Breakfast on the majestic Dune 40

At 05:50 our alarm went off, seeing how we had some exiting plans of exploring the desert today. Our original plan was to see the sunrise at 06:38 from the top of a dune, but when we got to the national park gates at 06:20 we learned that the gate would only be opened at 06:30.

As soon as the gate was opened everyone in the queue started a mad dash into the park to try to advance as far as possible into the desert before the sun fully rose across the horizon. While we initially joined the rush, we got distracted quickly by some ostriches and oryx along the side of the road.

The further we advanced into the national park, the more impressed I was by the landscape. I usually try to avoid drawing comparisons with other places, but for this place I can confidently say that I've never been anywhere like it. The dunes kept growing bigger and bigger as we were going further and further into the Namib Desert - the third largest desert on the continent.

The local dunes are named after the distance from the national park gate, and the first one we stopped at properly was Dune 40. Some people who had stayed overnight within the park limits had already climbed up and watched the sunrise from there, and we were still early enough for the sunrise to be impressive.

We put on some sunscreen and packed some breakfast in a backpack and went up the Dune. Well... Anne went flying up the Dune, and I was heavily trotting behind her. We had recently raced up Lion's Head in Cape Town together, side by side. Because of that I was very confused about why she suddenly seemed to be running away from me.

After a short while, it clicked. On firm ground, the playing field was even. But on a dune, body weight mattered - a lot! Anne weighs half as much as me, and was able to walk almost on top of the sand. For every two steps I took, the dune pushed me back a step. And on top of that, I had to expend significantly more energy than she did. I ran into a guide later during the day, and he mentioned that such a dune climb will probably take 2-3x the energy for me compared to a lighter person.

Well, I felt that alright. The dune didn't bring me to my knees, but definitely to my limits. It was so much harder to climb up than I had anticipated, but seeing Anne in front of me gave me enough motivation to keep going. She generously waited for me at the top, and once I had caught my breath we enjoyed a nice breakfast together, taking in the stunning views of the desert.

The way down was a lot more fun, and reminded me of the time when I was running down slopes of volcanic sand and ash in Guatemala. Running like crazy, as the sand buffers the heavy impacts - both when running and falling 😜Read more