Explore the beautiful Air Mountains is a section of the Sahara Desert within Niger that has a number of uneven Air Mountains that rise high above the surrounding terrain to a height of 6,000 feet (1800 meters) and covers an area of about 85,000 square kilometers. This area which is mainly inhabited by the Tuareg nomads is home to a number of different wildlife species such as the fennec a desert specialist, hyenas, and baboons.
Aïr Mountains situated in the Niger Republic south of the Hoggar. The mountains are composed of granitic and metamorphic crystalline basement rocks which emerge through the surrounding Carboniferous to Cretaceous sediments and are overlain in places by end-Cainozoic lavas. An end-Cretaceous fault-trough extends into the heart of Aïr and, together with other evidence, indicates that the crystalline rocks were buried during the Cretaceous marine transgression. Geological and geomorphological evidence suggests deformation and uplift in end-Cretaceous, end-Palaeocene, and end-Tertiary-Pleistocene times. Discordant upon the crystalline and consequent upon the sedimentary rocks, the superimposed drainage pattern was initiated during the end-Cretaceous emergence. The relief consists of a deformed main Aïr planation surface at 600-1000 m, surmounted by resistant granite massifs some of which are beveled by a deformed, multiphase summit planation surface at 1400-1900 m.
How to get to Air Mountains
By road, its over 15 hours’ drive from the main capital Niamey which can be split into two days but the easiest way is to charter a private aircraft after receiving clearance from the government and you can land at the airstrip in Agadez and using 4×4 you can drive to the mountains.
Where to stay in the Air Mountains
There are no luxury lodges in the town but camping can be perfect but local lodging options include Auberge d’Azel, Hotel de la paix d’Agadez, and Auberge Tellit please check with our experts before traveling to Niger for an exploration safari.
