Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE NAMIB DUNES
The Namib dunes stretch from the Orange to the Kuiseb Rivers in the south, and from Torra Bay in Skeleton
Coast Park to Angola's Curoca River in the north. They're composed of colourful quartz sand and come in vary-
ing hues - from cream to orange and red to violet.
Unlike the ancient Kalahari dunes, those of the Namib are dynamic, which means that they shift with wind, and
are continuously sculpted into a variety of distinctive shapes. The top portion of the dune, which faces the direc-
tion of migrations, is known as the slipface, and is formed as the sand spills from the crest and slips down. Various
bits of plant and animal detritus also collect here and provide a meagre food source for dune-dwelling creatures,
and it's here that most dune life is concentrated.
The following is a list of the major types of dunes found in the Namib:
» Parabolic dunes Along the eastern area of the dune sea (including those around Sossusvlei), the dunes are clas-
sified as parabolic or multicyclic, and are the result of variable wind patterns. These are the most stable dunes in
the Namib, and therefore the most vegetated.
» Transverse dunes The long, linear dunes along the coast south of Walvis Bay are transverse dunes, which lie
perpendicular to the prevailing southwesterly winds. As a result, their slipfaces are oriented towards the north and
northeast.
» Seif dunes Around the Homeb campsite in the Namib-Naukluft Park are the prominent linear or seif dunes,
which are enormous all-direction-oriented sand ripples. With heights of up to 100m, they're spaced about 1km
apart and show up plainly on satellite photographs. They're formed by seasonal winds; during the prevailing
southerly winds of summer, the slipfaces lie on the northeastern face. In the winter, the wind blows in the opposite
direction, which causes slipfaces to build up on the southern-western faces.
» Star dunes In areas where individual dunes are exposed to winds from all directions, a formation known as a
star dune appears. These dunes have multiple ridges, and when seen from above may appear to have a star shape.
» Barchan dunes These dunes prevail around the northern end of the Skeleton Coast and south of Lüderitz, and
are the most mobile as they are created by unidirectional winds. When shifting, barchan dunes take on a crescent
shape, with the horns of the crescent aimed in the direction of migration. In fact, it is barchan dunes that are
slowly devouring the ghost town of Kolmanskop near Lüderitz.
» Hump dunes Typically forming in clusters near water sources, hump dunes are considerably smaller than other
dune types. They are formed when sand builds up around vegetation (such as a tuft of grass), and held in place by
the roots of the plant, forming a sandy tussock. Generally, hump dunes rise less than 3m from the surface.
Information
Most Naukluft visitors come to hike either the Waterkloof or Olive Trails. These hikes are
open to day visitors, but most hikers want to camp at Naukluft (Koedoesrus), which must
be prebooked.
The four-day and eight-day loops have more restrictions attached. Thanks to stifling
summer temperatures and potentially heavy rains, these two are only open from 1 March
to the third Friday in October. Officially, you can only begin these hikes on the Tuesday,
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