nights at 2,700m drop below freezing, so pack a proper sleeping bag alongside the sun kit. October to March is the season; summer heat makes trekking impossible. A guided week from Tamanrasset costs around £2,500 including the domestic flight from Algiers.