Hiking pleasure in the Naukluft Mountains in the southern centre of Namibia
The hiking trails also allow the occasional hiker to experience special places such as the Bogenfels, which would otherwise be difficult to reach. Detailed maps and well-marked paths allow you to explore the nature of the NAUkLuFT on your own.
Quiver Tree Gorge Hiking Trail with Nature Drive
Tour with hike on your own (price see price list).
Time – Only possible in the morning. 5 hours.
Difficulty – Demanding. Fitness and surefootedness required.
Adventurous drive in our four-wheel drive game viewer up to the plateau of the mountain massif; a detour to a viewpoint literally takes you ‘on top of the world’ (90 min.). From the starting point of the hike on the plateau, you hike down the slopes into the valley and then through the Quiver Tree Gorge to the pick-up point (3 hours). Drive in a game viewer along a dry river through the mountains back to the lodge (30 min.).
Quiver Tree Gorge Hiking Trail
Hiking on your own (free of charge for lodge and camping guests).
Time – Only possible in the morning. 7 hours.
Difficulty – Demanding. Fitness and surefootedness required.
Through valleys and on slopes up to the barren plateau and down through the lush green, water-rich gorge: an absolute must for every hiking fan who wants to experience all the charms of the NAUkLuFT. Mighty fig trees shelter water-filled rock pools, quiver trees dot the slopes. The twittering of birds such as the common waxbill, pririt batis and mountain wheatear fill the air, and here and there a hamerkop nest snuggles onto a rocky outcrop. With a bit of luck, you may encounter baboons, kudus, klipspringers or even mountain zebras, which are endemic to Namibia.
Bogenfels / Rock Arch Hiking Trail with Nature drive
Tour with driver/guide (see price list for price)
Time – Morning and afternoon possible. 2.5 hours to 3.5 hours.
Difficulty – Only without fear of heights. Easy. Additional trail moderate. Sure-footedness required.
Not for guests with a fear of heights: Adventurous drive with our game viewer along the Devil’s Gorge with its steep cliffs (1 hour). Your guide will show you the flora and take you on a hike to a point with a view of a mighty rock arch, the arch rock of the NAUkLuFT (30 min. there and back). If you are fit and sure-footed, you can hike directly to the rock arch on a zebra trail (1 hour). The return journey to the lodge offers magnificent views over the wide valley of the Tsondab dry river (1 hour).
Bull’s Head Hiking Trail
Hiking on your own (free of charge for lodge and camping guests).
Time – possible in the morning and afternoon. About 3 hours.
Difficulty – Easy. Additional trail moderate. Stamina required.
From the well along the Tsondab Rivier (dry river) to the ‘Bull’s Head’ hilltop: the hiking trail leads through a riparian forest with acacia trees to the ruins of the former farmhouse. Then you walk around the hilltop, cross the rivier (dry riverbed) and walk back to the lodge on the other bank of the Tsondab.
Additional trail: From the ruins of the farmhouse you can take a detour to a cave on the hilltop that served as accommodation for our ancestors. Magnificent view of the Tsondab Valley and the endless plains to the east of the NAUkLuFT.
Archeological Hiking Trail
Hiking on your own (free of charge for lodge and camping guests).
Time – possible in the morning and afternoon. Short: 2.5 hours / long: 4.5 hours.
Difficulty – Easy. Additional trail moderate. Stamina required.
In the footsteps of our ancestors: Hike to places that humans have used as camps, workshops and lookout points for hunting since time immemorial. From the slopes of the Naukluft Mountains, you can enjoy the view of the vastness of the plain, the Tsondab dry river and its riparian forest. If you choose the long version of the trail, you will circle the ‘Bull’s Head’ at the entry of the valley. A detour up the hilltop to the cave where our ancestors lived is something for fitter hikers.
Hiking Trail up to the ‘Alm’
Hiking on your own (free of charge for lodge and camping guests).
Time – possible in the morning and afternoon. About 2 hours.
Difficulty – Demanding. Fitness and stamina required.
View to the end of the world: the hiking trail from the Archaeological Trail winds its way up to the mighty mountain massif, which was used as emergency pasture for cattle during dry periods – hence the name ‘Alm’ (alp). The steep and arduous ascent is rewarded with a 180-degree view of the landscape east of the Naukluft Mountains.
Kudu Hiking Trail
Hiking on your own (free of charge for lodge and camping guests).
Time – possible in the morning and afternoon. Short: 45 minutes / long: 1.5 hours.
Difficulty – Very easy.
Walk along the banks of the Tsondab River (dry river): This walk meanders through gallery forests and areas of grasses and shrubs. A paradise for birds, including bustards, francolins, guinea fowls and pale chanting goshawks. With a little luck, you may encounter kudu and springbok.
Ridge Hiking Trail / Zebra Hiking Trail
Hiking on your own (free of charge for lodge and camping guests).
Time – possible in the morning and afternoon. 1.5 hours / 3 hours
Difficulty – Easy, moderate from time to time. Stamina required.
Between mountain massif and plain: From the hills at the foot of the mountains, hikers can enjoy the view of the plains and elevations to the east of the NAUkLuFT. The Ridge Trail is ideal for a morning or evening stroll, to stretch your feet and enjoy the vastness of the landscape.
In an additional loop, the Zebra Trail leads through a dry river bed and to a water basin at the ‘leopard post’, where many birds and game such as warthog, kudu and mountain zebra can often be observed.
Olive Trail / Waterkloof Trail
Hiking on your own the neighbouring Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park, part of the Namib Naukluft Park (21 km drive in your own car to the park office; park fees to be paid).
Zeit – Only possible in the mornings. 4.5 hours / 7 hours
Difficulty – Very demanding. Fitness, surefootedness and a bit of courage required.
All the ‘highs and lows’ of the NAUkLuFT: Similar to the Quiver Tree Gorge Trail, both routes (11 km / 17 km) will take you up to the plateau of the massif and down again through gorges. In places you have to climb or use chains to move forward on narrow rock ledges.
Difficulty levels of the hiking trails
- Very easy – wide path, no obstacles, at ground level
- Easy – wide path, hardly any obstacles, slightly ascending/descending
- Moderate – wide to narrow path, occasionally stony, with inclines and declines
- Demanding – partly narrow path, stony or rough terrain, steep sections, also with path protection, light climbing required here and there
Hiking areas in Namibia
The most famous is the hike through the Fish River Canyon in the |Ai |Ais National Park in southern Namibia. You should plan 5 to 6 days for the 80 kilometre route. You need a health certificate from a doctor, the minimum size for groups is three hikers and you must have your food and drink with you in your rucksack.
The hike up the Brandberg in the western centre of Namibia is considered much more demanding. The challenge lies in the difference in altitude of more than 2,000 metres. The guided hiking tour by Tok Tokkie Trails through the Namib Desert in the private NamibRand Nature Reserve, on the other hand, is also suitable for the average hiker. Although it is not one of the classic top 3 hiking trails, it now enjoys cult status. A special highlight is the overnight stay on camping loungers under the stars.
NAUkLUFT – largest number and variety of hiking trails
The Naukluft Mountains probably take second place on the list of hiking destinations. Wrongly so. Because the Naukluft Hiking Trail (7 or 8 days with overnight stays in huts), with its ups and downs and climbing passages secured with chains, demands much more from the hiker than the hikes through the Fish River Canyon or up the Brandberg.
But more importantly, no other hiking area in Namibia offers anywhere near the same variety of hiking trails. In addition to the three hiking trails in the state-owned Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park (part of the Namib Naukluft Park), there are the hiking trails at BüllsPort Lodge & Farm.
Not forgetting the variety of landscapes and levels of difficulty: from a one-hour walk in the riparian forest on the banks of the Tsondab River (dry river) to a day hike in the mountains of the NAUkLuFT, everything is included.
And yet the hiking paradise of the NAUkLuFT is still considered an insider tip. What makes hiking even more enjoyable is that hikers have the realm of quiver trees and mountain zebras largely to themselves.
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