Towards the end of April 2021 Henk and 13 other “gryskoppe” traversed by mountain bike from Windhoek to Swakopmund in Namibia. The route we followed was the traditional desert dash Mountain bike race route which is described as “More than an endurance mountain bike race, the FNB Desert Dash is a wild beast that lures you, challenges you and allows only a few to stay on its back. It’s a 369km, 24 hour fight between human and nature, body and mind.” – www.desertdashnamibia.com
We experienced the serenity and views at our own pace with three people always driving the backup vehicles and rotating every 20k’s. The landscapes were breathless. The Tafel lagers always icecold and everybody knowing that there was no prizes just enjoying being able to do these things. On route following the back road from Windhoek we traverses firstly the Kupferberg pass and then the US Pass both which provided serious climbing.
We did the trip in stages leaving Windhoek the Sunday morning and overnighting just about 120k’s out of town on the farm of Jan Sterk in the Khomashochland. He is our tour guide and is also an attorney in Pretoria and knows Namibia like his backyard.
Highlights and must see places are Goanikontes Oasis about 40 k’s inland from Swakkop which I never knew existed. I have been to Namibia a couple of times but this is something, with moonlike landscapes all around you and then the oasis very unexpected.
It would obviously not be the same without some unexpected event and going back through the mountains from Goanikontes to Swakkop instead of the road we came caused us to get lost in the mountains which made for some serious character building. But nobody had any other engagements so time was on our side.
I just thank my CREATOR on behalf of everybody that we are able to do these things and enjoy good health. These trying times makes it difficult to comprehend how privileged we are.