Tibesti

The barren planes of the Sahara Desert stretch across all of North Africa, from the Atlantic to the Nile, covering 3.5 million square miles. Within this vast desert region there are two mountain groups, the Ahaggar (the westernmost group) and the Tibesti (the easternmost group). Six hundred miles of desert separate the two groups.

The higher of the two groups is the rugged Tibesti Mountains, an extinct volcanic range, located mainly in Northwest Chad. The range is characterized by huge walls of black volcanic rock that have been dramatically carved by erosion. Numerous volcanic spires surround the main peaks. The highest peak in the range is Emi Koussi (11,204 ft./ 3415 m).

Hiking and climbing here is not uncommon, but the extremely dry climate and variable temperatures can sometimes be serious challenges. The temperatures vary tremendously, and in a single day at 8,000 feet, it can be 20 degrees Fahrenheit before dawn, yet reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit at midday.

Besides the hiking and climbing possibilities, a three-mile-wide, 2400-foot deep crater filled with blinding white salt is a popular tourist attraction in the area.