Roxanne Reid - Africa Addict
  • Home
  • Book author
    • Travels in the Kalahari >
      • Photo gallery: Travels in the Kalahari
      • Book reviews: Travels in the Kalahari
    • A Walk in the Park >
      • Photo gallery: A Walk in the Park
      • Book reviews: A Walk in the Park
    • The Essential Guide to Self-Editing >
      • Book reviews: Essential Guide to Self-Editing
    • Betrayed
    • Book reviews online
  • Editing & proofreading
  • In the media
    • Travel features
    • Health features
    • Online media
    • Media kit
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Links
  • Contact

Fish River Canyon in southwestern Namibia

29/7/2015

4 Comments

 
Fish River Canyon, Namibia
By Roxanne Reid
The Fish River Canyon isn’t, as tourism marketers would have you believe, the second largest in the world after the Grand Canyon in Arizona. There are many in the Himalayas alone that are longer, wider, deeper than both of these. But the Fish River Canyon in southwestern Namibia is still one of the country’s most visited attractions – and rightly so. 

Starting in the Naukluft mountains and ending at Ai-Ais, it’s an impressive 160km long, 27km across at its widest point and 549m deep. We were lucky to visit the canyon in the company of guide Frans Eiseb from Canyon Lodge, who seemed to have a whole encyclopaedia inside his head. 

We entered the /Ai/Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park at the Hobas campsite, where you have to pay for a permit. Along the 10km drive to the viewpoints out over the canyon we saw springbok, gemsbok, ground squirrel and ostrich. Other creatures that live here include that amazing rock jumper, the klipspringer, as well as mountain zebra, steenbok, blackbacked jackal, bat-eared fox and the endemic Nama padloper tortoise.
Fish River Canyon, Namibia
From the main viewpoint
Frans turned off before the main viewpoint on to a track that hugged the eastern cliff above the canyon. He pointed out the Spiegelberg, purplish-blue in the distance. During the Nama uprising in the early 20th century, the Germans used this peak as a heliograph station to signal across the plains. The pinnacle was first climbed in April 1966 in 50-degree heat.
Fish River Canyon, Namibia
Entrance to the park at Hobas campsite
We stopped at three viewpoints where we could soak up the different outlooks in peace and silence, the whole canyon to ourselves. It was a splendid way to see these eroded metamorphic rocks, to appreciate an example of nature so much bigger and older than man. 
Fish River Canyon, Namibia
Guide Frans Eiseb at one of the less busy viewpoints along the eastern cliff
The area looks stark and barren, awash in loose rocks. Rainfall around here is a stingy 10–50mm a year, but some brave plants like euphorbias and the red-leaved Aloe gariepensis still grow in these arid conditions. Frans explained that their survival is thanks to the cold coastal wind that blows in from the ocean overnight after the hot sun has set. This forms dew that’s just enough to sustain the plants.
Fish River Canyon, Namibia
The viewing platform at Hell's Bend
A rather splendid platform has been erected at the main viewing point above Hell’s Bend since we last visited 20 years ago. A coach-load of tourists were scuttling over the area when we arrived, making us doubly grateful that Frans had already given us a chance to experience the canyon in calm stillness. Once their coach left, silence fell like a hot, heavy blanket.
Ai-Ais, Fish River Canyon, Namibia
The moon rises over the Ai-Ais campsite, where the Fish River Canyon hiking trail ends; the resort has rooms too
An active way to see the Fish River Canyon
If you’re seriously fit and not afraid of a challenge, you can do the 85km, 4-5 day hiking trail through the canyon. It starts at the main viewpoint, 10km from Hobas campsite, and ends at Ai-Ais resort to the south. Because of extreme summer temperatures and the danger of flash floods, the trail is only open between 1 May and 30 September. Bookings through Namibian Wildlife Resorts in Cape Town tel 021-4223761, or Windhoek tel +264 (0)61-2857000

Like it? Pin this image!
The magnificence of the Fish River Canyon #Namibia #FishRiverCanyon #Africa #travel
You might also like:
Fun at the old Canyon Roadhouse  


Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
4 Comments
Jonker - Firefly link
30/7/2015 09:28:29 am

I don't think I would like to hike the canyon, but I would like to see it one day (along with all the other wonders of Namibia. I have a blogger friend who works at the Grand Canyon and would love to visit her one day and see that one for myself.

Reply
Roxanne
1/8/2015 10:38:35 am

Yeah, the hike sounds too hot and heavy for me too, Jonker.

Reply
Johan
17/7/2018 10:46:04 am

Hi guys

I have hiked through the canyon twice, 2016 and recently in 2018. The entire route is about 95km but if you make use of some shortcuts it comes out to about 80km.
Yes it is difficult but it is the most AWESOME experience I ever had. You do not have to be a fitness nut, but you need to be in a good shape to do this. Your legs will become sore the first day but it will recover before your hike is done. If you are not an active hiker you will need to train at least 6 months in advance. Training legs in the gym, doing hikes in thick sand (beach), climbing a lot of stairs and general long distance walking.
Planning and research is critical, do not think you just going for a walk in a reserve, you need to have the correct hiking gear and pack the correct equipment you will need for your 4-5 day hike. Good shoes is critical (no shoes no hike). You need to pack light weight food that gives energy. Mostly dried food is good, because it is light. Your backpack should not be too heavy (20kg max for men and much less for women) your hike will then become very difficult. Water is available in the canyon, but take purification drops to make sure all bacteria are killed before drinking.

There is a lot more info about this hiking adventure I can share, so if you want you can contact me on jccrous@gmail.com.

Overall, this is a great place to hike and I will do it again and again.

Happy hiking.

Roxanne
18/7/2018 04:31:17 pm

Thanks for your comments, Johan. Makes sense for those who want to plan for this hike.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Get email links to the latest posts

    Buy my books
    Travels in the Kalahari, amazon.com e-book
    E-book 2012​

    A Walk in the Park, amazon.com e-book
    2nd ed e-book 2015
    The Essential Guide to Self-Editing, amazon.com e-book
    E-book 2017

    About 

    I'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel, people, safari and wildlife to adventure, heritage, road-tripping and slow travel.
    My travel buddy and husband Keith is the primary photographer for this blog.
    We're happiest in the middle of nowhere, meeting the locals, trying something new, or simply watching the grass grow.
    Use this website to discover new places to go, revisit places you've loved, or take a virtual tour of destinations you only dream about.

    Categories

    All
    Baviaanskloof
    Books
    Botswana
    Camping
    Cape Town
    Chobe
    Conservation
    Drc
    Eastern Cape
    Etosha Namibia
    Food
    Free State
    Garden Route
    Gauteng
    Issues
    Kalahari
    Karoo
    Kenya
    Kruger National Park
    Kwazulu Natal
    Lesotho
    Limpopo
    Linyanti
    Malawi
    Mozambique
    Mpumalanga
    Namaqualand
    Namibia
    Nature Parks
    Northern Cape
    Okavango
    Overberg
    People
    Photography
    Richtersveld
    Tanzania
    West Coast
    Western Cape
    Wild Creatures
    Zambia
    Zimbabwe

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010
    November 2009


Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without written permission from roxannereid.co.za

Privacy Policy, GDPR and POPIA compliance
​* We promise that we take data safety seriously and use your private data only to offer a personalised experience
* If you subscribed to our newsletter, you will receive our newsletters. You can always unsubscribe by following the link in email or by emailing us
* If you gave us your name, it will only be used to personalise the newsletters
* We have never sold, we are not selling, and we will not sell any of your personal data provided to us
* The blog uses cookies to track activity. It is anonymous except for telling us your location and what you did on our blog
​
Photo used under Creative Commons from berniedup