ALG

ALG-6, Top Pass Arch, Akba Tafilalet Area. 2 meter span and 2 meter height (estimated). From main street in Djanet, turn right on paved road just before the bridge and drive 400 meters to the fire station. Take the 4WD road east and drive about 16 km to the turnaround (shelter) at the bottom of the huge cliff of Tassili-n-Ajjer. From there climb up the ravine on the cairned donkey trail to the flat bowl with some acacia trees (about 45 minutes). Cross the bowl straight ahead 300 meters and turn right into the canyon. Walk 500 meters through the canyon and take the ascending pass on the left to a pass. Then go down the trail to a rocky wash (oued) into the upper Akba Tafilalet Canyon. Once on the canyon floor you can see a slot canyon on the right and a high spire perched on the left. Proceed in the canyon upstream for approximately 2 km and turn right at a cairn. Climb up the strenuous ravine (hard part of the trail) to the top of the pass (there is a pour off on the right). Find this arch on the left of the pass on the rocks above it. So far I have described the donkey trail, but several short cuts exist. All are shown on Map 1. For example, at the cairn described above where you turn right, an alternate route is to continue on the trail straight ahead and ascend a hard chimney into a side canyon before arriving at the plateau top (for strong hikers only). This way saves 30 minutes of hiking.

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