Climb the sandstone escarpment at first light and the plain below spreads out in gold, with fields, dust roads and village rooftops shrunk to toys. Footpaths wind between rock walls and steep drops. Down on the Niger River, pirogues slide past before the heat arrives.

The climate is hot and dry, with desert in the north, a semi-arid belt across the middle and greener savanna in the south, where rains come between June and September. Cooler months suit walking best. A Local Friend keeps the plan flexible, so the day can change when the weather, a market or an invitation does.