Trou au Natron
A vast caldera in the Tibesti with a floor of white natron and small cones inside it.
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The Trou au Natron is a caldera in the Tibesti around eight kilometres across and a kilometre deep, and its floor is covered in a crust of white natron, a sodium carbonate deposit left by a lake that dried, so that looking down into it from the rim gives a white plain with several small black cinder cones standing on it. Fumaroles still vent at the bottom. The descent to the floor takes several hours.
What you actually see
- The white floor - the natron crust left by an evaporated lake.
- The cinder cones - the small black cones standing on the caldera floor.
- The scale - a crater around eight kilometres across and a kilometre deep.
- The fumaroles - the vents still active at the bottom.
When to go
November to February is the cool season and the practical window. March to May is extremely hot. The descent should start early.
Honest expectations
The descent to the floor is long, steep and unmarked, and the climb back is worse. Access requires a full expedition with permits and guides. There is no infrastructure or rescue.
Nearby
Bardaï is north, and Emi Koussi is south.
What to pack for Trou au Natron
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.