ATLAS51
8°29′N · 13°14′W
Expedition

Sierra Leone: By any means

Nine days crossing Sierra Leone by whatever moves — motorbike, canoe, pickup, ferry — towards Mt Bintumani and the Loma Mountains.

Photos
Duration
9 days
Group size
7–10 travellers
Operating window
20–28 March 2027
Next departure
Register interest
Gateway
Freetown (FNA)
Remoteness
Deep
Self-reliance
Shared
Comfort
Basic
Environment
Mixed
How to read these

These terms compare trips across Atlas51. Environment describes terrain, not difficulty.

Remoteness

  1. Edge

    Established support remains relatively close.

  2. Deep

    Help or an exit may take time.

  3. Extreme

    Help and an exit may be days away.

Self-reliance

  1. Supported

    The crew runs the core systems.

  2. Shared

    You take on part of the work.

  3. Self-reliant

    Your skills and decisions are central.

Comfort

  1. Basic

    A roof every night.

  2. Wild

    Camped, with camp made for you.

  3. Spartan

    You build your own shelter.

Environment

  1. Desert

    Sand, rock and arid ground.

  2. Arctic

    Snow, ice and sustained cold.

  3. Jungle

    Dense, humid forest.

  4. Mountain

    Steep, high or broken ground.

  5. Inland water

    Rivers, lakes and wetlands.

  6. Ocean

    Open-coast or offshore water.

  7. Forest

    Woodland and trail terrain.

  8. Steppe

    Open grassland with few trees.

  9. Savanna

    Warm grassland with scattered trees.

  10. Reef

    Shallow coastal water and coral ground.

  11. Mixed

    Several distinct terrains in one trip.

Photography note

This trip has not run yet, so none of these photographs are from it. The aerials are licensed footage of Sierra Leone itself — the Freetown peninsula, the point at Aberdeen, a street into town. The rest are the operator’s own, from the West African riding they already do.

A good fit if

You want the undertaking, not just the backdrop

  1. 01

    Want real adventure over luxury.

  2. 02

    Want to truly step outside their comfort zone.

  3. 03

    Enjoy solving problems and challenges.

  4. 04

    Want to experience countries beyond the tourist trail.

  5. 05

    Understand that the best trips are rarely planned.

Person walking along a palm-lined beach with small boats

The trip

The route, the work and the conditions

Expedition

A first, exploratory or uncharted route.

Because almost nobody goes. Because it's spectacular. Because genuine exploration and adventure still exists here.

There is a well-known fable in Sierra Leone about a spider and a tortoise heading to a feast. "By the time you arrive anywhere, even the flies will have finished eating," the spider says. The tortoise just smiles back: "Maybe, but the one who walks slowly still sees what the one who runs has missed."

We side with the tortoise. An expedition this raw should not be rushed, taking time to enjoy every road, village, market and shoreline as we work our way across the country.

Black and white photograph of a crowded fishing beach: wooden boats flying pennants in the surf, and people wading in the shallows carrying basins and boxes.
The boats come in and the whole beach goes down to meet them. This is the kind of shoreline the route slows down for.

This never-before-attempted expedition will take us through rugged red-clay roads, pristine mangrove channels, and deserted beaches.

Our experienced West Africa expedition lead has spent months out in Sierra Leone, studying the roads, speaking to locals, researching roads and piecing together what we think could become one of the greatest adventures in West Africa — but until we do it ourselves, nobody knows exactly what lies around every corner.

Every expedition is supported by experienced local guides who know the terrain, communities and conditions. Routes may change to reflect weather, local advice or safety considerations. Flexibility is part of the experience, but good judgement always comes first.

Sierra Leone · the coastThe road starts at the water and turns inland

From the field

The Freetown peninsula from the air through broken cloud: turquoise shallows, a pale beach and a road running the length of a green headland.One road down the whole peninsula, cloud sitting on the hills above it. This is the country the route crosses.A busy Freetown street seen from above: traffic between rusted and painted roofs, market awnings along one side, the bay and hills beyond.Cars, bikes, three-wheelers and market stalls sharing one street into town. Working out how to move through that is most of the trip.A rocky point at Aberdeen with a small white and red lighthouse among trees, surf breaking on the rocks and Freetown packed onto the hills behind.The lighthouse on the point at Aberdeen, with Freetown stacked up the hills behind it. The route starts here and turns inland.A long empty beach curving away under a forested headland, waves breaking along its whole length.Miles of sand under a forested headland, nobody on it. The coast road runs behind those trees.A man sits on a wooden cart harnessed to a brown horse outside a pink-red building on a sandy street.View all 23 photographsA horse and cart parked up on the sand, driver waiting. On this expedition anything that moves counts, and the list is deliberately open.

Trip dossier

Route, arrival, kit and operating detail

Geography, arrival, flight handoff and equipment in one place. Final joining times are confirmed in writing for each departure.

01

Route & terrain

9 days · Motorcycles, boats and whatever moves · 2 route points

Freetown inland towards the Loma Mountains and Mt Bintumani, by whatever transport the route allows. Only the two ends are known — everything between them is deliberately undecided. The map shows the region the trip covers rather than a surveyed route: waypoints are indicative, and the day-by-day is not yet confirmed.

Route between endpoints not fixed · Not for navigation
About this map

Rivers use HydroSHEDS/HydroRIVERS; the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides observed water extent, Copernicus relief, and Natural Earth land and country boundaries. These layers provide geographic context, not navigation.

Open the full route plate

02

Risk & conditions

Five dimensions · highest rating 4/5

Read this before you apply

The risks are part of the decision

How we handle risk →

The conditions that give this trip its character are the same ones that decide who should be on it. Each rating compares this trip with the others on the site; the line beside it says what that means here.

Physical

04 / 05

Long days on rough roads, riding, and a climb towards Mt Bintumani in humidity.

Technical

03 / 05

You will ride a motorcycle up to 125cc on poor surfaces.

Environment

04 / 05

Tropical heat and humidity, remote interior, limited medical facilities.

Activity

04 / 05

Motorcycling on unmade roads is the single largest injury source on a trip like this.

Geopolitical

03 / 05

No advisory against travel, but violent crime occurs in Freetown and travel outside the peninsula after dark is advised against.

When it goes wrong

On the ground, the trip lead makes the immediate safety call — changing the route, changing the day or stopping the activity. The communications, medical and evacuation arrangements confirmed for this departure will be set out in your written trip information. If a service is not named there, do not assume it is included. Emergency and legal limits →

03

Arrival & orientation

Freetown (FNA) · Sierra Leone

Freetown

Freetown International Airport (Lungi)

Lungi sits across the estuary from Freetown itself, so arrival involves a ferry or water taxi before the city. Airport collection is included; the crossing is part of the trip rather than an inconvenience before it.

Airport
FNA
Country
Sierra Leone
Time zone
Africa/Freetown
8.6164, -13.1955Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
04

Flights & joining dates

Freetown (FNA) · travel dates to be confirmed

Fly into Freetown (FNA).

We’ll confirm the travel dates and arrival deadline before you book. Atlas51 does not sell flights or take payment for them.

Flights into Freetown (FNA)

Travel dates to be confirmed

The joining date and arrival deadline come in writing before you book.

Search flights ↗
05

Kit & equipment

2 kit items included · 17 you bring
Included by the operatorNot included — you bring or arrange it

Footwear

Leather walking boots do not dry. Cotton socks are a liability.

  • Not included: Jungle boot with drainage
  • Not included: Camp shoe
  • Not included: Synthetic sock × 4
  • Not included: Gaiters

Layers

Full hardshell is unwearable in humidity.

  • Not included: Long-sleeve synthetic shirt × 2Sun, insects and abrasion.
  • Not included: Quick-dry trouser × 2
  • Not included: Light insulated layerFor altitude and river travel.
  • Not included: Poncho or lightweight waterproof

Sleeping

  • Included: Hammock, tarp and mosquito netProvided on some trips — check.
  • Not included: Lightweight sleeping bag or liner

Technical

  • Not included: Dry bags in graded sizes
  • Included: Machete
  • Not included: Headtorch plus spares
  • Not included: Water filter or purification tablets
  • Not included: RucksackExpect a heavy carry on expedition trips.

Medical

Yellow fever certificate is required for entry.

  • Not included: Antimalarial prophylaxis
  • Not included: DEET or picaridin repellent
  • Not included: Foot care and antifungalTrench foot is the most common jungle casualty.
  • Not included: Rehydration salts and personal first aid

This list is Atlas51's own template for the environment, not the operator's. It is indicative rather than final — the confirmed list, including anything compulsory and anything provided, comes with your joining instructions.

06

Practical detail

From £3,000 GBP · cancellation, insurance and what's included
Price
From £3,000 GBP · land-only
International flights are excluded unless the written offer explicitly includes them.
If you cancel
Charges scale with how close to departure you cancel.
Read the cancellation schedule →
Entry & health
Passport, visa and health requirements are yours to confirm.
We tell you what we know before you apply. Disclose anything relevant to your safety or the trip's.
Sleeping arrangements
Confirmed in your written offer.
Ask about a single/solo supplement when you apply.
Insurance
A condition of travel — cover for medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation.
We introduce a specialist broker if you'd like one.
What's covered
The trip as described on this page — the operator's services, in-trip logistics and issued equipment.
Excludes flights, personal spending, visas and anything marked excluded in your written offer.

What's included

  • 24/7 Support — An experienced West Africa expedition lead and a local assistant throughout the expedition, acting as guides, transport and accommodation experts, navigators and cultural interpreters.
  • Accommodation — Focused on authenticity more than comfort: local guesthouses; homestays in local villages; occasional camping if safe and appropriate.
  • Transport — Airport collection and all other transport included: motorcycle hire (up to 125cc); ground transport by bicycle, taxi, tuk-tuk, canoe.
  • Meals — Several meals throughout the trip, and on the first and last days.

What's not included

  • International flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Personal equipment (kit list sent separately)
  • Visa fees (if applicable)

01 · Apply

Nothing is booked or charged online.

02 · Tommy replies

Tommy will aim to reply within one business day.

03 · Written offer

The trip, price and next step—in writing.

Register interest.

Dates for this trip are being confirmed with the operator. Register and we'll match you to one as soon as it's set.

Register interest →

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A story from this trip