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Fort Flatters – The Place Where the Desert Said No In the heart of the central Sahara, where the horizon is an unmoving line and silence weighs as heavily as the sun, there exists a place that is not merely a ruin, but also a memory. A place where the desert, for once, spoke clearly and said no. That place is Fort Flatters. This Is an Expedition, Not a Tour! This expedition is led by one of my Approved Partners in collaboration with Popski’s Private Expeditions (PPE), a British group of “adventurers of a bygone era,” whose aim is to explore some of the most remote and unexpected regions of the Algerian Sahara. You will follow in the footsteps of the French expeditionary explorers of the late 19th century, including Paul Flatters, who were on a mission to build the Trans-Saharan Railway and establish their small military forts. More than 1,800 kilometres of pure desert. From the Grand Erg Occidentale to the Erg Issouane, across hammada and into the Grand Erg Orientale. Real desert. In Brief
The Adventurous Spirit Remains Our Guiding Beacon This expedition has been designed by PPE – Popski’s Private Expeditions. My Approved Partner will provide the technical and logistical support in close collaboration with PPE. The routes have been jointly developed by them and will be entirely new. The pace of the expedition—calm and focused (but by no means easy)—is dictated by the spirit of the journey itself: exploration, adventure, and commitment. The same philosophy applies to desert navigation, which will be carried out strictly using sun compass and maps. Assistance vehicles will be present to intervene when necessary; the route has been designed by PPE to cross areas of boundless beauty—just as challenging for the navigators as they are immersive for everyone involved. This approach encourages collective effort and genuine teamwork. Our GPS units, with shared GPX tracks, serve purely as a backup: to verify that the navigators are “on track” and to show friends back home which route we have taken… otherwise, they simply “wouldn’t believe it.” Participants will therefore be “free,” operating in coordinated teams, to search for passages between dune ridges, along the endless hammada plains, and through the Grand Erg Occidentale—our final major crossing. Some teams will travel in Land Rovers reminiscent of the Pink Panther vehicles and in Second World War–era Jeeps: open, roofless, and stripped down to the bare essentials. There will also be “standard” PPE vehicles accompanying the expedition. No catering will be provided. In the true spirit of an expedition, each team must be fully self-sufficient when it comes to meals. Naturally, those who wish may coordinate with others to form shared catering groups, pooling supplies across vehicles so that evenings can be spent eating together in small teams. A minimum driving range of 1,000 km on tarmac is required—preferably more, given the distances we aim to cover. Support vehicles will, in any case, be available to transport additional fuel. One of the expedition’s “special activities” is the use of Fuel Caches. Fuel caches, as employed by the LRDG (Long Range Desert Group, a special reconnaissance and raiding unit operating in the North African desert during the Second World War), were hidden depots of fuel, supplies, and provisions, placed and camouflaged in the desert for emergency use… often hidden by some and later searched for by others. We will recreate this concept by providing clues and useful coordinates to initiate the search and navigation—the actual discovery is up to you. Cultural visits are also part of the programme. These usually include the bordj forts themselves, as well as the towns of Ouargla and El Menia (El Golea), and—time permitting—Ghardaïa. The adventurous spirit remains our guiding beacon; the challenges we set are ones that truly suit us. 
PROGRAMME Day 1: Departure from Genoa with assistance vehicles Arrival in Tunis and transfer to Hammamet. Participants departing from other ports will travel independently. Day 2: Rendezvous in Hammamet At our “regular” 5-star hotel. A gathering point for all teams, including those arriving independently. Time to get to know each other, share a meal, attend the briefing, and raise a toast to a successful journey. Hotel. Day 3: Hammamet – Nefta A transfer day. Hotel. Day 4: Nefta – Border Today we focus on crossing into Algeria via the Taleb Larbi border crossing, known for its lengthy processing times. We will arrive in El Oued in the late afternoon/evening. Camping at a hotel with optional rooms available. Day 5: Ouargla Ouargla was the departure point for Paul Flatters, and it will also be our starting and turning point. Transfer day, resupply and stock up, customs checks, and preparation. Camping. 
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FIRST MISSION – GRAND ERG ORIENTAL Days 6-7-8-9-10: Grand Erg Oriental – Fort Flatters After final preparations and fully fueled tanks, we leave the tarmac behind and head into the desert. We plan five days of “nothingness” as we head south, with the goal of reaching Fort Flatters. We will encounter wells, oases, and the long stretches of dunes in the Grand Erg Oriental. PPE teams will show us how the British forces of the LRDG (Long Range Desert Group), PPA (Popski’s Private Army), and SAS (Special Air Service) navigated the vast North African deserts using specialized sun compasses (Bagnold Sun Compass). We begin by crossing the hammada, leaving the oil fields behind us, before reaching the dunes from west to east. Dunes: the first real sand test for all teams. Our target is Ain Tiba, an oasis hidden among the dunes. From Ain Tiba, we will once again head south, entering a “dance”: we follow the gassi (valleys between the dune ridges), tackling each dune one by one, heading towards the exit point of the Erg just before Bordj Omar Driss—a place built around Fort Flatters. We will camp south of Fort Flatters, in the dunes of the Erg Issouane. A day of “R&R” (Repair & Resupply) is planned before we begin the second mission. Day 11: R&R – “Rest & Resupply” We remain near Fort Flatters, still camping, taking time for visits, rest, repairs, and resupply before starting the second crossing. Camping. SECOND MISSION – THE TWO ERGS Days 12-13-14-15-16-17: Bordj Omar Driss – El Menia After resupply, we focus on the wadis and djebels (mountains/height areas) that separate us from the Grand Erg Occidental. We leave Bordj Omar Driss, where a new challenge awaits: finding a passage through the Oued Irharhar. As before, there will be an option to navigate using only maps and sun compasses (Bagnold Sun Compass). We will form reconnaissance teams to locate a “gap” and attempt to reach another “bordj” (small fort). On the south side of the Erg, we will enter one of the countless gassi. We will travel the dunes from east to west—over 150 km of dune ridges, some with more than 200 meters of elevation difference. We will constantly search for the best point to tackle each ridge with the help of the pathfinders. Once we reach the far east side of the Erg, we will begin the passage over tracks toward El Menia, but not before finding the location of a hidden fuel and water depot (Fuel Caché). The journey will continue between wadis and reg (rocky desert) for hundreds of kilometers, allowing us to experience every aspect of the desert we so cherish. Destination: El Menia (as marked on the 1940s maps we will use: El Golea). Upon arrival in El Menia, those who wish can opt for hotel accommodation. Day 18: R&R and cultural visits for those who wish. Camping. THIRD MISSION – GRAND ERG OCCIDENTAL Days 19-20-21: El Menia > Ghardaia Those who have experienced the Grand Erg Occidental will remember the variety of sands, dunes, and colors that await us. This time, we will approach the Grand Erg “from the opposite direction.” We will search for a route from south to north, aiming to reach the Zergoune lakes. A final crossing that is an adventure in itself. Camping, with optional hotel stay in Ghardaia. Day 22: Ouargla Transfer to Ouargla, with the option of visiting the Sahara Museum. After lunch, we head back to El Oued, marking the start of the return journey. Camping, with hotel accommodation options available. Day 23: El Oued Transfer by road. Camping, with hotel accommodation options available. Day 24: Border – Nefta We return to Tunisia, and with patience, we will complete the customs procedures as quickly as possible before reaching Nefta. Transfer by road. Camping, with hotel accommodation options available. Day 25: Hammamet Transfer to Hammamet. Hotel. Day 26: Hammamet – Tunis > Genoa (or other ports) Depending on the ferry departure time, we may be able to visit Hammamet or, for those who prefer, rest at the hotel before heading to the port. Arrival in Genoa on Day 27. Ferry departure and arrival times may change. Note! Due to the nature of the route, planned in “difficult” areas, there may be significant changes to the schedule/route due to weather conditions, security issues, or permits being revoked. In such cases, my Approved Partner, in consultation with local authorities, will make necessary route adjustments, always prioritizing the safety of the participants. PRICES:
FERRY FROM GENOA
FROM CIVITAVECCHIA/PALERMO
THE PRICE INCLUDES (valid with a minimum of 10 participants):
ADDITIONAL INCLUSIONS ONLY FOR PASSENGERS IN ORGANISATION VEHICLES
THE PRICE EXCLUDES Everything not explicitly mentioned above, including but not limited to:
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