Blog / Events and outings / Namibia, between mountains, sand and clouds

Namibia, between mountains, sand and clouds

The Namib Desert is impressive. It covers more than 80,000 km2 and is considered to be the oldest desert in the world. The landscapes are impressive, timeless and majestic.

Venturing into the Namib Desert requires excellent knowledge of the terrain, but a guide is also essential. During the day, in the sun, temperatures can exceed 55°C! It's a real heater that won't hesitate to dehydrate you. It is essentially made up of sand and rock, but has very few dunes, unlike the Sahara desert. For miles on end, it's simply flat, flat and flat again. That's what makes it so difficult to tackle in an ultra-endurance race.

In November, a race takes place there. It's called the Desert Ultra and it's organised by Beyond The Ultimate, a British company specialising in running races abroad. On the programme: 250km in 5 days, self-sufficient in food. This means that the runners carry on their backs all the food they need to complete their journey across this vastness.

The stages are not all the same distance and the setting is also changing. Here's the breakdown:

Day 1: 51km

Day 2: 50km

Day 3: 42km

Day 4: 21km

Day 5: 92km

In this type of race, the most difficult part isn't the sequence of kilometres, because all the riders are prepared for this kind of exercise. The most complicated part is managing the effort and making sure you drink enough water and cereal bars. From kilometre 0, it's a challenge against this environment that begins. The first stage starts at 8.00 am and the temperature is already close to 30°C. All the fifty or so runners set off across the desert, following the markers laid in the sand every 100/200m. Most of them wear gaiters to protect themselves from the sand, but they also carry a trail or hiking rucksack to hold all the equipment they need to complete their journey.

To experience this race is exceptional. Don't be fooled into thinking that this kind of competition is reserved for a small elite of over-trained athletes. All you need is motivation and serious training beforehand, without overtraining. A healthy lifestyle and solid equipment will help you enormously.

In terms of technical aspects, there is no real difficulty. The terrain is often flat and easily signposted, so the route is mapped out without you having to ask yourself any questions! The most difficult part is your ability to manage your pace and optimise your effort over the whole week.

As Web Editor at Speck Sports, I was lucky enough to take part in this adventure and I'm going to give you a few personal details about how I felt during the event.

Race preview:

At the age of 24, I set off as the youngest runner in this competition. Equipped with a Raidlight bag, La Sportiva shoes and a Salomon outfit, I was soon able to race at the front of the pack, despite the vagaries of the weather. But first, a quick look at my equipment:

I decided to optimize my pack as much as possible, which is why I only had one running suit, a first-aid kit, freeze-dried food in reconditioned bags, a headlamp, a knife, an extra pair of socks, a 2.5L carrying capacity, my cell phone, a Go Pro, and a few Powerbanks. The weight of this pack is 8kgs without water and 10.5kgs when complete.

For the hydration system, I'm not a big fan of water pouches, so I equipped myself with 2 Raidlight 0.75cl water bottles + 2 Salomon 0.5cl flasks. All these bottles were within easy reach of my pack.

Footwear was essential, and I opted for La Sportiva shoes, which proved to be efficient and solid. I also fitted them with Raidlight gaiters to protect them from the sand. As for the bag, I own an old Raidlight Olmo 20L, which will soon be replaced by its descendant, the RaidLight Responsiv, or by a more trek-oriented backpack like Osprey.

Departure

After 2 flights, we arrived at Windhoeck' s small airport. In the middle of the night, in the middle of the desert after all. After a 45-minute drive, we reached the hotel where all the racers were staying before setting off for an outpost in the Namib desert. In the early hours of the morning, the 40 riders in 2 off-road buses set off with the Beyond The Ultimate team in the direction of Spitzkoppe mountain. An ideal place to cut yourself off from the world: no network, vastness stretching as far as the eye can see, and people with a superb mentality of sharing and solidarity.

The riders sleep in tents, and the organization provides us with an insulating mattress. The temperatures in the desert at night are very cold indeed.

At 8:00 a.m., the column of runners will set off on their assault on the Namib Desert, and then it's off for 5 days of adventure, sharing, discovery, solidarity and dreams. But there will be some not-so-fun moments, with injuries, pain and abandonment.

Landscapes

The landscapes I saw on this trip were majestic. Whether it's the stretches of desert that go on as far as the eye can see, the mountains or the fossilised trees, this place is magical, special and has a certain nobility about it. The most striking feature of this geographical space is the silence that reigns supreme. Neither the wind nor the rare animals we meet destroy the silence that reigns supreme on these lands.

One evening at camp 4, we were lucky enough to come across some elephants just a few metres from the tents. Crossing paths with wild animals like this may not be possible in a few decades' time, so we might as well make the most of it and enjoy the spectacle.

Arrival and denouement

The last stage was long, very long. 92km to be exact, which my French compatriot and I struggled to complete, but so did all the other riders in the end. The finish was at a rhino conservation camp. it's called"Save the Rhinos". The last few kilometres were very complicated, as we followed the inside of a canyonwithout ever seeing the finish line. Then, as we rounded yet another bend, we saw the Beyond The Ultimate flags. The finish line was 200m away and we were finally there. After crossing the line, the food autonomy is over. Adam, the race director and professional racer, comes to bring us a cold beer and congratulates us.

We finished this last stage in 5th and 6th places, which will also be our final classification. I have some wonderful memories of this race, full of landscapes, solidarity and relaxation under the big central tent, chatting with riders from other countries. Sometimes in the evening, we'd have big campfires where a lot of runners with extraordinary pasts would talk about their adventures and their races in other equally marginal places.

In the end, the Desert Ultra is more of an adventure than a race. It allows you to push yourself to the limit while covering 250km of desert and landscapes. It's a race for anyone who wants to experience something unique and in harmony with the environment around them.