25-Apr-2021 -- On the 5th of December 2020 I flew to Namibia for a bicycle trip. After spending 3 months in South Africa and Eswatini we returned to Namibia by car. We normally live in Switzerland, but currently, we work as digital nomads with our laptops as long as our offices in Switzerland are closed. We are now staying in the coastal town Swakopmund for two weeks. We used the intermediate weekend to visit this confluence point.
We started from Swakopmund on Saturday 6 AM and first visited the Welwitschia, a very special endemic plant with only 2 leaves that can grow for 1500 years. We spent the night in Ai Aiba Lodge. On Sunday – confluence day – we first visited the Spitzkoppe, which is a very interesting rock formation only 25 km from this confluence point.
Finally, on our return way to Swakopmund on Sunday afternoon, we headed for this confluence. The dusty D1918 from Spitzkoppe to Hentiesbaai took us up to a distance of 12 km. We then followed a track southward until the track got quite challenging for our 2x4 Toyota. At a distance of 5 km, we stopped the car. We could theoretically have driven closer, but I opted to have a straight run through the desert, which I actually enjoy – even when it is very hot.
The confluence is on barren soil with scattered bushes. Ground is covered with sand and gravel stones. The Spitzkoppe is not only visible but also makes an impressive view. The confluence is in a Wadi – in case of heavy rain, water will flow over it. There is a cairn which is visible from a couple hundred meters distance due to the white rocks that it is built of. Unfortunately, previous visitors or other off-road drivers have left their keepsakes in form of ever lasting tyre tracks. Even though I am nearing the 1000-visit marker, there is not a single meter that I drove off-road.
After the visit, we drove the same way back to the dusty D1918 and then continued our drive to Swakopmund.
CP Visit Details:
- Distance to a road: 12 km
- Distance to a track: 2 km (if we had continued that track)
- Distance of car parking: 5 km
- Time to reach the confluence from the car: 35 minutes
- Time at the confluence: 2:55 PM
- Measured height: 879 m
- Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
- Position accuracy: 2 m
- Topography: flat
- Weather: mostly sunny, 33° C (felt temperature)
- Given Name: The Spitzkoppe Confluence