Onduno to Monte Christo

The hike is nearing its end. We set off early and go past a big dam, which reflects a nearby windmill on its flat surface. Then we climb a steep hill and arrive at “Windhoek Rest”, where we can see the capital of Namibia on the horizon for the first time in days. Below us is the suburb of Katutura; to the east are the Auas Mountains. But no one is looking forward to returning to civilisation. On our way down the hill, we come to another surprise: Albert has bolted five ladders to a rock face – that’s the way to the bottom. I take some more photos of the vista before I carefully lower myself into the kloof. At midday, the temperature soars again. “We’re the only creatures in this gorge not enjoying an afternoon nap,” Yvonne sighs. We arrive at Monte Christo late in the afternoon. Tonight we’ll be sleeping in a tree house! It’s a three-storey affair in a tall ana tree, with two spacious decks. Around the campfire that night, we talk about the trail and about hiking in general. Crickets chirp and frogs croak. “This experience has been a real eyeopener,” says newbie André. “You’ve hiked me into a new category!” Elizna adds: “For me, being in nature is the closest I can get to God. I don’t hike to get away from my problems, but hiking gives me the strength to go home and face the challenges.” For Yvonne, the highlight was the camaraderie and seeing how everyone was always willing to help. “If we had all met in a coffee shop, we would have got to know very different aspects of each other’s personalities,” she says. “You see people for who they are when you’re all in the outdoors, stripped of fancy clothes and fancy food. A coffee shop friend will never equal a hiking friend.”