When asked what sort of walker comes to Namibia to hike the Naukluft Trail, Kobus Alberts chuckled for a moment, then said, “People who are somewhat mad! The Naukluft is a seriously tough trek. Water is very scarce, it can be quite hot, there’s little support so you’re required to carry a heavy pack, and there are some difficult scrambles. Its ruggedness came as a surprise for me. On my first visits here, I hiked just a few parts of the walk. It wasn’t until I did the whole trail that I realized how special it was. On the Naukluft, your soul can run free.”
Namibia is a large, sparsely populated nation on the southwest coast of southern Africa, bordered by Angola to the north, Botswana to the east, and South Africa to the south. It is one of the driest places on earth; in parts of the Namib Desert, which stretches nearly the entire length of the Namibian coast and covers more than 30,000 square miles of the nation, less than an inch of rain falls annually. A number of hardy plants and animals have evolved to withstand the aridity, soaking up moisture from the fog that blows in from the Atlantic. (One of the most curious of these plants is Welwitschia mira-bilis, a low-growing shrub that can live for more than a thousand years.) Much of the desert is incorporated in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, an expansive game preserve that totals more than 19,000 square miles, making it Namibia’s biggest park and one of the largest parks in Africa. In addition to hosting some of the world’s tallest sand dunes, which can top one thousand feet, the easternmost section of the park takes in the Naukluft Mountains, which were initially set aside as protected habitat for the threatened Hartmann’s mountain zebra. (The zebra preserve was rolled into Namib Desert Park to create the current national park.) The Nauklufts reach heights approaching 6,000 feet, and are peppered with abundant kopjes—Afrikaans for rock outcroppings. In addition to the zebra, the park is home to kudu, klipspringer, baboon, and leopard, as well as more than 200 bird species.
It’s in this mountainous section of the park where the Naukluft Trail unfolds. It’s seventy-two miles are generally hiked over eight days. (The very fit—or, to paraphrase Kobus’s words, the extremely crazy—can shave the hike to seven days. Anyone who wishes to hike Naukluft must submit a physical exam from their doctor forty days prior to their departure, attesting to their fitness.) Stopping points are well defined—they’re not exactly huts or lodges, but shelters built from stone block, divided into four compartments, with a corrugated roof, basic toilet facilities, and a water pump. Refuse bins are available at four of the shelters to help you lighten your load. Crowding is seldom a concern on the Naukluft; in fact, it would be uncommon to see anyone outside of your party once you embark on the trail. Within a few minutes of leaving the Naukluft Hut (where many walkers choose to stay the night before starting their hike), the appeals of the place become apparent. “You begin in a kind of gorge, then climb a small hill. You contour along the side of the hill with a massive drop to the side, and then come out on a plateau,” Kobus described, “and you’re struck with majestic views—mountains and plains as far as you can see. It’s a very dramatic opening.”
Midway through the following day, hikers descend into spectacular Ubisis Kloof (Afrikaans for gorge). Several sets of chains assist with a fairly precipitous descent, in part down a dry waterfall. The kloofs, cut into granite throughout the Naukluft Mountains, hold just enough water to sustain life for its denizens. A pleasant surprise awaits at the bottom of Ubisis after a stroll up a dry riverbed—instead of a rock shelter, hikers sleep in a former holiday cottage, complete with bunk beds, mattresses, and a shower … that is, if the pump is working. “I hiked into Ubisis on one occasion, and there was no water in the tank,” Kobus recalled. “Some baboons had broken the pump, which happens occasionally here, as all living creatures are constantly in quest of water. As I worked on the pump, a black mamba suddenly appeared. I was in awe of this creature, a sleek, mean fighting machine.” (The black mamba is one of the world’s most venomous and feared snakes, averaging eight feet in length. The snake’s body is not black but dark olive; the name comes from the dark shade of the mamba’s mouth.)
After ascending Ubisis Kloof, the third day on Naukluft provides a bit of relief, as it’s mostly level along a plateau and, at seven miles, it’s fairly short. Hartmann’s mountain zebra are often encountered on this portion of the trek. The zebras live in family groups, generally of five to ten animals, rather than in the large herds favored by plains zebras. They seem able to smell moisture, and have been observed digging in river beds to get to water. “I’m always excited to come upon a mountain zebra,” Kobus added. “They’re such agile animals despite their stocky size. You won’t believe the terrain that these large animals can traverse. The protection plan has been very successful, as populations in Naukluft are now believed to be above 25,000.” Day four brings visitors into the Tsams River Gorge, passing a number of delightful springs, oases within this austere landscape. With previous planning, it’s possible to depart the trail here, though the truly challenging walking lies ahead.
Day six may be the most grueling segment of the Naukluft, but it may also be the most rewarding. After a 650-foot climb to the top of a waterfall—again, abetted by chains—the trail enters a gorge, climbing some 2,000 feet. It’s a grueling walk with large boulders that must be periodically scaled, but hikers are treated to a special sight en route—rock formations called tufa, a sedimentary rock with a heavy concentration of carbonates. “One of the tufa formations is nearly 500 feet high,” Kobus said. “It resembles a waterfall that has frozen.” The next day, the trail scales Bakenskop, the tallest point on the Naukluft at 6,400 feet. The day’s walk begins by entering the Arbeid Adelt Kloof, and gets progressively more strenuous until the trail reaches a dry waterfall. “From here, you have to climb eighty feet, almost straight up, with the help of a chain,” Kobus continued. “When you reach the top of the kloof, you’re 2,000 feet above the Tsondab Valley. The very top of Bakenskop is called World’s View, and it’s not an overstatement. You can see forever and ever across the plains.”
KOBUS ALBERTS is a native Namibian and has spent more than ten years living in the national parks and game reserves of his country. Most recently, he’s been heading up the National Marine Aquarium of Namibia in the city of Swakopmund. Kobus is a senior instructor for Expedition Medicine’s desert-medicine course (for medical professionals) and a key member of the Namibia ultramarathon team. He has participated in expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica. Kobus is founding director of Wild at Heart Safaris, a Namibian-owned and -based safari company that specializes in adventure and luxury safari tours for small groups and families.
► Getting There: International travelers generally enter Namibia via the capital, Windhoek, which is served from Europe by Air Namibia (+264-61-299-6111; www.airnamibia.com.na), and from South Africa by British Airways (800-247-9297; www.britishairways.com) and South African Airways (800-722-9675; www.flysaa.com).
► Best Time to Visit: The trail is open to hikers from March 1 to October 31; conditions are too warm in the austral summer for hiking.
► Guides/Outfitters: Wild at Heart Safaris (+264-81-122-9342; www.wildatheartsafaris.com) leads adventures on the Naukluft Trail.
