Hike Namibia’s Fishriver Canyon

Fishriver Canyon, in Namibia, is the largest canyon in Africa, and the second-largest in the world, stretching for 160km, and up to 500 meters deep in places. The only way to experience it firsthand is on foot -which involves some serious hiking, boulder-hopping and clambering, but for those who enjoy a real challenge, the rewards are immense.

Fish River, longest river in Namibia, runs for 160 km of its length along a gorge initiated by a collapse caused by a shift in the Earth’s crust during Namibia’s violent prehistory, hence the canyon’s astonishingly abrupt interruption of the surrounding desert plains. The river, once far greater than it is now, then deepened this rift into a truly awesome ravine that winds it way through the southern desert acting as an invaluable oasis, a haven for some of the region’s spectacular plant and animal life. The combination of geological magnificence and the presence of such a wide range of wildlife makes this place one of the most fascinating hiking trails there is.

Of course, the canyon itself is the star of this trip; the environment through which this walk takes you will challenge your credulity as much as your legs! At every turn, a new vista will open up before you, continually revealing new rock formations unique to this place, due to its unusual history. At Palm Springs (so-called because of the date palms that grow there) where the gorge runs along a fault line, there are thermal sulphur springs, you’ll get a glimpse -and a smell- of the subterranean forces that helped to create the canyon. The whole trip will give you many opportunities to see the wild animals that have made this place their home, including wild horses, baboons, and springbok, as well as many types of bird and insect life.

This walk is famously demanding; even to reach the riverbed inside the canyon can take up to two hours of careful scrambling over loose screed, and then there’s rocks, and more rocks, and sand, and water, all to be traversed in consistently high temperatures, for a total of eighty kilometers. It should go without saying that those who aren’t serious hikers shouldn’t even think about going on this expedition. You’ll have to carry all necessary supplies, except for water, which will come from the river pools along the way. This is a tough trek for those who want a real challenge, but the rewards are tremendous. Please note that children under 12 years of age are not permitted on this tour.