California
ModerateMojave Road East — Piute Spring to Fort Piute via Lanfair Valley and Fenner Wash
Army ruins, volcanic rock, and no cell signal.
Trail Type: Overland Route
Namibia
ModerateSossusvlei Red Dune Road — Sesriem to Dead Vlei via Elim Dune and Big Daddy
300-metre dunes. No second chances in soft sand.
Mauritania
ExtremePiste du Tichit — Tidjikja to Tichit via the Aoukar Depression
Medieval caravan route. Zero margin for error.
British Columbia
DifficultStikine River Road — Dease Lake to Telegraph Creek via the Stikine Grand Canyon Rim
Shelf road, canyon walls, no guardrails.
Kunene Region
ExpertHuab River Conservancy Track — Palmwag to Sesfontein via the Damaraland Desert Spine
Desert elephants, soft sand, zero backup.
California
ModerateMojave Road — Afton Canyon to Providence Mountains via Soda Lake Playa and Government Holes
140 miles of Old West desert. No guardrails.
Himachal Pradesh
ExpertManali–Leh Highway — Baralacha La to Tanglang La via the High Passes of Lahaul
Three passes over 4,900m. One brutal highway.
Australia
DifficultGibb River Road — Fairfield Station to Bell Gorge via the Kimberley Wilderness Heart
The Kimberley's gorge-country proving ground.
Australia
DifficultGunbarrel Highway — Meekatharra to Laverton via the Central Western Desert
Beadell's dead-straight desert crossing.
Kunene Region
ExtremeSkeleton Coast Wilderness Track — Möwe Bay to Van Zyl’s Pass via the Hartmann Valley
Africa's most punishing desert descent.