#fishrivercanyon — Public Fediverse posts

My (only) Fish River Canyon hike of 2026 was a blast. I have never seen the canyon so green.

This was my 3rd time and definitely the best one so far. There was a lot of water which meant that I hardly carried more than 2lt, even though I drank about 2.5lt every day due to the heat.

We camped on lovely sand every night under the stars. Every morning we got up around 5am and started walking as soon as we could see our feet. The idea was to avoid most of the heat of the day.

I was wearing the mid-ankle Tomir 2.0 which meant that on the ~24 river crossings I only had to remove shoes about 5 times. Their amazing grip also meant that I never slipped on rocks when crossing rivers either.

This year there were no hard parts for me personally, but this remains a hard hike for a lot of people. It is not to be underestimated. Yet, in the scope of hikes to come in this same trip, this was the easiest of them all.

If you ever want to go do this, let me know. Maybe I might just go again...

P.S. A couple of weeks after this trip there was an unprecedented large storm causing flooding in the canyon and ~90 hikers had to be evacuated. This also caused the canyon to be closed to around the end of July. And with that my 2nd trip to the canyon go cancelled. By more on the what we did as an alternative hike will follow in another post.
#hiking #wanderlust #namibia #fishrivercanyon

My hiking adventures in Southern Africa for 2026 have come to an end. I have done four hard trips:

- Mnweni Traverse, Drakensberg, ZA. (Shortened to 5 from 7 due to weather)
- Fish River Canyon, NA. (6 days)
- Naukluft Trail, NA. (8 days)
- Khomas Hochland Trail, NA. (4 days)

I grabbed four photos to describe the essence of each of the trails on this journey. The Drakensberg and the Naukluft were technically the hardest of them all. The Naukluft and the Khomas Hochland had the most vicious vegetation.

Namibia is a special place and routes are usually without mobile reception, requiring satphones or satellite communicators for safety.

Each trail is highly recommended, but each trail comes with challenges that are not meant for inexperienced groups.

I don't know if I ever will have the chance to return to these, as my attention is bow turning to planning a number of trips in a number of other countries in the next couple of years.

#southafrica #namibia #hiking #wanderlust #drakensberg #naukluft #FishRiverCanyon #KhomasHochland

Normally it does not look this green, but the rains of April have turned this arid land into a green landscape with many plants in bloom.

This is my 3rd time down in the oldest canyon in the world, and this the first time I've seen it so green. It has been a spectacle.

#FishRiverCanyon #wanderlust #footpathfriday #hiking #Namibia

Viervingerrots ("Four Finger Rock") usually seen around day 4 when hiking down the Fish River Canyon.

It is possible to camp just before this at a set of two pools of which one is known as Barbel Pools. (And yes, it does contain barbels).

From here one can follow the river around a long bend, but most people opt for a shortcut to the right of this rock formation.

#MountainMonday #wanderlust #hiking #FishRiverCanyon #Namibia

It's been a week since I finished my first First River Canyon hike of '26. How does one describe it in just four photos?

This is the greenest I have ever seen it, especially since the very dry '24 hike. There has been a lot of rain in April, causing the season to open late. Somebody said we crossed the river 24 times. I didn't count, but I probably had to remove my shoes about six times, where I could not dance across the rocks.

There was a lot of water available and no need to filter. Day temperatures were around 31-33⁰C at midday. One say I measured 37, but I think the sun shone directly of my measuring device. I did however consume between 2.5-3lt every day during walking hours.

Sleeping on the sand in the open was a treat as usual. You open your eyes at night and you stare at all of the stars.

This is the most enjoyable hike in the FRC for me to date. Whether it was hopping over boulders, tracking fast over flat terrain or climing dry short cuts in the heat of the day, every moment was enjoyable.

What wasn't to be enjoyed was finishing. Coyld really stayed more nights, but this is how it goes.

In a month's time I plan to be back again. This is no longer a bucket list item, but rather a spiritual journey of being connected to nature and the ancient geological history that lies with the oldest canyon in the world.

#FishRiverCanyon #hiking #wanderlust #Namibia

#silentSunday #Namibia #fishrivercanyon

Electronic I am taking on my next multi-day hikes:

- Mobile phone. I keep it in a pocket in my Forclaz trousers.

- Garman Fenix 6 smartwatch.

- Petzl Swift headlamp. I prefer the stronger beams that this offers as I use for walking in the dark and not just for camp cooking.

- Iniu powerbank. 20Ah. I am not taking my older Anker power bank as the Iniu has the capability of both usb-c and usb-a power out.

- usb-c to usb-c charge cable.

- usb-a to usb-c charge cable.

- usb-c to micro-usb adaptor (for charging headlamp).

- usb-c to garmin adaptor (for charging watch).

- 4lt Nanosil drybag from Sea to Summit for keeping everything together. This bag goes in the backpack as I don't normally need it in the day.

Not included in this list are camera equipment, spare batteries and chargers for cameras.

This time around I have cut some grams off the base weight by using shorter cables and then the adaptors instead of extra cables.

#FishRiverCanyon #drakensberg #southaftica #namibia #whatsinyourpack #hiking

Sleep time in the Fish River Canyon will be simple again: two groundsheets and no tent. This time around I opted for a tyvek sheet and a polycro sheet. I found the ground sheets that I used the previous time were too narrow.

The plan is to sleep on the more sturdy tyvek sheet and unpack my gear on the polycro sheet. In the unlikely scenario of rain at night, I'll simply sleep underneath the polycro sheet as it is wider that the tyvek sheet.

I have modified the tyvek sheet with some metal grommets. I'll put some lightweight cord in there in case I want to peg it down. Not sure about doing the same to the polycro sheet - thst material is a bit flimsy.

#whatsinyourpack #tyvek #groundsheet #camping #hiking #fishrivercanyon #namibia

For the Fish River Canyon and Drakensberg trip I have my cooking setup settled and there are some luxury items.

- I am taking a Fozzils Snapbowl for when I need a bowl. Doubles as a cutting board. (https://www.fozzils.com/product-page/snapfold-bowlz). It fits nicely into the back stretch pocket of the backpack.

- A long handle spork.

- A Victorinox Soldier's knife. It has all the necessary utilities for emergencies. The made blade is serrated and sharp. I have used it in the past to even cut open tins. (https://www.amazon.es/-/en/Victorinox-Schweizer-Soldatenmesser-Functions-Including/dp/B002RWXZ7E)

- A spreading knife, because it works better than the pocket knife's big blade. It is my one luxury item.

- All the cutlery items go into a small Hilltop tent stake bag. I purposely bought the one with the meat print. (https://hilltoppacks.com/products/tent-stake-stuff-sacks-funny-prints?variant=38878721867961)

- MSR Pocket Rocket DLX. Slightly heavier than some other compact stoves, but it burns more efficiently, has a regulator and a piezo igniter. (https://cascadedesigns.com/en-eu/products/pocketrocket-deluxe-stove).

- Lightload Towel as a dish cloth. It is super lightweight, recycable and lasts for many days. (https://www.litesmith.com/lightload-towels/).

- MSR Titan 900ml kettle. (https://cascadedesigns.com/en-eu/products/titan-kettle-900ml)

- MSR Titan Double Wall mug 375 ml. It fits inside the kettle. (https://cascadedesigns.com/en-eu/products/titan-double-wall-mug).

- All the cookware goes inside a Hilltop stuff sack, including one gas canister. (https://hilltoppacks.com/products/stuff-sacks-w-custom-printing-challenge-d50t-fabric?variant=45960307114241)

- I have one large food bag from Hilltop (https://hilltoppacks.com/collections/food-bags-bear-bags/products/food-bags-w-custom-printing-challenge-d50t-fabric-bear-bag-5) as well as 2nd snack bag. At this point I might take another Hilltop bag instead of the Sea to Summit drybag for the latter purpose.

- As these hikes are in Southern Africa, a common practice is to eat rusks with morning coffee / tea. I keep these in a plastic container to prevent them from becoming crumbs.

- My second luxury item is a Platypus 800ml wine bag, because we like to sip some red wine in the evening. When it is empty it rolls up really small (https://cascadedesigns.com/en-eu/products/platy-preserve).

This whole setup is < 900g.

I did not include a emergency matches or a lighter in this list as that will go into the emergency and first aid bag.

#whatsinyourpack #hiking #cooking #traillfood #fishrivercanyon #drakensberg #namibia #southafrica #msrgear #hilltoppacks #platypus #victorinox #fozzils

What people take for toiletries is a very personal choice. For me for overnight hikes my toiletries remain consistent.

- Small drybag where most of things go. After various options in the past, I have now settled for one from Hilltop Packs - https://hilltoppacks.com/products/ditty-bags-printed-dry-bags-challenge-d50t-fabric-11?variant=46398823629057.

- A very small Sea to Summit Airlite towel. https://seatosummit.eu/en-nl/products/airlite-towel (I only use this on trail, as I have left two behind in the shower after the trail. There are small after all and easy to miss).

- Sunscreen

- Nail clippers

- Tooth brush.

- Dental brush tablets. Much better than toot paste. They don't make a mess and I can take exactly the amount I need.

- Interdental brush. For me a better solution than floss, as I do not have perfect teeth. I normally carry this in a hip belt pocket as I might need it during the day,

- Mirror, it is just useful for many things. like putting sunscreen on your face.

- Lip balm. Not something I always use, bu it does come in handy on hot, sunny days. I also carry this in a hip belt pocket,

There is noticeable absence of deodorant, soap and shampoo. I am in the "embrace the smell" camp when on trail and I don't like to introduce day-hiker fragrances. If it is going to be a very long hike, then I'll bring something, but for <7 days I don't. (There is always water and a wet wipe from the hygiene bag).

But there are a couple of things I do leave in the car for cleaning up after the trail - soap, shampoo, deodorant and a bigger towel.

#toiletries #hiking #whatsinyourpack #fishrivercanyon #drakensberg #pyrenees

Clothes that I intend to take for the Fish River Canyon this year. The focus is to deal with the heat and sun in the day, but also stay warm at night as this is a desert environment. As we normally start to walk as soon as one can see ones feet, it might still be cool, so a layering system is appropriate.

I have found the Forclaz MT500 zippable trousers (https://www.decathlon.es/es/p/pantalon-desmontable-de-montana-y-trekking-hombre-forclaz-mt500/351289/c383c1m8853742) to be really dependent and good value for money. I can make a decision to keep the bottoms on for protect against the sun, or zip them off for when it is really hot. I really like the four pockets and their positioning on these trousers. Both bottom pockets are large to hold a mobile phone.

I wear my sun hoodie (https://blackdiamondequipment.com/products/mens-alpenglow-pro-hoody) the whole day. When it is cooler, it functions as a baselayer below the T-shirt (https://crazy.it/an/en/prodotto/s25095114u-00/), otherwise It is the only thing I wear as a top.

I have two UPF50+ buffs. One goes on the left wrist over the watch. It serves as way to wipe sweat off. The other buff I normally wear as a hat. I have found normal hats to be too sweaty, but the high UPF buff to be highly effective. In the FRC the sun hardly comes from the front - normally from the back and on the sides.

I only wear Under Armour underpants (https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/p/ua_performance_tech_mens_6_3-pack_boxerjock/1383878.html?dwvar_1383878_color=200). I also use them as swimming trunks. I have found that one can wear them for days without a smell. They also dry very quickly.

For the evening I can decide to optionally take two baselayers to sleep in, although in the past I have sometimes slept in my hiking clothes. Maybe not the best practice, but that is what the sleeping bag liner is for.

I also take a beanie (https://crazy.it/an/en/prodotto/w25125050x-00/) and a puffy for the nights. Since I can only take one puffy for my travels, I have to go for a higher spec one and I have selected one the Simond Duvet (https://www.decathlon.es/es/p/plumifero-de-montana-y-alpinismo-con-capucha-hombre-simond-duvet/347966/c364c81m8809333).

I pack some light golves from Forclaz (https://www.decathlon.es/es/p/guantes-termicos-de-montana-y-trekking-tactiles-adulto-forclaz-mt500/335330/c364c382m8655827). The puffy has its own built-in stuff bag, but after stuffing it, it still needs to be in the drybag for protect it against moisture.

Finally all the clothes go into a drybag. I have custom printed version.(https://hilltoppacks.com/collections/dry-bags/products/dry-bags-w-custom-printing-challenge-d50t-fabric-1)

#whatsinyourpack #fishrivercanyon #hiking #clothes #namibia

Sleep system for both the Fish River Canyon and Drakensberg trips in 2026.

- Bandit quilt from UGW
- Nemo Fillo Elite pillow
- Sleeping bag liner from Naturhike
- Nemo Tensor Extreme sleeping pad
- E-Vent Sil compression dry bag from Sea to Summit

For the desert I could have gone with a normal Nemo Tensor and a lighter quilt, bur since I only want to fly with one combination I opted for taking the warmer set.

I have also now worked out a way to keep the pillow strapped to the pad at the expense of about 10g.

Although the sleeping bag liner is depicted with its own stuff sack, Ieave that behind. Instead the pillow, quilt and pillow are all compressed into the dry bag. The sleeping pad still travels in its own stuff bag. For bag end up at the bottom of the backpack when hiking.

#whatsinyourpack #sleeping #hiking #FishRiverCanyon #Drakensberg #quilt #nemoequipment #ugqoutdoors #seatosummit #naturhike

Water system for the Fish River Canyon in 2026.

- Clean water goes in Mazama MGO 1lt bottles. Probably taking two.
- Electrolytes are mixed in Thirsti 500ml bottle (This is a disposable bottle purchasable in South Africa and much like a Smart Water bottle).
- Water filter is a Platypus Quickdraw and a CNOC 2lt bag only for for dirty water.
- A drinking pipe is connected to one of th MGO bottles.

Water situation is different this year than for the very dry 2024 we experienced, so final decisions will only be made closer to the time. However one always wants to have at least 2lt of clean water, but having the capacity for 3lt is better.

#whatsinyourpack #hiking #fishrivercanyon #namibia #mazama #cnoc #platypus

Footwear for the Fish River Canyon & the Mnweni Traverse in 2026.

- Nnormal Tomir Boots. Waterproof versions. Durable soles. Good for water crossing. Mid-ankle keeps the dust out and reduces risk of ankle rolling on boulders.
- Custom insoles from Sidas moulded by specialist boot fitter. This means no unnecessary foot rolling, leg movements and less fatigue.
- Dust gaiters. Will either be a pair from Dirty Girls (picture) or a hiking pair form AR Gaiters. (https://argaiters.co.za/collections/ar-gaiters-hiking). Keeps dust, sand, sticks and pebbles from getting inside.
- Sliverlight crew socks. Onsilverlie pair worn for 5.5 days. Backup pair in pack. (https://silverlight.store/socks)

#hiking #whatsinyourpack #hiking #fishrivercanyon #drakensberg #southafrica #namibia

Nightsky in the Fish River Canyon.

https://loops.video/v/dMT8qlxNBj

#hiking #namibia #fishrivercanyon

"I go into the mountains to lose my mind and to find my soul".

Great documentary about the Fish River Canyon in Namibia.

I've also got an invite to join a group in July 2026. I think I am going to do it again.

https://youtu.be/fPNKgS5tL2c?si=RL3rcMg9gh4g2-p6

#hiking #namibia #fishrivercanyon

Heute hatten wir einen Tag Aufenthalt am Fisch River Canyon

Bereits gestern bei der Fahrt zur Lodge, die letzten 100km dauerten ca. 2½-3 Stunden, sind uns die interessanten Bäume aufgefallen, die in der Gegend hier zahlreich vorkommen und auf Englisch #Quiver Tree heißen, auf Deutsch #Köcherbaum, es handelt sich eigentlich nicht um Bäume, sondern um Sukkulenten, die bis zu 500 Jahre alt werden können.

Der Name Köcherbaum kommt daher, dass die Indigenen Bewohner der Gegend aus den Stämmen Pfeilköcher hergestellt haben.

Für den Hauptteil des Tages waren wir mit einer Tour in den Canyon beschäftigt.

Auf dem Weg zum Rand des Canyons konnten wir Zebras und Strauße sichten.

Dann legte unser Fahrer Wilhelm den Allrad ein und begann den Abstieg mit unserem Geländewagen.

Die Fahrt zum Grund des Canyon war ein großes Abenteuer in spektakulärer Szenerie.

Zwischendurch hüpften uns ein paar Klippspringer vor die Linse.

Am Grund des Canyons konnten wir uns im Fluss abkühlen, während Wilhelm uns ein astreines Mittagessen zubereitete.

Davon haben wir leider gar keine Fotos gemacht, weil alles an uns staubig und verschwitzt war und wir uns nur auf die Abkühlung im Wasser und das leckere Braai konzentriert haben.

Der Rückweg war derselbe wie der Hinweg, nur ohne Klippspringer und Zebras.

Wasser wird hier wie fast überall in #Namibia aus großer Tiefe nach oben gepumpt, hier ist eine dieser windbetriebenen Pumpen.

https://blog.utzer.de/2024/03/15/fish-river-canyon/

#FishRiverCanyon #Köcherbaum #Namibia #Quiver #QuiverTree

Fish River Canyon

YOU CAN FIND IT HERE:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/fish-river-canyon-patricia-hofmeester.html

By https://buff.ly/3i3uCm2 #homedecor #finearts #AYearForArt #LoveArt #photography #mastoart #mastodonart#WallArt #canyon #namibia #fishrivercanyon #landscape #beautiful #Africa

Most days, my phone pops-up a a photo I took and an "On this day N years ago" reminder of what I was doing at the time.
On this day nine years ago, I was perched on the edge of the largest canyon in Africa, Fish River Canyon, in Namibia.
The sun had just set, and people I was travelling with got impatient and wandered away.
At that time of the day, the light can change quickly, so I stuck around a bit longer. A bit of patience goes a long way with photography.

#Photography #HDR #Namibia #FishRiverCanyon

We got our permit for 12 people to go hike the oldest canyon in the world in 2024. It will be my first time back sine the early 90s.

Did you know that the geological history of the canyon goes back about 650million years?

#FishRiverCanyon #Namibia

Es wurde zurecht beklagt, dass ich euch diese Bilder vorenthalten habe 👀😬✨ Zur Wiedergutmachung gibt’s 1 Bonusmaterial. #namibia #fishrivercanyon

😌🫠 ok ciao 🥲

#namibia #fishrivercanyon