Black Desert

South of Bahariya the road runs through a stretch of desert where the hills are capped and strewn with dark volcanic rock, dolerite that intruded into the sandstone and broke down into black gravel and boulders scattered over orange and ochre slopes. The contrast is what gives the area its name and its appearance: conical hills that look scorched, black debris fields, and a few flat-topped mesas. It is generally seen as a stop on the drive between Bahariya and the White Desert, with a climb up one of the cones for the view across the whole area, which takes twenty minutes and gives a long perspective over the depression. English Mountain, a high point in the area, carries the remains of a British lookout post from the First World War.

What you actually see

• Black-capped orange cones - volcanic rock strewn over sandstone hills.
• A climb for the overview - twenty minutes up a cone for the whole field.
• Flat-topped mesas - the remnants of a higher surface.
• English Mountain - a hill with an old lookout post on it.

When to go

October to April. Half a day, almost always as a stop on the way south to the White Desert. Late afternoon light makes the colour contrast strongest. Mornings work for the climb before the heat.

Honest expectations

It is a roadside stop rather than a destination and twenty minutes covers it for most people. The climb is on loose black scree and awkward footing. There is no shade or water. Litter accumulates at the standard stopping points.

Nearby

Bahariya is north; Crystal Mountain and the White Desert lie south.