On our latest pioneer journey we started on the 10th of January 2001 in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott with three jeeps and a support vehicle. Leaving the Atlantic ocean North - Eastwards we crossed the empty triangle of land formed by Ouadane, El Mreiti and Taoudenni. We intended finding a West- East transition route from the Atlantic to Timbuktu.

Once again, our ‘way’ was the destination and we were rewarded with virgin seas of sand, stony landscapes and flinty deserts.

Although the salt caravans of Taoudenni were a must-see highlight, places like Atar, Chinguetti and Ouadane lay on our route too. But interesting as they are, it was the peaceful loneliness of the wide Sahara that left the more lasting impression on us than the beginning of the tourist hub-bub in the Mauritanian oasis.