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Arita Baaijens is Holland’s leading female explorer. She has made many solo desert trips as well as travelling with nomads over the last twenty five years primarily in Egypt, Sudan, Siberia.

1. How did you get involved in desert exploration?  I first had a taste of the desert in Sinai in 1978, and made several journeys into the interior, while dreaming of a longer journey for which the Sinai was too small.

Ten years later I met Carlo Bergmann, a German who travelled in the Western Desert of Egypt with camels. He agreed to take me on one of his journeys if  I paid for expenses and on the condition that certain physical services were included. When I refused the price went up.

To cut a long story short, we travelled together for about a month. The landscape was fascinating, but the man drove me crazy with his vitriolic moods. He considered himself to be the King of the Desert and expected me to behave according to his rules. After a month I desperately wanted to leave and I told Carlo to bring me to the road. The night before my departure I watched the full moon appear from beneath the earth. The sand dunes glowed in the silver light of the moon and I could not bear the thought of leaving this magical place. I decided there and then I would continue the journey on my own.  Carlo warned me that I would die if I missed the water wells en route. I nodded and asked for directions. He gave me a detailed description of the route, told me how to handle the camel I would take with me and waved goodbye.

 2.What was the most useful skill you learned from Carlo Bergmann?

You probably won’t believe this, but the most important thing I learned from him is the art of loving (*). Of course I also learned technical stuff: how to buy and train camels, how to navigate (I’m talking pre-gps days!). I learned how to repair worn camel feet, how to use a revolver.

A good mentor is invaluable, but I learned most of my lessons while travelling solo: How to cope with loneliness, deal with run away camels, tracking, treat and operate sick camels, deal with panic, use fear as a tool.

(*) This requires an explanation. My first solo journey sobered me up. I nearly missed the first water well, I did miss the next one, my camel ran away and so on. But the desert was not my biggest enemy. My mind was. Being alone made me wonder how the German survived all the lonely winters in the desert. I tried to understand his way of thinking and slowly fell in love with his mind.  I leave the rest up to your imagination.

 3. What advice have you for people who want to make solo desert expeditions?

Go to a country where you can find nomads and camels, learn the language, learn from locals. Then take a deep breath and off you go, solo. A steep learning curve is the reward. Keep in mind though that the desert is not like your mother. You can make mistakes, but not too many…or you’ll be dead.

4. How many expeditions have you made and what discoveries do you value most- both those about yourself and the places you have been?

Between 25-30 journeys.

Discoveries: I am a survivor. I can look death in the eye and stay calm, have no unreasonable fear for the unknown. Enjoy walking on the edge and to take calculated risks. I know myself inside out by now and ilhamdulilah, there’s no need anymore to prove my strength or to show that I can further, higher, deeper than someone else.

Nomads taught me true leadership, courage, to put the interest of the group above that of your own, deal gracefully with limitations and draw backs. Not to show anger, pain, frustration. How to ride a camel.

By the way, nomads are human and they also make mistakes, so trust your own judgement. 

Most beautiful archaeological discovery while travelling with Krzysztof Pluskota in the Red Sea Hills, eastern Sudan : a hidden valley with 3 altars and thousands of prehistoric petroglyphs of cows. 

5.What advice do you give to young would-be women explorers?

You can achieve whatever you want.  You don’t need muscles, nor a penis, nor a moustache to become a successful explorer. It’s not always easy being a woman, but there are advantages. Nobody expects you to carry or use weapons. Therefore people are less suspicious and less aggressive towards you. Travelling in the Islamic world you also have the advantage of being able to mix with both men and women. Travelling in Siberia, you are not expected to drink as much vodka as men do. 

6. Any final thoughts?

Go, go, go girls!!!! If you need some help, let me know.

Arita’s website is: AritaBaaijens.nl

I have been musing recently on a definition for what counts as modern exploration. At first I got into the idea that it was all about finding new things- lost cities, river sources, forgotten tribes. But then there were all those polar explorers who only really found new routes. Or new ways of following old routes. And this made me realise that all the sexy things explorers find are like the cream on the cake, the real substance is the new route.

Explorers find new ways to get from A to B. They are the modern version of the guide figure for a tribe of hunter gatherers seeking out new pastures. Explorers sometimes find new stuff along the way. But sometimes they don’t. No lost cities in the Antarctic.

This is why there will be always be explorers. Because there are an infinite number of ways to get from A to B.

Mark Borda and Mahmoud Marai made arguably the biggest Eastern Sahara discovery of the decade when they found the ancient Egyptian inscriptions on a large boulder right in the Sudan/Egypt/Libyan border area. That’s the picture preceeding this post. Here, Mark Borda answers a few questions on the matter.

1.    How did you get involved in desert exploration?

 After selling out from business in 2004 I was on the look out for interesting projects and would occasionally come across information about the Libyan desert. Eventually, the fact that this desert still harboured unexplored areas began to sink in. I was intrigued and resolved to explore it. In 2005 I joined a trip with Chris Scott and another with Andras Zboray with the idea of making contacts, meeting like minded people etc.and during the latter trip I was given the email address of Carlo Bergmann.  I ended up joining Carlo’s Khufu trail expedition in 2006. The thrill of making discoveries on Zborays and Bergmanns trips spurred me on to organize my own explorations from then on.

 2.    What skills did you specifically learn from Carlo Bergmann that helpedyou locate the new inscription.  

 I learnt various things from Carlo but my initial objectives at Uweinat in 2007 where very different from those of Carlo’s 2006 expedition so the approach and skills required where also different. Also I don’t think the discovery of the inscription resulted directly from the application of any particular skills.

 3.    How did you find the new inscription?

 The inscription just happened to be fortuitously located in one of those parts of Uweinat that had been little explored or not explored at all and which I had targeted for  inspection. It was found when Mahmoud Marai and myself where walking back to camp after a circuit survey through a wadi and along the fringes of a plain. Mahmoud, who I contracted to supply transport and camping facilities for the duration of the trip is keen on exploring and frequently accompanied me on my treks. The area where the Inscription is located is strewn with boulders along the fringes and slopes of the hills and on such terrain I often scan the faces of the boulders at a distance with binoculars. This of course allows you assess the boulders and then to walk up to and closely inspect only those that seem promising. It was whilst conducting just such a scan that the inscription popped into view.

4. How many desert expeditions did you mount and what else have youdiscovered?

Altogether I have mounted six of my own expeditions. The discoveries have been many and varied mainly consisting of settlement sites probably of prehistoric date, many with rock art.

5. Who has identified the inscription and what does it read?

 The inscription has not yet been seen in situ by any archaeologists or Egyptologists. It was first translated and interpreted by means of examining photographs by Egyptologist Aloisia De Trafford  of University College London and ancient language specialist Joseph Clayton of. Birkbeck College, University College, London.  It reads as follows:- .

Cartouche

sA ra mnTwHtp  

Son of Ra, Mentuhotep

Title Above Cartouche

Above the cartouche and slightly to the right we find the king’s nsw-bity title, which can be translated as ‘king of the dualities’ or ‘King of Upper and Lower Egypt.’

Epithet Below Cartouche

Hr anx Dt

Horus living forever

Upper couplet

imA Hr ms sn-ntr

 Yam bringing incense

Lower couplet

 txbt Hr ms ..

 Tekhebet bringing ..

6.    What is its significance?

a.) The inscription is probably the most distant one known to exist away from what where the generally accepted boundaries of ancient Egypt. I would say that this on its own is already significant. b.) That the ancient Egyptians had traveled north into the Mediterranean, Palastine etc., east to the Eastern desert and Red Sea and south to Nubia, Punt etc., has been known for a long time. So the existence of an inscription almost 650 kilometers due west of the Nile is also significant because for the first time, we now have irrefutable proof that the ancient Egyptians also undertook long range extra-territorial expeditions to the west. c.) The geography of the areas in between Egypt and the north, east and south destinations already mentioned is such that journeys to and from these places could have been accomplished with relative ease by the ancient Egyptians as compared to a journey to Uweinat. A journey to the latter entails crossing one of the most forbidding and severe natural environments known on earth. So the inscription is again significant because its location raises many questions about how the Egyptians managed to cross the intervening terrain without camels and about the real climatic conditions that prevailed at the time. d.)  Perhaps the most significant thing about the Inscription is its reference to Yam. The location of this kingdom has been the topic of considerable debate and research amongst historians but it was always assumed that Yam had to be somewhere in Nubia either on the Nile itself or west of it but still in Nubian territory. A singular feature about this inscription in comparison to other Yam inscriptions is that it records a meeting between Egyptians and Yamites at the actual geographical point where the meeting took place. Its very difficult to explain why two peoples both living on or relatively near to the Nile would choose to meet at such an inordinately distant spot west of the river, involving both peoples in a round trip of over 1200 kilometers (straight line distance only) through one of the worlds harshest and most impassable terrains. The inscription is therefore raising serious questions not only about the true location of Yam but it is also bringing closer into the realm of the possible, a series of other startling propositions that would previously have been in the domain of the virtually unthinkable. One is the possibility that Uweinat was not the final destination of the Egyptians south western travels and that indeed they may have ventured much further into subtropical zones in the heart of Africa.

7.    Is there any false or misleading information on the net that you wouldlike to correct regarding your discovery?

Yes there is some misleading information out there but perhaps most of it has been corrected from what I have already said.

8.    Do you think there are more ancient Egyptian inscriptions in the desertwaiting to be found?

I would think its very possible for more inscriptions to turn up in the hills immediately south  west of Dahkla and other areas in the desert relatively close to territory that was under pharaonic administration.  In the deeper areas of the desert it would probably be less likely but hopefully we will know more about this issue once a scientific investigation of the Inscription site is undertaken as we currently don’t have a clear understanding of exactly what the Egyptians where doing in Uweinat. Before the inscription was found, Calro Bergmann as well as a team of scientists at Cologne University led by Dr. Rudolph Kuper, had already proposed Uweinat as a major stopping point on a hypothetical extention of  the Abu Ballas trail. If this is the case then the likelihood of more inscriptions increase’s as the Abu Ballas trail was used over an extended period. If Yam was indeed located west across the Libyan desert then this would also increase the likelihood of more inscriptions out in the deep desert as we have textual evidence for at least three and possibly four visits to Yam by just one Egyptian in the person of Harkuf .

Mark Borda and Mahmoud Marais discovered these hieroglyphic inscriptions deep in the Eastern Sahara, at the border of Egypt, Libya and Sudan in 2007. They are the first evidence we have that the ancient Egyptians penetrated this far. I will be posting more information about this amazing find (about which there is considerable misinformation on the net) very shortly.

We are tentatively putting together an expedition for later 2010 or early 2011 in search of Saharan engravings and rock art in the Gilf Kebir area of Egypt. This will be a proper three week expedition totally devoted to exploration though we will visit the Mestakawi-Foggini Cave and Wadi Soura. The idea is to take vehicles to an area never before explored and then walk each day averaging 20-25km of canyon, mountain and cave investigation. We will meet the vehicles again at night but to minimise their destructive impact (tyre tracks last forever) they will stay clear of the exploration area. As on our other expeditions we need fit, enthusiastic people with a flexible approach. If you think you might qualify let us know. There will be room for a maximum of ten people only.

Last year we did some work with top corporate trainers Apter development, the most ‘out there’ management training specialists around. We did a series of desert excursions about 300km from Cairo along the Abu Moharik dune system. Apter do all kinds of training and psychological evaluation- their details are to be found at: http://www.apterinternational.com/management_leadership_development

An article appeared in this weekend’s guardian about 50 places travelers loved to visit. Robert Twigger’s was in the Egyptian Desert. What wasn’t added was that we are heading for a month into the desert this winter on the re-enactment of the Rohlf’s expedition of 1873. We still have one maybe two places left on this incredible (we hope!) one off expedition. It will last a month from dec 27 to end of Jan.For those four who are already going - get your walking legs on, your boots broken in ready for a great trip!  

Richard and I made a summer trip to Dakhla to finalise camel buying details for the expedition. In Egypt you either take male camels for high load carrying strength or females for less difficult management. There are no geldings, unlike in the western parts of the Sahara, though geldings offer a good compromise. After all such talk we headed back to Cairo and…ran out of fuel, or rather the Oasis had. It was then that I remembered why I prefered camels. 370 km from Cairo in Bahariya we had hit town just when both gas stations had run out of petrol. they had diesel but no gas. Waiting around for a few days wasn’t a pleasant option as Richard had a flight. While we dithered a man came up and asked if I lived in Cairo on road 177. I was surprised, but said yes. He was a neighbour, also on a desert trip, and recognised my car. ‘Anything else you want?’ he asked when leaving. Gas! He got out his phone and said, “I know a man who stockpiles gas for such occasions, he lives 8 km away.” The man arrived ten minutes later with 100 litres of petrol and would not even take a tip…Such stories are common in Egypt, a land where frustration can occur alongside miracles almost daily! It is now less than two months until we set off. We have one or possibly two places left on the expedition. If interested get in touch asap.  

I have just been talking to Youssef down in Dakhla about the forthcoming explorer school expedition following Rohlfs exact route, also by camel, in December 2009-Jan 2010. He says we’ll need 12 good camels and he has them there for us to take a look at. As a preliminary planning trip Richard and I will be travelling to Dakhla in the sweltering month of June to talk about the trip with the Bedouin we hope to take with us. So far we have three European people who have the right  requirements as potential expedition members - so there is potential room for just four more- but if you think you have what it takes (massive enthusiasm, good walking fitness) then do get in touch.

We will be starting our journey in the footsteps of Rohlfs this December 2009 from Dakhla Oasis. Below is some information about the place.

Dakhla is among the most remote oases being far from both Cairo and Luxor. To get there from Cairo you drive south over 850km. Yet it retains a charm quite its own that makes journeying there well worth the expenditure in time and effort. You pass from Farafra along one of the loneliest stretches of road in Egypt. Once past the outlying villages of Abu Mingar there is nothing for 200km- just empty road, dunes on the right and the unending escarpment on the left. Anytime you stop- and you should stop because this modern road follows an ancient route through the desert- you will find stone tools scattered close to the road. You can stand by your silent car and hear nothing but the wind for ages, turning over the evidence of ancient man in your hands.

The road from Farafra then passes a few outlying patches of green and then a village. After that one has to wind up and over the great dunes blocking the entrance to the main part of the oasis. These dunes lie between a mountainous outpost- Gebel Edmondstone- named after the Victorian cartographer Archibald Edmondstone , the first European visitor to Dakhla since Roman times. He arrived in 1819. We will pass around Gebel Edmondstone on our way to Siwa through the Great Sand Sea.

But back on the road, once past Gebel Edmondstone you are surrounded by fields alternating with patches of rock and desert. You’ll know you’re in Dakhla because, unlike Farafra, everyone working wears a straw hat against the heat- which makes the place look vaguely Mexican!

Dakhla is considered to be one of the oldest inhabited places in Africa, or rather Mut, its main town is. Mut, which means mother in the Ancient Egyptian tongue, is really the mother of all dwelling places. Houses with organic remains carbon dated to 13,000 years ago have been unearthed there.

Qasr

Dakhla is home to many ancient remains, hot springs and towering over it – the escarpment which dominates the skyline on the northern side. In the oasis town of Qsar (like many of the Oases, the main town is called Qsar after the fortress) a Dutch lead team of locals have succeeded in almost completely rebuilding the dark mud walled old town. This place of narrow alleys and secret passages is one of the great sights of Dakhla. Lose yourself in an endless labyrinth which is like something out of Starwars or the Sheltering Sky. In one linked house lurks a blacksmith and his family- making knives, needles and sickles with their signature saw toothed edge. This design has been traced back to pre-dynastic times when the saw teeth were microliths of flint set in a curved wooden handle.

In the maze of streets you’ll easily get lost so take one of the unpaid guides and give him a tip- they are not at all pushy and really very helpful. There is also a small museum on the edge of the mudwalled town. Though Qasr was deserted for concrete dwellings in the early 1990s a few families have moved back- though the laying of a water main was controversial. In the past all water was brought in by hand- because the consequences of a flood would be disastrous- the dissolving of the very fabric of the town. Needless to say, no one ever leaves the tap running.

Deir El Haggar

A few kilometres before Qasr is the intriguing Roman ruin of Deir El Haggar. This place was once under sand- which helped preserve the paint on the carvings. There is something very recent about paint and to see some that is 2000 years old is quite amazing. One can compare oneself to the great explorer Rolhfs who signature can be seen quite clearly on a column in front the temple of Deir el Haggar. But he carved it when the sand was much higher. Now cleared away to reveal more of the temple, his graffiti is a good three metres above the ground. One is left standing far below, pondering the neat and exact way they carved their names in those days- compared to the slapdash way people scratch their signature these days.

Rohlfs started on his famous expedition to try and cross the Sahara to Libya from Dakhla. He failed and it wasn’t until the era of the motorcar that this feat was achieved by a European explorer. He did, of course, get to Siwa- and it is this 650 km journey we hope to emulate.

Across the way from this restored roman temple complex are conical hills full of tombs. Some have been excavated, some robbed but as you cast your eyes further there are many more similar looking hills spread throughout Dakhla. When people have been living somewhere continuously in such a dry climate for 13,000 years there are a lot of bodies to bury. You get a glimpse of how the whole oasis is one great archeological site.

Amheida Wall Paintings

Between Qasr and Mut lies the extensive Roman ruins of Amheida, perhaps one of the largest and most significant within the oasis of Dakhla. In Roman times it was a major city, relying for its wealth on the good farming in the oasis. The old city remains as sand buried buildings, a temple and over 3000 graves. Most recently a marvelous series of wall paintings have been unearthed. They depict in great detail scenes of Greek and Roman mythology in a large 15 room building dug from the sand by a Canadian team of archeolgists. These are the first wall paintings to be found in Dakhla and one of the main paintings tells the story of Perseus and Andromeda which supposedly occurred itself in the Western Desert.

Biking in Mut

To see all the antquities in Dakhla you can ride in the back of a pick up, take a taxi or hitch lifts. Better, probably, is to hire a pedal bike. You can hire bicycles in all the oases. Mut is no exception- though with its wide largely empty roads it makes for some of the best on-road cycling in Egypt. You can hire bikes at several places and it is a cheap and easy way to get around.

Final fact: Desert raiders originating in Chad attacked Dakhla up until the 19^th century using iron boomerangs. These are not so different in design to the boomerangs used by the Ancient Egyptians to catch small birds.