Gauthiot Falls

The Mayo Kebbi drops over a rock step near Léré in southwestern Chad, and after the rains it comes down in a broad curtain with real force, which in a country that is mostly desert and savanna is worth the drive. By the end of the dry season it is reduced to threads across bare rock. The river here drains eventually into the Benue and the Niger rather than into Lake Chad, which makes it unusual for Chad.

What you actually see

• The falls - the Mayo Kebbi dropping over the rock step.
• The seasonal contrast - a curtain after the rains, threads by the late dry season.
• The drainage - a river running to the Benue and the Niger rather than Lake Chad.
• The rock step - the ledge the water comes over.

When to go

September to December is when the falls carry real water after the rains. By March they can be almost dry. The rains themselves make the track difficult.

Honest expectations

Outside the months after the rains there may be almost nothing to see. The track in is rough. There are no facilities at the site.

Nearby

Lake Léré is nearby, and Sena Oura is west.