Fish River Canyon Hike aint for sissies!
We had been waiting a year for this and so much goes into the preparation; the backpack, the gear, the food packs, first aid kits, satellite phones, water bladders, tent or no tent? I was literally weighing my water bottles to make sure that I took as little weight as possible. 2 sets of clothes, hat, sunscreen, something to make food with and a whole of will power (something they leave off most lists). One thing I would recommend that I didn’t do; take more drugs! I’m not big fan of popping pills, so I thought I’d get by with my antihistamine, 3 GenPain (yes, I only packed 3 pills) and a tube of “Deep Heat”. If it wasn’t for my drug dealing hiker pals, I might not have made it. The drugs I refer to are things like slow-mag, cramp-ease and your trusted anti-inflammatory pain killers for when those legs say NO!
As the date approached the messages started becoming more frequent from your fellow hikers "have you packed this or that?" The guides of what to pack, what not to pack were flying around from all different sources. Oh and the training? Do it. And don’t only focus on walking/hiking, unless you live in Cape Town where you can hike Table Mountain every weekend. If you are stuck in Gauteng with little time to get out to the better hiking spots, just do more squats (with your backpack) - I should have done more squats!
And the day arrives, after lengthy drive starting at 3 am, we crossed the border in the desert that is Namibia ... feeling the excitement and nerves as they stamp your passport. We arrived at Ais Ais Spring Resort for check-in, dinner and anxiously waiting for that early start the next day, so we all had to go to bed early.
Most people warn you about Day 1: The Descent, "after you get down in the canyon its smooth sailing" they said. They were lying. The Descent was grueling, yes, but Day 2 came around and I soon realized I had to summon some of that will power and just focus on keeping my legs moving, one step at a time for the next 4 days. Everyday. Day 3 almost broke me. They weren't ready, my legs, not nearly ready for the sand (that soft sand), nor were they ready for the back-breaking boulders (I shudder thinking about those boulders). Sand. Boulders. Sand. Boulders. This ain't for sissies!
We may have taken some shortcuts but that didn’t mean things were made easier, shortcuts meant climbing the canyon walls like mountain goats! I just had to remind myself to turn around at the top and to admire the views which were spectacular!
Early mornings and early bedtimes. We wanted to cover as much ground before the heat of the day. And the days were hot but Day 4, Day 4 was hot. Water was my biggest concern from the very beginning, there was water even in the drought, but not much and it wasn’t clean, so we were grateful for the purification drops. The German Soldiers Grave rest stop offered us fresh, cold, clean water which was supplied by the park and it felt like we had won the lotto! Dankeschön!
Each day ended with setting up camp including the tent, we collect and filter water, we cook dinner, we eat, rub arnica on our aching muscles, check blisters, drink Amarula cappuccinos, go to bed (try sleep). The evenings turned chilly when the sun disappeared and by this time the moon was already high. It lit up the canyon walls and surrounding landscapes like a giant bedside lamp to the world. Come 4 am when the moon set, the sky came alive! My roomie/tent buddy, who also happened to be my first year roomie at University, Jess, was up at 5am, putting the kettle on and we started our mornings spotting shooting stars and passing satellites in the darkness of the canyon.
The front runners of our 15-person pack would push us every day to cover the recommended kilometers. I won’t mention the words I would utter at them under my breath each day, but each day we reached designated ‘campsites’ with water and we covered the necessary distance thanks to their determination and navigation skills. My legs and heart were very grateful to them when on the final Day 5 we only had 13 kms to walk and they were at the finish line, ready with cold beers and we arrived just in time for lunch!
“I made it!” - This repeated several times in my head not sure if the words made it to my tongue – “I hiked the Fish River Canyon." All the aches, pain and blisters seem to fade into celebrations and joy. The sense of achievement is almost overwhelming.
We stayed at Ai Ais Springs Resort and Spa for pre and post - hike accommodation, the service left much to be desired at the time, but we won’t get into that as they have promised things will improve. But, oh, the hot spring pools were incredible after hiking for 5 days. We had a great group and we spent the remainder of the last day discussing the incredible experience and challenge we all just accomplished… or should I say SURVIVED!
If you would like more information on how to get to the Fish River Canyon, whether you want to hike it or just admire it from the viewpoint (the saner option). I can tell you what to expect, what to pack (lil tot of alcohol for each night), what not to pack (chocolate, it melts). For all the ins, outs and tidbits, just give me call and I’ll gladly help you get there!
LIZE ROODT TRAVEL COUNSELLOR 0767035070