Namibia Desert Bike ride

Windhoek to Twyfelfontein

After a direct flight the group have landed in Namibia and have made their way via transfer from Windhoek to Twyfelfontein. Todaythe group will have their bikes fitted and will acclimatise to the weather, which is very hot. 

Twyfelfontein to Damaraland

Today began with a warm up ride from from Twyfelfontein to Damaraland. Whilst the terrain was not too difficult, the weather is extrememly hot, which is making it hard for everyone. some stunning scenery (desert scenery and rock landscapes) however lots of people have spent some time in the support vehicle resting!

The camps at night are fairly basic, and tents even more so, but sleeping under the stars each night is an amazing way to end the day, and everyone is so exhausted they are having no trouble sleeping.

Damaraland Camp to Grootberg Pass Camp

It was very very hot again today, hovering around 44 degrees. There is very little shade along the route, including rest stops, so everyone has been having a difficult time staying hydrated and trying to stay cool. Although apparently it is cooling down in the evenings when they reach camp. 

There were lots of enormous hills too, which made the day extremely hard. Almost all the group spent a bit of time in the support vehicle today recovering a little from the heat and the hills, whilst some made it through the entire day without getting in the van – an amazing achievement!

The highlight of the day was definitely seeing a zebra in the wild whilst cycling.

Whilst the going is tough at the moment, everyone has been really supportive of each other, with those at the front really supporting and cheering on those at the back, which has helped morale remain high. Tomorrow is apparently an easier (and that term is relative!) day, so people are looking forward to that.

Damaraland Camp to Kamanjab

Today was a little easier in terms of terrain. Whilst it is still incredibly hot, the terrain has been more undulating rather than constantly up steep hills, which has helped, and the group remain in high spirits.

Today the group saw lots of elephant footprints whilst cycling, which was very exciting, as apparently the herd are ahead of them, and hopefully they will catch them up tomorrow. Something everyone is looking forward too. The road surface has been quite difficult to manage on the trip, as it can slow you down quite a bit, so people have also really been working on their mountain biking skills.

Everyone was apparently very excited to get to camp tonight as there is not only a small plunge pool to cool down in, but also a bar and bottled water, a real luxury after three days of awful tasting water purified with iodine tablets!

Helen will call again as soon as possible, however she said that she wouldn’t be able to do so tomorrow, as there will be no reception.

Etosha Bush Camp – Etosha National Park

Today was another hot day, but at only around 35 degrees, it was a nice relief from the past few days! Today’s cycle was mainly on a hard corrugated road which made cycling quite difficult, however everyone completed a full day’s cycling. This evening we camped in the middle of nowhere, and it really started pouring with rain at night! It was a bit like our own Namibian Glastonbury! Jim and Dave have renamed their tent ‘Soggy Bottom’. However we had a lovely meal that night and sat chatting around the campfire (before the rain, that is).

Etosha National Park – Mount Etjo Safari Lodge

Today the roads were like thick, soggy clay due to the rain last night! Definitely made for interesting cycling. Before lunch the bus got stuck, as did lots and lots of bikes, which made for lots of falling over! So there were lots of ‘muddiest’ competitions – the finish line photo is filthy! Carl Morris also managed to perform a very impressive summersault whilst trying to clean Anne’s bike (involving riding at high speeds and braking suddenly to try and shake the mud off).

Later that day we went to the Etosha National Park where we saw lots of incredible animals including a giraffe and a springbok. The scenery itself was stunning too. That night the camp bar was situated around a watering hole and lots of the group got to see a Black Rhino whilst sipping a gin and tonic at the bar!

Mount Etjo Safari Lodge - Windhoek International Airport

Today was our safari day and we got to see some incredible animals. Giraffes, Zebras, Springboks, Cudus, Ostriches and more. Again the scenery was beautiful, and the day really made up for the very hard work we had put in at the beginning of the week.

Tonight is the final celebration meal for the trip. Everyone is currently relaxing in the hotel and getting ready for tonight.  Tomorrow we visit the Pendicote Woman’s Project, where deaf adults are taught the skills they need to make handicrafts they can sell. They are also encouraged to teach these new found skills to others in their communities. This project is run by the same people that run one of our other International Deaf Society’s projects in Namibia. After the visit everyone is off to the airport and back home to the UK.