Düsternbrook to Otjiseva

The Khomas Hochland Trail opened in June 2015. It’s a six-day hike that spans five farms, with a total distance of about 91 km. (There is also a shorter, four-day trail.) The hike starts on Düsternbrook Guest Farm, 50 km north-west of Windhoek. Düsternbrook is steeped in history: It’s on the old Bay Road, the original route between Windhoek and Walvis Bay, which dates from the middle 1800s. The farm has been in the Vaatz family since 1942 – the current owner is Johan Vaatz. In 1962, his late mother Marga opened the first guest farm in Namibia. It’s July 2017 and I’m hiking the trail with four other people. We’re doing the slackpacking option, so our luggage will be transported from one overnight camp to the next. We follow the path up a dry riverbed, past puddles of water and greenery along the banks. It feels like I’m in the Bushveld: The sky is a deep blue, the grass is faded yellow and camel thorn trees arch over our heads. A grey goaway-bird calls out. I’m in esteemed company. Hike leader Albert, from Krugersdorp, is the man who designed and helped build the trail in 2014. He has designed several other hiking trails over the past two decades, including the Num-Num Trail in Mpumalanga and the trails in Golden Gate Highlands National Park. He’s 74 but he’s fit and he’s still keen to test himself in the wilderness. The more challenging the trail, the better. After this he’s going south to hike the Fish River Canyon for the 26th time. In contrast to Albert’s years of experience, André Slippers from Rustenburg has never done a multi-day trail. He’s still finding his feet, so to speak, but he’s determined and ready for what lies ahead. The final two members of our group are Elizna Briedenhann from Still Bay and Yvonne van den Berg from Riversdale. Both are experienced hikers who have both climbed Kilimanjaro and hiked to Machu Picchu. Yvonne has even been to the base camps of Everest and K2 in the Himalayas. Yvonne and Elizna have brought stretcher beds, which are transported with our luggage from camp to camp. The rest of us will sleep on mattresses provided. Last night at Düsternbrook, Yvonne revealed herself to be a problem-solver. “It was cold, so I put a pan full of coals under my bed!”

We follow the course of the river for a few kilometres until it funnels into a series of kloofs. We follow the trail markers, each

painted with white gemsbok spoor. To the right are the foothills of the Khomas Hochland and that’s where we’re headed. Albert is here to inspect his trail. He checks every marker and signboard with the diligence of an auditor. He gets irritated when we climb over a fence and there are only two tyres to step on instead of three. Albert came up with the names for all the important waypoints on the trail. The names are mostly tongue-incheek, like “Sexy Fig Tree”, “Sit-gat-rus-benerus” and “Klippekou klim”. Today’s walk is mostly over level terrain, but it gets rocky in the kloofs and we have to do some scrambling. I’m glad I brought my hiking pole. The kloofs are scenic, with rock fig trees and moringa trees growing from the cliffs. The moringa tree is also known as a meelsakboom because the white trunk often swells at the base, looking like a sack of flour. Albert draws our attention to the smallest details in the veld, like a spider’s web near the opening of a warthog burrow. Warthogs attract flies and the flies attract the spider. It’s a complete little ecosystem. We pause for lunch after about 8 km, near a rock with interesting circular engravings on its surface. Albert rolls open his blanket to retrieve a can of cold Tafel Lager, which he shares with me. “The blanket keeps me warm at night and it keeps my beer cold during the day,” he says.

We hike further. Eventually we come to a steady slope and at the top, a sign that reads “Cellphone Reception”. But none of us feels the need to switch on our phones. I can’t even remember the PIN for my Namibian SIM card. The point of this hike – for me, at least – is to escape digital distractions, but it’s nice to know that there are a few of these signal spots in case of emergency. The first day ends with a 45-minute slog up a koppie to reach our camp on the farm Otjiseva. Hans Dieter Wiss is waiting at the top. “This trail is close to Windhoek and very accessible,” Hans says. “It’s the longest hike in central Namibia and every day promises something new.” At each camp we get a cool box with food that we have to prepare ourselves. Tonight’s menu is noodle salad and gemsbok steak. The donkey boiler is lit for hot showers. Every camp also has flush toilets – a relative luxury on such a hike. I find Albert in his camping chair, staring into the flames. “I feel like I’m in a time machine,” he says. “I can hear the creak of the windmill on the farm where I grew up. I’m back in front of the coal stove, feeding it mielie stalks, standing on the peach-pit floor.”