Namib Desert Dune Trek

Sesriem · Namibia

Challenging7 daysAfrica~£1,800 est.

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Overview

Set out in the dark from Sesriem gate and you can be climbing Big Daddy's knife-edge crest as the sun hits it: 325 metres of glowing orange dune with the Atlantic fog bank silvering the horizon far to the west. Below lies Deadvlei, a cracked white clay pan studded with camel-thorn trees that died around 900 years ago and never rotted in the desiccated air - you reach it by running down the dune's slip-face in one glorious, thigh-burning minute. The Namib is the world's oldest desert, and guided multi-day treks through the Namib-Naukluft dunes and canyons turn the postcard into a real walking journey: dune crests at first light, camps among oryx and barking geckos, yesterday's tracks read before the wind erases them, and the cool narrows of Sesriem Canyon as a finale. Heat is the discipline. All serious walking happens before ten and after four, and treks are vehicle-supported because you cannot carry enough water otherwise - drink five litres a day regardless. May to September brings cold, brilliant nights, so pack for near-freezing camps and the southern Milky Way at its most outrageous. A week with a guiding outfit, park fees and camps runs about £1,800 excluding flights to Windhoek.