By Shellee-Kim Gold

Hiking the Fish River Canyon is not for the faint of heart – or body. You’ll need a decent level of fitness to tackle the twists, turns, ridges and rocks. And have nicely flexible kneecaps to boot. You’ll also need ample gratitude in your heart for the sheer magnificence of what the world’s second largest Canyon will bestow upon you.

I’m regularly awestruck into silence (a rare occasion) by both mountains and deserts. This three to five day/85 kilometre trail from Namibia’s Hobas to Ai-Ais combine both of these, throws in numerous rock pools en route and adds semi-arid growing succulents, shrubs and the spiky quiver tree. Strictly-speaking, the Canyon is semi-desert.

But whichever way you see it, you’ll be hiking backwards in time on a journey into 1.5 billion years of geological history.  Proof of this is in the massive boulders and twisted rock formations. Cameras are a must as views are jaw-droppingly sublime in the 500 metre deep Canyon.

A closed pair of shoes and a fully-functional zipped tent are to become your best desert friends as a Canyon camper. Wearing shoes at night about means you’ll be able to appreciate predators instead of fearing them. Like the thick-tailed scorpion whose sting can kill you and the small, venomous adder snakes. Then there’s the less lethal ‘Kalahari Ferrari’ sun spider. So called due to the phenomenal speed it moves at. Sun spiders don’t spin webs, but are said to have the most powerful jaw in relation to their size. Make sure no part of your anatomy gives the sun spider reason to prove that theory right!

Sighting some of Namibia’s wild horses would be the cherry on top on this hike. And though no one knows with certainty, some say the horses are descendants of the German colonists’ herds who abandoned their horses in the desert after the First World War.

Dependent on rainfall, you may or may not get to frolic in the Fish River’s numerous sulphur-rich pools en route. On arrival at Ai-Ais (Nama for ‘burning water’) that won’t matter. Because 60 degree springs here are fed to a swimming pool and Jacuzzis at the government-run resort that you can treat yourself to.

If you like the idea of safety in numbers and saving energy while you admire the desert-loving klipspringer (rock jumper) and other antelope, ostrich and wild zebra, consider exploring the canyon by mule.