Description

This trail is the first half of the Fish River Canyon Orange River Trail and offer riders with limited time the opportunity to enjoy an expedition horse safari. With a combination of dramatic canyon landscapes and spacious desert plains, this trail offers the opportunity to ride through normally inaccessible countryside and wilderness areas. Distances covered daily will vary between 20 and 55 kilometres.

Highlights

• Experience the changing scenery of the Namib desert
• Encounter wildlife along the trail
• Spectacular desert sunsets
• Ride down the Fish River Canyon

Sample Itinerary

Day 1:
Arrive in Windhoek and proceed to the meeting point at 08h00 at the Tourist Info kiosk in Windhoek. Board the vehicles for the 8 hour transfer to Augurabis, enjoying a picnic lunch en route. Accommodation is in an old farmstead in the Northern Fish River Canyon area. The farmstead itself is well hidden amongst lush vegetation and located near a natural fountain in the Gaap River. Augurabis is located in Gondwana Park, a private park of about 120 000 ha dedicated to conservation and tourism. In the evening you’ll get to meeet fellow-riders, hosts, guides and local crew.

Day 2:
After breakfast and briefings and go on a “trial ride” where you meet and match with the horses and adapt to riding style and the terrain we will explore. Enjoy aleisurely ride along the Gaap River and surrounding area. The afternoon is free for relaxation, hiking, photographs, etc. At this point your luggage needs to be re-arranged, to take just a small bag for two days, since tracks are non-existent or poor and only tough 4x4’s can transport as little as possible, but as much as needed.

Day 3:
Ride from Augurabis to Koelkrans. This is serious riding over variable terrain, which brings you to the Canyon view point from where you descend into the canyon. The overnight camp is set up at the base of the canyon at a large natural pool surrounded by steep cliffs. Once settled at camp you can enjoy a swim in the rock pool to cool off. There may be opportunities to see mountain zebra, Oryx, klipspringer and rock dassies, as well as birds of prey and owls, on the day’s ride.

Day 4:
From Koelkrans to Sandy Beach or Flamingo Bay. Yes, you may even see a flamingo in the desert. The ride will follow a section of the Fish River where few people have set foot before. Whether we ride in the canyon or on zebra tracks around the edge will depend on the water level in the river.

Day 5:
Flamingo Bay along the Gaap River to Augurabis. Following the Fish River further down we ride until we meet the Gaap river. From there we follow it’s interesting and winding passage. Past ruins of a homestead where one cannot believe any human being could have lived, and on into an unexpected dense riverine forest, back to Augurabis, to be reunited with your luggage.

Day 6:
Augurabis to Holoogberg. The route follows a serpentine trail away from the canyons through bizarre weathered rocks to the southeast where the basalt ridges ends onto a vast plain. Here you can enjoy some fast cantering and see large numbers of game like Burchell’s zebra, springbuck, ostrich and herds of Oryx. As we ride in a fenceless environment riding is not limited to a specific route. We camp in a dry riverbed at the foot of Holoog Mountain on wide open terrain with a great panorama.

Day 7:
Holoogberg to Mountain Camp. Ride through endless savannah into an area strewn with granite boulders and charismatic quiver trees, to arrive for lunch at Mountain Camp. The afternoon will include a drive to the main view point of the Fish River Canyon, where the normal tourists go hiking and sight-seeing. You will be amazed to see where our group has been with their horses. Enjoy some luxury and a very special evening at Mountain Camp.

Day 8:
After an early breakfast, depart for Windhoek which is a seven hour transfer.