Adrar Region
DifficultPiste de l’Adrar — Atar to Chinguetti via the Mauritanian Saharan Plateau
Caravan city at the end of a Saharan piste.
Surface: Rock
Northern Cape
ExpertRichtersveld Vensterval Pass to Eksteenfontein — Orange River Volcanic Plateau Desert Track
Volcanic desert at its most uncompromising.
Italy
DifficultStelvio Pass Road — Bormio to Prato allo Stelvio via the Italian Alps Eastern Switchbacks
48 hairpins to the roof of the Eastern Alps.
Australia
ExpertGibber Plains to Birdsville Track — Sturt’s Stony Desert Crossing via Nappa Merrie Station
Burke and Wills died here. Drive it anyway.
Algeria
ExtremePiste du Tafassasset — Djanet to Tamanrasset via the Tassili Plateau Interior
700 km of Saharan silence. No services. No shortcuts.
Ethiopia
ExtremeErta Ale Volcano Approach Road — Dodom to Erta Ale Caldera via the Danakil Depression Floor
Earth's lava lake. Africa's worst heat.
Peru
DifficultHuarney to Chavín de Huántar — Cordillera Blanca Desert Canyon Traverse via Quebrada Malvas
Ancient ruins at the end of a canyon nobody takes.
Himachal Pradesh
ExpertRohtang Pass to Spiti Valley — Kunzum La High Crossing via Chandra River
Two passes, zero mercy, infinite reward.
India
DifficultLeh to Pangong Tso — Chang La High Altitude Desert Crossing via Durbuk and Shyok Valley
Chang La to Pangong — where earth runs out of colour.
Northern Cape
DifficultRichtersveld Groot Derm to Port Nolloth — Namaqualand Coastal Desert Track via Natab
Diamond country dirt — fog, quartzite, silence.