A modern-day odyssey, which will take 11 South African 4x4 adventurers a distance of  more than 32 000 kilometres in approximately 164 days through Africa, Europe and the Middle East, started this week at Camp Africa in Louis Trichardt.

Seasoned tour leader Dave van Graan of Masazane Expeditions at Camp Africa, says the Trans-Africa Expedition will lead from Louis Trichardt’s Camp Africa via West and Central Northern Africa to Algerciras, Spain, Europe and the Middle East to Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, and via the eastern side of Africa back to Camp Africa in Louis Trichardt.

The journey started this week and is expected to be completed in the middle of October, when they plan to be back in Louis Trichardt.

Dave, who has had extensive experience of similar adventure expeditions (some with interesting themes like the Primate Expedition, in which a variety of rare species, including gorillas, and chimpanzee were encountered in various African countries) says the present itinerary has been finalised, based on situations in Africa as experienced during previous expeditions, and also after consultations with Johan Badenhorst, the Voetspore expedition leader, and Koos Moorcroft of Africa Bushcraft, who supplied valuable information regarding the Western African countries.

The expedition is divided into three legs and other adventurers might still fly in to join at the start of each leg.

It will go through Namibia, Angola, Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Western Sahara and Morocco and cross over to Algeciras in Spain by ferry. It will continue through Spain, France and Italy and then by ferry to Greece, then to Turkey and Syria, Jordan and Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and back home.

The distance from Cairo to Louis Trichardt is approximately 9 850km. The entire expedition from Louis Trichardt back to Louis Trichardt is approximately 32 625 km.

“It is not an expedition for the ‘faint at heart’,” remarked Dave.