4-Xtremes – Part 21: On five axles through the desert

Series: 4-Xtremes – The World Tour

It’s sandy. Very sandy.

Finally off-road! In the meantime Andrea and Mike have driven several hundred kilometres in Tunisia – and Douz is the starting point for a desert tour.

The evening before the desert tour: relaxing around the camp-fire with friends from Germany. They will accompany us to Mount Tembaine.


We are in the oasis town of Douz which is in southern Tunisia. Here we meet up with a couple from Germany that we met on the ferry and who will accompany us on our tour through the desert. They are travelling in a Zetros 6×6 – Mike is looking forward to seeing it in action.

Mount Tembaine is in a spectacular location in the middle of a dune field. The journey there is easier than we thought, but it is still a long day and we spend the night not far from the mountain next to a drawing well. At some point several camels wander past; our dog Aimée finds them very interesting.



Is that still wind or is it a storm?

On our way back the wind is so strong that we can hardly see the track in the dune field. We rely on our navigation system with which we recorded the track the day before.

Our plan is to drive eastwards – across the desert. That should be quite difficult, so we set up camp in the afternoon on a mountain with a fantastic view in every direction so that we are well-rested when we start off the next morning.

The third day is even windier. But we are travelling in two trucks so we decide to try our luck off-road. Unfortunately we come to a stop on the last dune field before the road heading east. The sand dunes in Tunisia are small but very steep – there is no chance of us getting through.


Departure check and a safe journey: travelling through the Parc national de Jbil.
Departure check and a safe journey: travelling through the Parc national de Jbil.

What now?

By the early afternoon we are forced to stay in the cab or be sandblasted outside. There is nothing to do but return to Douz and wait for better weather. But it’s a difficult journey because as soon as we open the window just a little, sand blows in and covers everything. However, when the window is closed the temperature increases to 30 degrees very quickly! We can’t switch on the air conditioning system as it would quickly clog with sand.

Back in Douz: several trees surround our camping area which brake the wind enough to let us open the window every now and again. But we will still continue on our desert tour and we’ll report back to you about it next time!



4-Xtremes – The World Tour.

An unparalleled journey.

Andrea and Mike Kammermann have been on tour in their Axor for three years. "4-Xtremes – The World Tour" is the motto of the journey that the two Swiss nationals embarked on in mid-2020 and which they share with the RoadStars community. Keep up to date and don't miss out on any of the stunning destinations visited by the adventurous pair.

You can find the current parts from the “4-Xtremes – The World Tour” series here.

You can find the route of the trip before the crossing to South America here.

 


Photos and video: 4-Xtremes

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