The Fish River Canyon Hiking Trail
| Fish River Canyon Hiking trail | |
|---|---|
Wild Fig Bend 27°38′17″S 17°35′56″E / 27.638°S 17.599°E / -27.638; 17.599 |
|
| Length | 90 km |
| Location | Fish River Canyon |
| Trailheads | Hobas / Ai Ais |
| Use | Hiking / Trail running |
| Elevation | |
| Elevation gain/loss | 620 m (Loss) |
| Highest point | 840 m |
| Lowest point | 220 m |
| Hiking details | |
| Trail difficulty | Medium |
| Season | Winter in Southern Hemisphere |
| Months | 1 May - 15 Sep |
| Sights | Spectacular scenery, wildlife |
| Hazards | Steep descent, boulders, rocks, deep sand, slippery river crossings, baboons, snakes, scorpions |
The Fish River Canyon hiking trail is one of the more popular hiking trails in Southern Africa. The immense scale and rugged terrain has drawn many visitors from all over the world to experience what hiking or trail running the canyon can offer.
Apart from the 2 kilometre descent west of Hobas and some optional short cuts, the trail generally follows 88 kilometres of the Fish River through to Ai Ais and is usually completed within 5 days. Although there are a number of footpaths through the canyon, the trail is not fixed leaving the hiker to decide where and how long to hike.
There are no amenities on the trail and hikers have to carry all their needs with them. Open fires are not allowed on the trail.
In times of inclement weather, some shelter in a run-down building can be found at the Causeway (27°49′44″S 17°34′16″E / 27.829°S 17.571°E / -27.829; 17.571) but otherwise sleeping is outdoors.
The weather is usually mild and typical temperatures vary between 5°C and 30°C with little humidity. Extreme weather, such as flash floods, stormy winds and rain occasionally play havoc during the hiking season.
Read more about this topic: Fish River Canyon
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—Chinese proverb.
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With the turning tide”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
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—State of Utah, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“These, and such as these, must be our antiquities, for lack of human vestiges. The monuments of heroes and the temples of the gods which may once have stood on the banks of this river are now, at any rate, returned to dust and primitive soil. The murmur of unchronicled nations has died away along these shores, and once more Lowell and Manchester are on the trail of the Indian.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)