Deadvlei

From Dune 45, we drove for an hour to reach Deadvlei, a white clay pan in the heart of the Namib Desert. The name means ‘dead marsh’. The clay pan was formed after rainfall when the Tsauchab river flooded, creating temporary shallow pools where the abundance of water allowed camel thorn trees to grow. When the climate changed almost a millennium ago, drought hit the area, and sand dunes encroached on the pan, which blocked the river from the area. Deadvlei is surrounded by the highest sand dunes in the world, the highest being Big Daddy at 325 metres. The trees died, as there was no longer enough water to survive. The remaining skeletons of the trees are now black because the intense sun has scorched them. Though not petrified, the wood does not decompose because it is so dry.

We parked in the car park and transferred to 4x4 vehicles for the drive to the start of the hike to Deadvlei. The scenery on the way was stunning. The hike was not particularly long (about 4km there and back), but it was steep in places, and the soft sand had our calf muscles aching! For me, it was easier to do it barefoot! It was worth it, though, for the sight of the flat pan and the dead trees standing there. Some trees had fallen over because tourists had touched them or climbed on them. This was despite the signs telling them not to!Read more