Concentrate on the next step. don’t look back The ground will crumble. Grains of sand will pass by, but you persevere. I’ve come this far.
During my four-and-a-half-day trek in the Namib Desert, my inner monologue turned into a self-help passage. The dry heat brought him up to 38°C, calcifying his thighs and blistering all his other toes, so it was necessary.
A few minutes later, we reached the top of that infamous dune. The soft sand and steep climbs were the toughest spurts on the course.
Each footprint in front was left either by one of the 2022 classes, or by a 2018 test run, 2019 run or Sport Relief 2020 competitor or crew member. But the desert, with its shifting dunes of up to 300 meters, dates back at least 55 million years. Year. It will dull and restore my resolve before dawn.
I was one of several splinter groups formed in Race to the Wreck’s “Big Dune Day”. Run by adventure travel company Rat Race, the event traverses part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The park features rock canyons, the dry bed of the Kuiseb River, and flat sandy beaches with views of the dunes.ends with Eduard Bohlena cargo ship that ran aground in 1909.
The on-foot version is equivalent to 4.8 marathons and is supported by the Rat Race team, volunteers, medical personnel and members of the Topnaar community. Parts of the park are under the control of the Topner tribe and visitors must obtain a permit to enter.
Len Kooitjie, the incoming tour guide for a traditional Topnaar leader, said the commission from the rat race event helped pay for transportation, water bills and jobs for the community. “I hope more people will visit our beautiful desert,” he added.
Namibia has a population density of about 8 people per square mile (for comparison, the UK has 727 people). For Rat Race founder Jim Mee, the idea of hosting an event in the country started with a photo of a shipwreck.
“When I saw it on the Skeleton Coast, it was somewhere on my own bucket list. I felt that.”
Rat Race’s bucket list series includes several remote locations, from the Arctic to Patagonia. Getting involved is key to these unmanly trips.
After the first breakfast, I introduced myself. I traveled solo, a pair of fitness buddies, and a couple.
Among the 25 participants aged 27 to 62 were a cohort of runners, endurance event regulars and former military personnel. Nick Robertson, 55, was to tackle the race alongside his friend Mark.
Mark died of cancer before they joined. Nick, in Mark’s memory, pledged to complete the 303 km (188 mi) version on his bike for two days. On the last night, Nick was awarded an extra medal for Mark.
“I will be fine,” he said of recognition. “I’m not an emotional guy, but it meant a lot.” An ex-military man like Nick might be drawn to the adrenaline rush, but rat his race “to the general public.” ” and correspond to them.
The novel perspective on Namib first drew me in, but the physical challenge drew me in even more: I wanted to be fit before I turned 35. The desert has never been more difficult than having a child, the biggest milestone in life. At one time he barely ran 6 km, my decision often seemed like a sign of a midlife crisis. On the first day, while a swarm of ticks was marching up my calf, I fell near a tree and was smashed.
However, most of the wildlife encounters were the highlights. It also included giraffe and oryx sightings from the bus to the start line. Later that day, in a cinematic valley with burnt-out cars, I noticed a large cat’s paw prints mixed with the markings of fellow racers’ trainers. Amber scorpions marched my way. Dusk caused a chorus of birds. As the daylight faded, a pair of eyes low from the ground were picked up by the torches on its head, and the small black creature scurried away.
My next flash of despair was on day two, when I strode forward and then gagged alone in the middle of the group. Managing water, salt, sugar and caffeine intake was a learning curve.
Days 3 and 4 (14 hours 6 minutes epic) were completed with the help of fellow walkers. A final push brought a sandstorm. With my head down, I limped along the dizzying ridge as I approached the camp in the dark. After blushing at the welcome of our heroes, I went back to bed with a bottle of local beer.
In the morning, 12 km to the coast.
A cold breeze and rain were heralding the Atlantic Ocean beyond. Jackals patrolling nearby. Riding the wind, cheers rose, and along with a sense of exhilaration came an unexpected sadness.
Champagne and oysters soothed the melancholy. We drove back to civilization in a 4×4 convoy, with our drivers revving up the engines before the roller coaster dropped.
There were many high prices. Run, get burned, and run down the dunes. It stands on sandy spines that stretch out like a crouching Spinosaurus. A real planetarium arched over our tent.
My fitness has never been so worrying or improved so quickly. But the real test was psychological. Carved by tens of millions of years of erosion, the landscape beautifully evokes your randomness.
travel essentials
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Flights from Heathrow to Windhoek via Johannesburg are available with British Airways (britishairways.com).join
Rat Race Bucket List trips from £2,950 per person, interest-free installment plan available, ratracebucketlist.comFurther information
visitnamibia.com.na
