Dunes of Namibia!

     

The Namib is a coastal desert in southern Africa. The name Namib is of Nama origin and means "vast place". According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than 2,000 kilometres  along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, extending southward from the Carunjamba River in Angola, through Namibia and to the Olifants River in Western Cape, South Africa. The Namib's northernmost portion, which extends 450 kilometres  from the Angola-Namibia border, is known as Moçâmedes Desert, while its southern portion approaches the neighboring Kalahari Desert. From the Atlantic coast eastward, the Namib gradually ascends in elevation, reaching up to 200 kilometres  inland to the foot of the Great Escarpment. Annual precipitation ranges from 2 millimetres in the most arid regions to 200 millimetres at the escarpment, making the Namib the only true desert in southern Africa. The Namib may be the  oldest desert in the world and contains some of the world's driest regions.

The desert geology consists of sand seas near the coast, while gravel plains and scattered mountain outcrops occur further inland. The sand dunes, some of which are 300 metres high and span 32 kilometres long, are the second largest in the world after the Badain Jaran Desert dunes in China. Temperatures along the coast are stable and generally range between 9–20 °C (48–68 °F) annually, while temperatures further inland are variable—summer daytime temperatures can exceed 45 °C (113 °F) while nights can be freezing. Fogs that originate offshore from the collision of the cold Benguela Current and warm air from the Hadley Cell create a fog belt that frequently envelops parts of the desert. Coastal regions can experience more than 180 days of thick fog a year. While this has proved a major hazard to ships—more than a thousand wrecks litter the Skeleton Coast—it is a vital source of moisture for desert life.

The Namib is almost completely uninhabited by humans except for several small settlements and indigenous pastoral groups, including the Ovahimba and Obatjimba Herero in the north, and the Topnaar Nama in the central region. Owing to its antiquity, the Namib may be home to more endemic species than any other desert in the world. Most of the desert wildlife is arthropods and other small animals that live on little water, although larger animals inhabit the northern regions. Near the coast, the cold ocean water is rich in fishery resources and supports populations of brown fur seals and shorebirds, which serve as prey for the Skeleton Coast's lions. Further inland, the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest game park in Africa, supports populations of African Bush Elephants, Mountain Zebras, and other large mammals. Although the outer Namib is largely barren of vegetation, lichens and succulents are found in coastal areas, while grasses, shrubs, and ephemeral plants thrive near the escarpment. A few types of trees are also able to survive the extremely arid climate.

Namibia: World First Expeditions

A pioneering collection of world first expeditions to the most geographically remote destinations; places never before visited or experienced by leisure travelers. Accompanied by experienced, world-class guides forge new paths and embrace the true spirit of adventure; discovering remote tribes, laying eyes on sights that few have witnessed  and experiencing extreme isolation. Make your mark on the history of exploration.

Destination: Damaraland, Ugab River, Goboboseb Mountains, Skeleton Coast and Sossusvlei Sand Dunes.

Essence of the trip:

Be among the first to venture across a stretch of Namib Desert that has yet to be completed by another explorer. Trek unsupported through the sandy plains and pass through the twisted backdrop of the Damara Belt before being guided to the Skeleton Coast by the sound of the pounding surf. This is the ultimate intrepid desert expedition, the chance to test yourself to your limits and to experience the area so precious to the ancient San Bushmen.

This trip will give you:

A test of endurance. Carry everything you need to survive for the duration of the trekking phase, apart from water which will be cached at strategic points en route.
The chance to trek through the Namib Desert with an eye on the imposing Brandberg Massif for the duration.
Trek deep into the coastal desert that early navigators didn’t dare approach.
Navigate through the unchartered territories of the dried up Ugab River and the daunting Goboboseb Mountains.
Finish your trek with a micro-lite aircraft flight over the Skeleton Coast, where you’ll finish your stay at a luxury desert camp in the midst of the Sossusvlei Sand Dunes.

Details:

Touch down in Namibia’s capital of Windhoek where you’ll be met by our expert team of guides. From Windhoek Eros airport you’ll be flown in a light aircraft for a stunning ride over the rolling, rocky hills to reach the Desert Rhino Camp in Damaraland. The area supports the largest population of free roaming Black Rhino in Africa, as well as many desert elephant and you’ll be introduced to the Save the Rhino Trust’s activities by the head warden. Over the next 72 hours you’ll take day trips and game drives out with the rangers and start training and acclimatizing for your challenging trek.

On day seven you’ll be transferred to the trek start point after breakfast, and it is unlikely that you’ll lay eyes on another living soul until the end. For the few days you’ll trek across the sandy plains, a formidably beautiful landscape with orange sands littered with milk bushes and ‘Fairy Circles’. Day four will take you in to the Damara Belt, a myriad of dark turbites and schists that have been turned on their sides. You’ll descend down, through this tortured landscape into the dried riverbed of the Ugab River where you’ll spot the artesian wells that nourish the herds of desert Elephant that roam up and down the river bed.

In the next few days you’ll emerge from the Ugab River and the Damara belt mudstone out onto granite plains and head north towards the imposing Goboboseb mountain range. In the evening as you set up camp in infinite solitude take in the stunning views of the Ugab river valley to the north. From here you’ll hit the vast expanse of rugged gravel plains as you continue west towards the coast. For the next two days test yourself as you battle the elements and the strong south westerly winds. As the end of your epic trek approaches you’ll hear the sound of the waves breaking on the hauntingly beautiful Skeleton Coast, the final leg of your intrepid journey. Take in the wreck of the old German trawler the Winston, who became stranded in thick fog in October 1970 and who so few have been lucky enough to experience. Admire the breathtaking landscape that you’ve conquered for one last time from the sky as you’re whisked down the Skeleton Coast over the haunting shipwrecks. For the last few days of your expedition you’ll hole up in a luxurious desert lodge where you can explore the expansive Sossusvlei Sand Dunes, before heading home via Windhoek.

If you have what it takes and are interested in taking this trip, please send your email to info@namibiareservations.com and we will get back to you with more information