There are two dreams I'll be ticking off on this trip, the iconic Tassili n'Ajjer and the Hoggar Mountains. Today, I shall arrive at the first of the two.
The morning is absolutely splendid, bright and sunny. The canyon walls are already giving away what's waiting just ahead, a complete change of scenery and an overwhelming world of extraordinary rock formations frozen into every imaginable shape. Breakfast, coffee, pack the tent. Although our original track follows the old route along the bottom of the canyon, tracing Oued Imirhou all the way to Iherir, we opt for the new RN-3 tarmac instead. It hurts the soul, but that's the price you pay for chasing dreams. We set off one by one. We'll meet again where the asphalt ends. Just 250 kilometres separate us from the place where our travelling feast truly begins.
To get there, we first have to cross the vast rocky expanse of the Fadnoun Plateau. The engine revs calm and steady. The miles tick away effortlessly beneath the wheels. I'm completely relaxed. The whole way, I drift between my own thoughts and soaking up the landscape around me. What unfolds before my eyes feels utterly lunar. The surface is sliced apart by deep, labyrinth-like crevices and dry oued canyons. Every one of them looks impossibly deep. There's no vegetation whatsoever. I simply can't imagine trying to ride across this shattered mosaic of colossal stone blocks. Were it not for the roads, this country would be utterly impassable.
Then, quite suddenly, Fadnoun comes to an end. Swirling ribbons of tarmac lead 400 metres down, to the floor of the immense desert below. Everything around us begins to shimmer with gold and deep black, the sands of the Sahara meet the jet-black rocks of Tassili. We're about to enter paradise.
I catch up with Kuba and Kondzio. They're pulled over by the roadside, and I immediately get a nagging feeling that something feels wrong. It turns out Kondzio isn't feeling well. Every kilometre is becoming harder for him. He's struggling to breathe and has pain in his chest. At one point, when he tried to take a deep breath, he blacked out for a split second and nearly lost control of the bike. On top of that, his heart rate is staying dangerously high. Using the Garmin, we consult two doctors back in Poland. Our fears are confirmed. "These are symptoms of a heart attack. You need to get him to hospital and rule it out."
A firm, uncompromising "No" rings out immediately. Kondzio refuses to even consider it. The only direction he intends to ride is the one laid out by our track. As far as he's concerned, there simply isn't another option. Deep down, I somehow feel it isn't anything truly serious, and in a rather childish way I find myself admiring his stubborn determination. Kuba, true to form, is much more concerned. Nevertheless… off we go!
The moment we leave the tarmac, every one of us charges ahead as though tomorrow simply doesn't exist. Towering rock formations erupt towards the sky on every side, some rising dozens of metres high. Some are razor-sharp and jagged, others resemble frozen lava, great monolithic giants. We blast through several oueds at rally pace before the terrain gradually opens out into flatter ground. Our heading is now Erg Admer. The scenery changes once again. Everything grows lighter. The sand is almost white. Mirages begin dancing on the horizon, and among them stand magnificent monoliths. It is so beautiful, scandal!
We spend a little while beside one of the larger rock formations before pointing the bikes towards Essendilene Canyon. The moment we pass through its gateway, we drop into deep sandy ruts. Straight away it's obvious this is a heavily travelled track, a far cry from the places we've used to over the past few days. Here, balance is your strongest card, backed up by smooth throttle control. Beyond that, the DR is astonishingly stable and obedient in the deep, rutted sand. We devour the kilometres like a rally stage. The flow is unreal. Before long, we've reached the end. We exchange a high five. "Not bad for a bloke having a heart attack!"
Apart from us, there are guides waiting beside their vehicles for their tourists. Now, slowly, time begins to dilate. We brew coffee and watch a herd of goats making its way along the opposite side of the canyon. By the time we set off again, it'll be the golden hour. I can already picture all the spectacular shots I'll capture today. Afterwards we'll set up what promises to be the greatest bivouac of the whole trip, on golden sand, beneath a thousand stars, surrounded by black rocks.
- "Guys... listen... I think we really do need to go to hospital."
Suddenly, time slows to a standstill…
Suddenly, it hit me that this really might be a heart attack…
Kondzio and I blast ahead the tarmac towards Djanet, fast. Kuba has stayed with Tomek, who's a bit slower in the sand, and right now every minute counts. Naturally, we'll take a shortcut into town. Around five kilometres before the roundabout, we leave the main road. The sun is setting, its last rays lighting up the clouds of dust we've thrown into the air. Then, out of nowhere, a steep dune rises in front of us, leaning against a wall of black rock. I hit it without hesitation. Halfway up, the DR runs out of momentum. It's painfully obvious the bike just doesn't have enough power. Without stopping or even thinking, I sweep back down in a wide turn before making an even bigger run-up. Second... third... finally fourth gear. Throttle pinned. One more attack. Fourth... third... then second. The DR is running out of breath. Only a few dozen metres remain. Pure desperation, I throw both feet down and start bounding off the sand like a kangaroo. Somehow, in a strange trance, I make it to the top. We drop down the other side and roll into town. The police officers we pass follow us with long, probing glances. They're everywhere. We don't have time to think about it. Straight to the hospital.
We arrive where the hospital is supposed to be. Instead, I see a wall, a row of market stalls leaning against it, and three young lads with dreadlocks."
- "Bonsoir. Hopital?""
- "Bien sur. Je suis le gardien de l'hopital."
After that, everything happens at lightning speed. Kondzio hands me all his gear and disappears inside with the guard. Kuba and Tomek arrive moments later. We buy something to drink and a bag of caramel-coated peanuts to sweeten the mood. Kondzio messages us saying the lady doctor is wonderfully kind, adding a few photos of his IV drip. Now we wait.
Less than an hour later, I'm holding up my phone and pressing the shutter. The selfie shows the doctor with his mask pulled halfway down, the four of us smiling, and Hicham - our guard. The diagnosis is: inflammation of one of the respiratory muscles. The symptoms are remarkably similar to a heart attack, most likely brought on by getting badly chilled two days earlier. Kondzio is given a course of medication along with instructions for the coming days. You could see the change in him instantly – a beaming smile and a volcano of energy. The Algerian healthcare system couldn't have looked after us better, everything was completely free. Apparently, that's simply how they treat foreign visitors here.
Hicham asks what we're planning to do now. "You're not going to a hotel... are you?" As it turns out, we can stay at his "jardin", where he has his house, a barbecue and even a "piscine". What an absolute gift from the heavens. Of course we say yes. Hicham jumps onto his motorcycle and leads us to his place. Once there, we set our tents up and agree that we'll buy the food while he'll take care of everything on the barbecue.
It turns out to be the finest barbecue I eat anywhere in Algeria. The vegetables are superb, the chicken absolutely delicious. And Hicham himself proves to be quite the character. He's a Tuareg who plays Berber Blues in one of the local bands. He even treats us to a little private performance. Barbecue, palm trees, a sky bursting with stars, guitar music and Hicham's Berber singing… The evening couldn't possibly be any better.
The show goes on. Tomorrow, at first light, we'll head out to make up for lost time. Tassili is still very much on the itinerary.
Track: https://loc.wiki/t/275794486?wa=sc
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