Monday 2023/01/02

Uis – Ugab Camp

Despite a relaxed breakfast we're ready to leave before 10 a.m. In the supermarket we collect what we need and get and drive to the gas station. A queue! About a dozen campers want to fill up their tanks here.

Then we are heading south around the Brandberg massif to the Messum Crater – a route with great views of the massif and the mountains towards the coast – and then north to the Ugab Camp. On the way there really seems to be only one shady tree and we use it for a late lunch break.

We know the camp from our last journey, but this time we are coming from the other direction. We remember a large area with huge round boulders nearby, which this time – not coming from the narrowness of a gorge – turns out to be unspectacular.

The passage past a former copper mine to the camp leads through a gorge and seems a bit dark, the camp itself is on a dry river bed – but there can be a lot of water from time to time.

The camp is in a slightly better condition than last time and we look for one of the few shady spots. It turns out to be a good one afterwards, sufficient wind against tiny annoying flies and some shade in the morning. The elephant dung lying everywhere is interesting – according to the ranger, a bull should have been there two days ago and a herd a week ago. There are lions in the area, but they are shy – a good thing. When asked what to do when elephants come at night, the answer is: nothing, stay in the tent. We have a nice chat with two Swiss travellers (Markus and Karin), cook something, look into the fire and sleep well.