Road into Namibia

[charlw]

I travelled to Swakopmund from East London in a rather different way. My mother in Port Elizabeth was relocating to Namibia. She has a 1.4 Citi Golf that needed to be driven up. I rode my bike to PE and left it there while I drove her Golf up. No air conditioner in the middle of the summer - no worries. A cooler box full of ice that was repeatedly stuck into my buff that I wore as a skull cap did the trick.

Joined up with my brother in his Colt4x4 and travelled back through the desert instead of the boring B1.

Here are some photos of the trip. I took about 1000 photos and these are ones that show the state of the road. North of Swakopmund in the Brandberg area there are lots of very sharp rocks and south of Swakopmund radical sand corrugations and one Isuzu did not make a corner. Hope they were all OK?

Rock shatters in the desert because of very extreme heat and cold, leaving very sharp rocks that slice tyres.

River bed of the Ugab River. Five vehicles were stuck or lost further down this road and we were advised to turn back as we only had one spare tyre.

 

[charlw]

 

[charlw]

Try again - here is the first photo showing rock shards and above is where we turned back. Ranger was flying an aircraft looking for stranded vehicles.

 

[charlw]

Road near Brandberg

Also Brandberg road - I belive the Bushmen call this kaiingveld - refers to the black colour of burned fat on a fire. What about the heat?

Sharpest rocks I have seen ever

Close up photo of the sharp rocks

My favourite photo from the trip - turning back onto the "main" road from a track we went down to explore a kloof. This photo is like a desert version of that Microsoft screensaver with the green fields and clouds

 

[charlw]

Now on the road between Walvis and Solitaire. Adjusting tyre pressure for sand corrugations.

Interesting landscape with red longitudinal sand dunes snaking over the flat plain.

Some okes on BMW's, envied them as I was stuck in a cage.

This oke still waiting for his spare part to be delivered to Solitaire.

Road can be treacherous - hope all ended well for this driver?

 

[charlw]

Spare part - waiting delivery.

 

[charlw]

The road between Sesreim and Betta.

Almost every photo is so remarkable, one feels like it should be in a calender or printed somewhere for more people to share.

Karretjiemense. I wonder if they also get tyres shredded? Hope horses are shoed correctly.

Beautiful road near Aus

Long road outside Aus.

Near Rosh Pinah.

Sendelingsdrif at Orange River

 

[Fargo]

Nice trip Charl and some excellent pics

Looks like a dream bike trip to do,maybe soon!

 

[Thump]

NIce Charl
i'd be interested to know how those sharp rocks are formed.

 

[Buff]

Some awesome photo's. Were you using a filter on your camera?

 

[charlw]

Hi Buff. Yes had a UV filter on a Canon 30D.

Hi Thump. My guess is those rocks were initially sedimentary layers and tectonic forces caused the layers to bend to a vertical position and the added heat and pressure changed the rock to metamorphic rock. Probably shale to slate.

Hi Fargo. Would love to go back there on a bike.

 

[LeonDude]

Nice, thanks for sharing

 

[Schnelga]

Hey, I recognise the bikers in the pic!
It'smeee and Shakes.  What are the chances?
Which road was this?

 

[MrBig]

If I may be so forward allow me to add some pictures of Namibian roads and sights from this past December.
We did almost 5500km in 18 days and had an absolute blast.

 

[charlw]

Hey, I recognise the bikers in the pic!
It'smeee and Shakes.  What are the chances?
Which road was this?

Hi Schnelga. This was on the Solitaire road. There was another biker a few kms ahead of you guys.

 

[charlw]

If I may be so forward allow me to add some pictures of Namibian roads and sights from this past December.
We did almost 5500km in 18 days and had an absolute blast.

Hi Mr Big

Great photos. Landscapes in Namibia are huge - my lens could not take it all in. Awesome place. Although it is a desert, the word "desert' does it no justice. It is rich in scenery, resources and people.

 

[tau]

I went to Nam 6 times last year it is my home from home.

Your pics is really good in capturing the area.

Those sharp rocks where did you take the pics?

The rocks from Ai-ais toeard rosh Pinah and sendeling are Sendimentlayers from the lake that was apparently formed here after the Ice age.

 

[charlw]

Hi Tau. I took the sharp rocks pics just south of Brandberg. (near Uis)

 

[Schnelga]

We were 4 dogs travelling thru Nam, Caprivi, Zambia and Bots.  Crop Sprang, Cable man, Shakes and I.
I was the slow coach at the back!
Seeing the overturned car was disconcerting but the scenery was spectacular.
Great to see your pics, we'll be doing a RR shortly, check it out!

 

[Malibu]

Awesome pics!  Absolutly brilliant!  :thumleft: