Ben Amera Day Five

Mauritania

Go back to Mauritania.
Go back to Ben Amera Day Four.

Mauritania
Stranded in the desert.

The following day we had the opportunity to do a quick train ride starting from the village; not the famous iron ore train but rather this posh, 2-car set up that’s owned by Kadi’s company. On our first night in Nouakchott, we had met a group of European tourists who were visiting Mauritania specifically to ride this train and spend the night on it. We’d tag along with them for a few kilometers and be picked up from the desert by Dah and Mohammed. It was a surprisingly enjoyable experience.

Photos

Mauritania
A camel carcass and Ben Amera (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Skeletal remains of a camel. Harsh environment with no natural water sources (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
A manmade watering hole for the animals just outside the village (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Checking out the market in the village (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Shopping (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Shirley, Mohammad, and Dah negotiating (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Shirley and Mohammad at the village market (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
One of the many shops in the tiny Ben Amera village (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Endorsed by Shirley (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Rail equipment rolling through the village (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
The short passenger train owned by Kadi’s tourism company (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Imported (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
The ore train approaching the village of Ben Amera (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Shirley and Mohammad. Click for a video (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Rolling through the village (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Into a cloud of dust (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Hanging out in a village shop while waiting to ride the tourist train (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Hobos (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Tail end (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Disappearing into the desert (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Sid Ahmed, Mohammad, Dah, and Shirley at a village shop (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Village life (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Finally ready to ride the rails (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Boarding (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
We tagged along with a group of European train enthusiasts for about 30 minutes before getting dropped off in the desert (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Shuffling around the 3 cars that make up the train (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Tea time on the train (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Ben Amera from the train (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Another ore train rolling by (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Enjoying the ride (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Disembarking in the middle of nowhere (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
A couple of wankers (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Stranded in the desert (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Waving bye bye to the train. Click for a video (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Departing (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Little train, big desert (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
A closer look (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Back in the village of Ben Amera (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Dah leading one of the nice single pitch lines at the base of Ben Amera, known as Ecole D’Escalade (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Dah nearing the chains (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Mohammad TRing something on Ecole D’Escalade (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Mohammad climbing (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Shirley and four girls from the village who wanted to try climbing (some of them have in fact climbed before; Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Tying in (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Shirley belaying (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Dah and one of the girls being lowered from the top of their routes (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Proud to top out on the climb (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Shirley belaying another one of the girls (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Climbing (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D'Escalade
Ecole D’Escalade (Nov. 2024).
Mauritania
Sunset back in camp (Nov. 2024).

Go to Ben Amera Day Six.
Go back to Mauritania.