120 KILOMETRES IN 8 DAYS

HIKING THENaukluft 120 kilometres in eight days Text & Photographs Le Roux van Schalkwyk

I’m not a hiker. Yet, here I find myself lifting my ridiculously heavy backpack onto my back for the first time on the morning before the start of an eight-day-long hike. The weight of the backpack immediately triggers the question: why am I doing this?

Ihave been fascinated by the Naukluft Mountains since my first visit to the park many years ago. This seemingly inhospitable mountain complex on the doorstep of the great Namib Sand Sea is surprisingly full of plants, birds and wildlife, thanks to numerous natural springs. Yet, very little of the Naukluft can be seen by the casual visitor. The only access road for tourists leads directly to the NWR Naukluft Camp. This is by no means an attempt to restrict vehicle traffic, as anyone who has flown over or driven on any of the roads (C19, C14 and D854) that form a circular route around the mountains can attest to. The extremely rugged terrain makes it a really unfriendly place for vehicles.

The only way to explore the park is on foot. There are two short one-day hikes, the Olive and Waterkloof trails. Then there is the eight-day trail that covers 120 kilometres on a circular route – with the option to do only the first four days of the hike. Once I heard of the epic eight-day hike, it immediately went onto my bucket list. I must admit, at no point did I think about the actual hiking part, but was simply very much drawn by the excitement of exploring a remarkable area that very few people ever get to see.

Fast forward to April this year and I find myself on the eve of a bucket list adventure, completely unaware of what awaits over the next few days, and mentally unprepared for it. Luckily my friends Quinton, Lynne, Roland, Sarah, Jess and Toast are all avid hikers, so I was in good hands.

DAY 1 - PEOPLE DO THIS FOR FUN?

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, we’re all up at the crack of dawn. I sense a bit of nervous energy as no one knows what exactly to expect over the next eight days. Backpacks are fiddled with and some last items are added or removed. Even the experienced hikers, i.e. everyone but myself, exude a sense of tenseness mixed with excitement. Pretty oblivious to what is happening with the rest, I stuff some last snacks into my bag and try it on fully loaded for the first time. I let out a loud phew as the full force of the weight almost upends me. “It will get lighter as the food and snacks get less,” I assure myself.

Our campsite packed up, cars parked in the shade, we fasten our backpacks and start to follow the trail markers down into the Naukluft River. Moving south towards the border of the park, the first section is fairly easy going. The first ascent is where the reality of the next eight days hits me partially. Having walked for only a couple of hours, my unfit legs already feel the climb going up a rather steep gradient which leads to a wellworn mountain zebra path that runs along the contour of the southernmost part of the Naukluft Mountains. It occurs to me that this may be a bit tougher than I thought. Apart from some slippery bits, the first day is quite stunning. The vistas below are striking and on the highest elevations of the trail, viewpoints offer spectacular vistas of the Tsaris Mountains to the south.

Our first lunch stop was at the first of the natural springs on the trail in the shade of a large ficus tree. Roland had a lie-down on a large lower branch. An idyllic scene until we got ready to leave and noticed the two-something-metre black mamba quietly moving among the higher branches. So perfectly camouflaged that when it didn’t move it was almost impossible to tell apart from the tree's limbs.

After lunch, life was a struggle. The zebra path seemed neverending. After every bend there was another, stretching into the distance. As the afternoon wore on it became more and more mentally challenging. The group split up into separate pairs, each going at their own pace and conversation drying up as the heat of the late April day took its toll. Trapped in your own mind, you know there is no turning back or giving up – the only way is forward. And so you put one foot in front of the other. I remember thinking: “People do this for fun?”

Finally, just before sunset, a valley opened up in front of us and the Putte Shelter came into view. What a relief after a long day’s walk. The first shelter is named Putte because of the well nearby. The well is equipped with a large round hand-pump for obtaining water.

DAY 2 - DOWN WE GO

The first section of day 2 is an undemanding walk across an undulating plateau. A pleasant start after the tough day before. After a couple of hours we reach the impressive Ubusis Kloof. Massive rock faces on both sides and polished rock plates give evidence of the masses of water that once flooded down the river. A spectacular sight to behold, except that if this river does flood and you are caught in it, there is no escape.

The massive overhang of the cave at Cathedral Spring signals the start of the descent. Several chains have been anchored at points that would otherwise be extremely difficult to negotiate with a large backpack. Certain sections are quite high and caught us a bit off-guard as we weren’t expecting the climb down to be this intense. But steady as she goes – we all made it safely to the bottom of the valley.

The Ubisis hut used to be a holiday cottage before the land was acquired for the park and is now the overnight stop. According to the map given to us at reception, it “is a complete surprise to the unsuspecting hiker.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good surprise. Because the road has been washed away, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism is unable to reach the area by vehicle. The hut wasn’t in good shape inside and there was no water. Before setting out we were notified that the solar pump wasn’t working, but luckily, because of the good rain earlier in the year, we found a spring not far from the hut.

On the recommendation of my friends I had bought prepackaged dehydrated meals, even though I was sceptical about the taste of these powdery-looking provisions with exotic names like Mediterranean chicken with olives and creamy parmesan chicken. The first night’s meal was average, but I was so tired it was mostly just a simple refuelling exercise. However, when I hydrated a chilli con carne for night two, I was quite surprised that this meal tasted much worse than the night before. Not knowing better and thinking that this brown watery mess at the bottom of my fire bucket was supposed to taste stale, I finished half of it before asking the others if these meals should taste like slightly spiced mouldy ceiling boards. Turns out it was stale and I just thought it was supposed to taste that way. It is supposed to have the texture of a soggy ceiling board but shouldn’t taste as such. You live and learn, I guess.

DAY 3 - BACK UP WE GO

Feeling strong after surviving the first two days and getting into the rhythm of things, the hike from here on became more and more enjoyable.

The day starts with a slog back up the Ubusis River and then up the same chains to get to the top of the kloof. The ascent is easier as you can see where you are climbing. The rest of the day is quite uneventful apart from spotting some mountain zebras as the trail follows an easy route across the plateau to the Adlerhorst Shelter.

DAY 4 - THE FEAST

Starting on fairly level terrain, the first section of the day was reasonably easy going. As the trail turned down the Tsams River, the sand and loose rocks slowed the pace. After a couple of kilometres, the trail veers off to the right as a massive tufa waterfall blocks the way down. To bypass this section you have to climb a very steep hill. After suffering the leg burns of the climb we were met with a stunning view across the valley below. The dunes of the Namib are just visible on the horizon.

The trail winds steeply down back to the river, and the descent takes a while because it is slippery. Down below, ficus trees and numerous springs make it a pleasant walk.

We are excited to get to the Tsams Ost Shelter where fresh supplies and more importantly, cold beer, are waiting for us. As there is road access to the shelter, you can arrange a resupply run on Day 4 with NWR for a small fee. After a quick exchange of our garbage and dirty clothes for food, fresh clothes, steaks and beer we waved goodbye to the NWR employees, the last people we’d see for the next four days.

With a couple of cold ones and delicious steaks, we feasted like kings – a welcome break to re-energise the spirits.

DAY 5 - NO REGRETS

Day 5 starts with a climb, a big one called Broekskeur. Immediately sweating out the small “taste of the good life” we had the night before. Was the night before worth the struggle today? Yes! It definitely was. No regrets. The next part of the trail traverses undulating terrain, with some of the ascents a strain on our tired legs after the early morning climb. This section gives me a front seat on the rollercoaster of emotions. Coming down each slope I feel strong and ready to walk long distances. I can look around and appreciate the beautiful quiver trees and euphorbias dotting the hillsides. Going up my mind swings the other way and I wonder why I am doing this to myself. Eyes fixed on the ground in an effort to make it over the hill.

The day turned out to be quite eventful as Toast’s sole parted ways with the rest of his hiking boot. With some crafty tying of his laces, he was somehow able to keep the sole stuck to the bottom of his boot. Stopping every now and then to readjust the laces. Not the best fix, but it did the trick and, remarkably, Toast was able to finish the hike with the broken footwear.

As a result of the boot incident we briefly lost Lynne. She took the wrong trail but luckily kept her cool and retraced her steps – all is well that ends well.

After a long day, we arrived at Die Valle Shelter. Much to our frustration the 10 000 litre water storage tank was empty. Of this we had not been warned before the hike. Fortunately, a spring was close by.

DAY 6 - SLOW GRIND UP RIVER

A brief hike takes us to the incredible 200-metre-high Die Valle Waterfall. Covered in a thin film of water, this waterfall must be quite a sight when it has water cascading down the massive drop.

The trail leads up a steep climb and then follows a contour path that leads to the top of the waterfall. Beautiful crystal clear pools of water await as well as views for days.

From here the trail follows the narrow gorge carved by the river and it continues to gain altitude, eventually leading to its catchment area. While the scenery was stunning, the going was tough. The river has washed away all the sand, leaving only loose rocks that make for difficult and slow progress. All of us were happy to finish this section. The rest of the trail winds its way down the Arbeit Adelt Valley to Tufa Shelter.

DAY 7 - WHO WANTS AN EXTRA 10KG

Despite the strain of six days of tough hiking behind us, we wake up in good spirits. This day had been in the back of everyone’s mind since the beginning of the hike. The MEFT ranger informed us that our destination for the day, Kapok Shelter, has no water. As it is on the plateau there are no springs either. Luckily a 10-litre bladder was delivered to us on resupply day. The problem is, that 10 litres of water is 10 kilograms of extra weight. It also fills a bulky bag; we had to figure out how to carry it.

The plan was simple: everyone would refill their bottles regularly from the bladder to finish it as soon as possible. In that way we should still have enough water for the night as well as the next day’s hike. Taking turns to carry the bladder, Toast volunteers for the first leg and after passing some of his possessions around to make space in his backpack for the water, we are off.

The bladder quickly gets depleted as the morning goes by. Only two people carry it before it is empty.

The day begins with a steep ascent up a complicated kloof. Chains are placed at some of the steepest sections. The last chain takes us up a tricky bit where you have to scramble up the vertical wall of a dry waterfall.

Back on the plateau we reach Bakenkop, a viewpoint from where you can see the Tsondab River valley some 600 metres below. The rest of the way towards Kapokvlakte is relatively flat.

The last night is bitter-sweet. The beauty of the Naukluft Mountains exceeded all my expectations and after calling them home for a week, it was hard to say goodbye. Yet, we are also yearning to give our bodies a rest and embrace the simple comforts usually taken for granted.

DAY 8 - WE MADE IT

The 16 kilometres of the final day go by relatively quickly. The trail is fairly easy and makes a large bend on the eastern edge of the Naukluft massif, offering stunning views toward Rietoog. It eventually descends into the Naukluft River by way of a tributary. From the Naukluft River you join up with the Waterkloof Day Trail. After a final dip in one of the pools, we head to the restaurant for a well-deserved celebratory meal.

Although an eight-day hike may be extreme for most people, a visit to this fascinating part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park is highly recommended to any nature lover. Surprisingly few people know that these mountains are the origin of the Naukluft part of the Namib-Naukluft. By just doing one of the two daytrails you will be able to experience some of the beauty and the bounty of nature found in this mountain complex. It is extremely rich in plant diversity. Over 400 plant species have been recorded, among them quite a few endemics. Wildlife includes mountain zebra, springbok, klipspringer, leopard, hyena and kudu as well as over 200 bird species and a multitude of rodents, lizards and insects. The geology and formation of the Naukluft is fascinating, but I won’t even try to explain it here.

Having skipped the baby steps and jumped onto the adult ride, I think it is fair to call myself a hiker now. TNN

ESSENTIAL KIT:

• Foldable bucket – It is convenient to have a container for water needs when overnighting rather than using water bottles and constantly having to refill. • Gaiters (sock savers) – There was a lot of grass and having the seeds in your socks will drive you mad. • GPS – Although well marked, the high grass obstructed some of the markers on the trail. Having a GPS is always good in any event, especially in emergencies. • Duct tape – It can temporarily fix most things and would have solved Toast’s boot problem more efficiently.

KHAUDUM

The Ultimate Wilderness

Text & Photographs Willie Olivier

Khaudum National Park offers an unforgettable and authentic wilderness experience for adventurous travellers seeking solitude in one of Namibia's most remote corners. Its deep, loose sandy tracks and large herds of elephants are legendary, and the park attracts a breed of intrepid travellers.

On a recent visit to Khaudum, I decided to explore the southern half of the park from the comfort of Sikereti Camp. It reopened in July after it was closed officially in March 2019 and discouraged for use as far back as 2015 because of its dilapidated state.

If you prefer sleeping under the stars, there are four spacious campsites, each with washing-up facilities, hot water showers (donkey-fired), wash basins and flush toilets. Visitors seeking luxury in the bush can opt for the self-catering en-suite safari tents, each with a wooden deck and a braai place. In keeping with Khaudum’s wilderness atmosphere, the camp is unfenced.

To ensure that the protection of wildlife and the support of rural communities go hand in hand, the privately operated camp collects a 6% concession fee on behalf of the Khaudum North Complex Conservancy and the Gciriku Traditional Authority.

The game-viewing experience in Khaudum has been enhanced by viewing platforms at nearly all the waterholes in the park. Water reservoirs have been built to relieve the congestion of elephants, while separate drinking places for other species are also provided.

As the temperatures were fairly chilly, the game tended to drink later in the day than during the hot summer months. So I set off on a leisurely drive to one of the viewing platforms with some snacks, binoculars, a camera and a bird book after a hearty brunch. At the viewing platform I simply bided my time to watch the passing parade of animals. Then, around midafternoon, I made my way to another waterhole and waited for the animals to show up.

The highlight was undoubtedly an afternoon visit to Tsoanfontein where a pack of six African wild dogs was lying in the shade of the viewing platform. Khaudum is the heartland of one of the largest roan populations in southern Africa and several of these iconic antelopes showed up during the afternoon.

The park attracts over 4,000 elephants during the dry season – that is more than one elephant per square metre. Clouds of dust in the distance signalled the approach of herd after herd of elephants. I counted more than 100 in one herd. Attracted by the smell of a kudu carcass in the waterhole, a lone spotted hyaena made its appearance with an opportunistic black-backed jackal in tow. But, on becoming aware of the wild dogs, the hyaena beat a hasty retreat. Then, another highlight followed – a honey badger approached the waterhole with its characteristic jog-trot.

During my three-day visit, I ticked 16 mammal species on my checklist. In addition to the species already mentioned, I added kudu, giraffe, steenbok and warthog (all common). Blue wildebeest, gemsbok, eland and common impala (restricted to the south of the park) were among the other species I saw, as well as a few small mammal species.

Although game-viewing is an integral part of a visit to Khaudum, it is its wilderness atmosphere that makes a visit so special. The silence, solitude and the anticipation of always expecting the unexpected is what draws intrepid travellers back time after time. Khaudum’s tracks are less travelled and the only congestion you might experience is a herd of elephants crossing ahead of you. But be warned: Khaudum is not for the faint-hearted!

For more information about Sikereti Camp visit

www.khaudum.com.na. TNN

KHAUDUM FAST FACTS

• The tracks in the south of the park are mostly hard surface or slightly sandy, while the tracks north of Dussi and Tari Kora waterholes are deep sand requiring four-wheel-drive and tyres to be deflated. • Overnight facilities are available at Sikereti in the south and Xaudum campsite in the north. • It is highly advisable that parties should consist of at least two four-wheel drive vehicles. You might be in for a very long wait before help arrives, should you experience a breakdown or an emergency. • It is not recommended to tow a trailer, even if it has the same track width as the towing vehicle, least of all in the deep sand in the northern section of the park. You might also need to reverse when confronted by an elephant. • Fuel is available at Tsumkwe, 52 km from the southern park gate. From Khaudum Gate in the north it is a 46 km drive through deep, loose sand to the B8. Fuel is available at Divundu (90 km east of

Katere) and at Rundu (120 km west of Katere).

The value and virtue of vultures

Text Linda De Jager

I was hoping I would spot a Pygmy Falcon on my last trip to the Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia’s largest conservation area. Small, spirited and snow-white, the bird appeared as misplaced as an Edelweiss flower in the desert. The Pygmy Falcon soared like a white star, in stark contrast to the dry riverbeds, gravel and grassy plains. Incidentally, the park of 49,768 square kilometres is slightly bigger than Switzerland. The area has at least 190 bird species. While this is also the hunting ground of other birds of prey, such as the much-admired Black-breasted Snake Eagle – not to forget the Black, Booted and Martial Eagle – it is the vultures of the area that recently stirred my interest. Following a global trend, Namibia’s vulture species are all threatened or endangered. In the uncertain times of Covid-19, these birds came into sharp focus, not only because they need our help but because we need them more. Immune to microbes that cause diseases like anthrax, rabies, tuberculosis, botulism and brucellosis, these birds literally clean up the microbes on a carcass in less than an hour, and in so doing stop the spread of disease to more susceptible animals and humans. In this area you will find Lappet-faced, White-backed and Cape Vultures if you are lucky, given the fact that seven of Africa’s eleven vulture species are heading for extinction.

Lappet-faced Vulture

My grandfather, Roelf de Jager, was one of the farmers who in 1937-38 seeked his fortune adjacent to the yet-to-be-proclaimed park. He endeavoured to tame the rugged area with the help of donkeys like Japie and Regter. His farm was rather ironically called Corona. Many small-stock farmers seeked to make a living here, especially after World War II, when the area was opened up for farming. In the heyday of karakul farming, the plains were teeming with livestock. And back then, there were still vultures in abundance, circling down on the carcasses of animals preyed on by jackals, leopards, cheetah and hyena. You still find the tracks of these predators in the area to this day. Vehicle tracks, however, were not the norm in the then South West Africa. The first vehicle with a petrol engine only arrived in Namibia in 1904, and in time would make it easier for these remote farmers to get karakul fur to the Windhoek depots. In this context, the steep cliffs of the central escarpment would have appeared even more daunting then than in the comforts of a modern-day vehicle. Close to the Gamsberg Pass, you still find the remnants of the tracks of the original De Jager’s Pass sloping down into the Namib plains. But even the tenacious spirit that enabled him to build a road here in the late thirties with the help of donkeys and a handful of workers, did not save Roelf from the same fate that befell the stock farmers of the era. Most of them had to eventually bend the knee to the unyielding desert environment. Even a little rainfall (less than 127 mm annually is the norm) was cause for celebration – and prompted the family to celebrate by eating a simple can of tinned fruit normally reserved for Christmas lunch only.

Today Corona Guest Farm is a popular tourist destination and the perfect base from which to climb the Gamsberg Mountain, but the remnants of two olds wells in the river still speak of a different era. Given the intense struggle for survival in this remote area, the farmers back then still used poison as a first line of attack against predators. It was the norm to use poisoned bait in the veld to kill predators feasting ruthlessly on their prized livestock. The impact of poison on vultures was recently explained to me by Dr Chris Brown of the Namibian Chamber of Environment: “The more efficient scavengers like vultures find the poisoned carcasses first. And also die first. Before the farmers even get to the predators,” he says. Other precious creatures like meerkats also die in this way. The sad truth that emerged over the years – as conservation awareness grew – is that the farmers inadvertently contributed to a very impoverished ecosystem that only partially recovered when the area’s focus shifted to include wildlife- and tourism-based activities. In effect, secondary poisoning of vultures when eating animals that have already died from the poison still continues on the African continent today. Poison still causes more than 60 percent of vulture mortality in Africa. In spite of several awareness campaigns in Namibia, a few of the oldschool farmers still use poison to this day – not in the protected Namib-Naukluft Park, but in the wider adjoining areas.

Of the three vulture species here, it is the Cape Vulture which is the most vulnerable and susceptible. This explains why the original flocks of the Rostock Mountains were wiped out in the late sixties. Explains Chris: “Your Lappet-faced Vultures are individual animals. They will go up, fly at low levels, look for small carcasses and then they come down in pairs. They will feed on a carcass, and if it is poisoned it will be a pair that dies. The Cape Vultures are colonial. They go much higher up into the sky because they only feed on bigger carcasses. And they watch each other, hunting collaboratively – like a foraging net in the sky. If one quarter of the net sees a carcass, they all come down. Then the next one sees it, and the next … It is like pulling on a quarter of a net, and then the whole net comes down to feed on the carcass. And if that carcass is poisoned, you kill the whole flock.” In Africa, one poisoned elephant carcass causes 500 dead vultures per incident.

According to statistics provided by Vultures Namibia a vulture named Oscar was recently fitted with a tracking device. In just over a year the bird travelled a staggering 34,800 km in the Namib-Naukluft area. Outside of the protected area of the park, vultures like Oscar are vulnerable, but precisely because it is flanked by the safety of the park, there is hope for Namibia’s vultures. Here vultures are not persecuted for body parts used in traditional medicine like in other African countries. Power lines are also absent, which ensures that the vultures don’t accidentally get electrocuted when they collide with these lines. In this context, vultures have seen a slow but steady increase in the pro-Namib population over the last 15 years. “We have also seen the odd Cape vulture arrive from South Africa as a young bird. That is how far they fly. Then they disappear again and go back to their flocks,” says Chris. Given the huge areas in question, it became clear to me that there is much merit in the efforts of organisations like the Endangered Wildlife Trust to develop large Vulture Safe Zones in southern Africa.

This approach aims to reduce the impact of threats to stabilise the recovery of existing vulture populations. This conservation measure is also on the cards for Namibia and will unite powerful stakeholders in the interest of vultures.

If my grandfather would have been alive today (with the benefit of hindsight) he would have taken a bird’s eye view on the intrinsic value of vultures. Scientists say vultures are worth millions. Organisations like BirdLife International estimate that a single vulture is worth more than US$11,000 just for its cleaning services. “They are worth much, much more to governments in saved health service costs, not to mention tourism.”

If my grandfather could sit on Corona’s veranda today – staring towards Namibia’s endless horizons – and spot an iconic vulture circling into sight, he would have been astonished to realise that the value of one vulture would now outweigh the price of one karakul fur a thousandfold.

After all, it takes a resilient spirit to recognise the self-same antifragile qualities in another creature; qualities that still prevail in all living things who dare to call this area home. TNN