GILF EL KEBIR – WADI HAMRA

Cairo – Bahariya Oasis – White Desert – Farafra Oasis – Dakhla Oasis –  Abu Ballas – Red Lions – Tall Ahmer – Wadi Mashi – Wadi Assab – Plateau of the Gilf – Wadi Hamra – Silica Glass – Great Sand Sea – Siwa Oasis – Bahariya Oasis – Cairo  

This expedition is somewhat unique. First you obtain a view into the several inhabited areas of the Western Desert and the various deserts which lie between. 

From Dakhla you penetrate into the seldom traversed area which has been mapped only since 1932. The landscape is unique. The colors and shapes of the mountains are constantly changing and the color palette of the sand is stretched. Abu Ballas with its markings from Neolithic times and its clay vessels is the first point which you aim at. Next "Lions" formed by the wind from the red sedimentary rock await you. 

At the Tall Ahmer you branch in the direction to Wadi Mashi. Over sand dunes you ascend the pass which leads into this wide valley. At the northern end of the Gilf you branch into the Wadi Assab. Here you discover the southernmost tip of the Great Sand Sea. The wonderful Wadi exhibits many different faces: dunes, mountains, and even isolated small bushes. Over a pass you achieve the plateau of the Gilf on whose south side your view can wander to the Libyan area. 

A highpoint of this trip is the Wadi Hamra, the Red Valley. This valley displays Acacias and a few plants. It is a pearl in the Gilf El Kebir and its undisturbed nature is impressive. If luck is with you, you will find Silica Glass in a particular section in the Great Sand Sea. This glass comes from a meteorite impact in this area, and it is hitherto unique on earth. The crossing of the Great Desert with its occasionally 100 meter high ridges is an exceptional adventure. In the Siwa Oasis you will arrive back in civilization.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Khalifa Expeditions for desert tours, camel ride, trekking and long range safari in Egypt.
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