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steenbok in Namibia desert

Trek Namibia 2021

Challenge level: 3 out of 5

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When can I go?

12 June - 20 June 2021 On Sale
Duration 9 days

What does it cost?

Registration fee (payable today) Info $449
Remaining amount
Total commitment Info

Trek Namibia 2021

Join us in the volcanic sands of the Namib Desert in Namibia on this extraordinary trek following the dry Ugab riverbed.

Together, we’ll explore the area around the mountain of fire, the Brandberg Massif, that glows orange and red in the sunset and its ring of spiritual rock paintings, the Tsiab Ravine. Then we’ll embark on a tough five-day trek along one of the Ugab’s parched tributaries. With soft sand underfoot and acacia trees overhead, we’ll push through hot, sunny stretches and seek shelter at lunchtime. Along the way, we’ll keep our eyes trained for the adorable desert steenboks, elephants, giraffes and mountain zebra.

We’ll rise early to enjoy the cool of the morning and spend our nights under more stars than you’ve seen in your life. We’ll gain insight into the ancient history of the desert, raise vital funds for the charity of your choice and make a bunch of new friends, all the while getting fit and giving our calf muscles an epic workout.

Worried about fundraising? Don’t be…

Trek Namibia 2021 is an Open Challenge, which means you choose how you fund your adventure.

You can self fund and pay the challenge costs yourself without the pressure of a minimum sponsorship target; or you can choose sponsorship and commit to raising a minimum amount for a charity, hospice or animal sanctuary of your choice.

It's your chance to do something amazing for the cause closest to your heart; whether you choose to support your local hospice or animal sanctuary or a national charity.

Your itinerary

Days 1 & 2
London – Windhoek – Uis

The excitement begins at the airport in London, where we meet as a group for the first time and catch our overnight flight to the Windhoek International Airport in Namibia.

Our local ground agent welcomes us upon our arrival and together, we transfer (approx. 4 hours drive) to the small and charming town of Uis.

Tucked in the pre-historic Damaraland of Namibia, this tiny tin mining town enjoys the fantastic backdrop of the Brandberg Mountain in one of Namibia’s most beautiful desert regions.

Day 3
Uis – Brandberg Massif – Ugab Wilderness Camp | approx. 12km/ 5 hours

Rising early, we have breakfast at the hotel before transferring into the heart of the desert, to the area around the extraordinary Brandberg Massif.

Also known as Dâures (the burning mountain), this whopping mountain of rock was formed 120 million years ago, when a single mass of granite punched through the Earth’s crust. Now dormant, the Massif is said to still glow red at sunset.

This isn’t the only wonder here to behold. We also get to explore the famous Tsisab Ravine at the foot of the mountain and its awesome array of spiritual rock paintings, including the White Lady. We have lunch here and then our challenge commences!

We follow the dry banks of the Ugab River, thankful for the shade of acacia trees in the vast desert and finally arrive at our comfortable night’s camp. Here, we settle down for dinner and our first night sleeping under a sky full of stars. You may also choose to sleep in tents, but why pass up the opportunity to see shooting stars as you drift off?

Day 4
Jungle camp – River-side camp, Sierra Nevada | 9 – 11 hours walking

Waking early again to make the most of the cool morning, we have breakfast and trek down into the Ugab riverbed. Tackling its soft sand seems surreal when you think of the water that once flowed here.

The sun’s growing heat makes our challenge harder, especially with this tough terrain, but the extraordinary vistas are well worth it and just think of the wonders the sand is doing for our calf muscles! After passing a small swampy patch, we push on through a last, arid stretch and reach our night’s camp in time for lunch to avoid the fire of the afternoon sun. We can now settle down for a well-deserved lunch and a long rest.

Later on, we’re ready to jump back on our feet at sunset, to watch why the locals call the Massif the Mountain of Fire. We walk for a short while to get the best view of the dark rock glowing red and orange. Our day ends with dinner at camp before another night under the unpolluted desert sky (or tents if you prefer).

Day 5
Desert Camp – Desert Camp | approx. 14km

Breakfast at camp sets us up to tackle more soft terrain alongside the dry Ugab River. Along the way, we pass some ancient, isolated granite rocks called inselbergs or monadnocks. Dating back millions of years, these enormous heaps of pink granite make a striking distraction from the dry riverbed and the vast, baron panoramas. As the sun draws higher, we reach our long lunch stop in the shade, before we bounce back on our feet to trek to our camp in the late afternoon.

Day 6
Desert Camp – Desert Camp | approx. 28km/ 8 hours

We have a longer trek today as we follow the riverbed into shadier terrain. This sheltered, more moist terrain makes a welcome change from the drier stretches we’ve conquered so far, but we may come across some bog, equally as challenging to trek as the sand we’ve become used to.

This damper area of the desert is also home to adorable, deer-like steenboks. With fur the colour of sand, horns akin to a gazelle’s and big ears, steenboks have adapted to live in a habitat so unforgiving to other species. Keeping our fingers crossed and eyes peeled as we walk, we may spot some enjoying the shadow of the trees and rocks.

We take a shorter break for lunch today and push on through the afternoon, until we reach our night’s camp for dinner and a great night’s rest.

Day 7
Desert Camp – Desert Camp | approx. 17km/ 6 hours

Waking up to breakfast at camp, we lace up our boots for our last day trekking! Now we’ve reached a lusher part of the desert, we continue along the riverbed, hoping to glimpse the elusive mountain zebras!

Our route takes us past fantastic Faidherbia trees and yet more spectacular rocks, before submitting back to drier desert, which signals we’re close to our finish! Upon reaching our camp, we enjoy a well-deserved celebration dinner and a final night under the stars.

Days 8 & 9
Desert Camp – Windhoek – UK

Our legs can have a good old rest today, as we transfer back to Windhoek Airport for our overnight flight home. We touch back down in London on Day 9 and here we part ways, making our own way home.

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Funding options

Sponsorship

Pay your registration fee and raise the minimum target for your chosen charity.

$6,000

Minimum sponsorship target

  • Pay a non-refundable registration fee, which is used to administer the challenge and secure your seats with the airline.
  • Fundraise the minimum sponsorship target for a charity, hospice or animal sanctuary of your choice.
  • Your charitable funds must be paid in 12 weeks before your challenge starts.
  • Providing you have raised the funds, the charity you are supporting will pay the challenge costs on your behalf.
  • The challenge costs cover flights (not including airport taxes and the fuel surcharge, approx. £350), your food, accommodation, transfers, entry fees, guides and medical support, including two doctors.
  • Please also remember to budget for airport taxes and fuel surcharge (approx. £350).
  • Please note that not all charities are happy to commit to the minimum sponsorship option. If you choose this option, we contact the charity you want to support on your behalf. If they are not happy with the minimum sponsorship option, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
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Self Funded

Pay your registration fee and your challenge costs yourself.

$2,999

Pay the balance

  • Pay a non-refundable registration fee, which is used to administer the challenge and secure your seats with the airline.
  • Pay the challenge cost yourself 12 weeks before the challenge starts.
  • The challenge costs cover flights (not including airport taxes and the fuel surcharge, approx. £350), your food, accommodation, transfers, entry fees, guides and medical support, including two doctors.
  • Please also remember to budget for airport taxes and fuel surcharge (approx. £350).
  • Choose to fundraise as much as you can or make a personal donation to the charity, hospice or animal sanctuary of your choice.
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FAQs
Trek Namibia 2021

Trek Namibia 2021 is not designed for Olympic athletes – it is designed for people looking for an amazing goal to train and get fit for. A number of the people who will take part in this trek will have a low level of fitness when they sign up.

This challenge is the perfect motivation to get fit, while exploring one of the world's most extraordinary places and supporting the charity of your choice.

We do strongly recommend you train for the trek and we'll send you a fantastic training plan once you sign up. This training plan builds up as time goes on, so you'll be ready and raring to go by the time we jet to Namibia!

Please don't be! The majority of people will sign up on their own and our Dream Challenges are renowned for the amazing camaraderie and life long friendships made as our groups take on these incredible feats together.

Once you've signed up for the challenge, we'll send you a link to a private Facebook group for everyone registered for Trek Namibia 2021.

Please feel free to use this space to swap questions, advice and updates with your fellow trekkers on your training and fundraising. You may also want to reach out to your fellow participants in this group to see if there's anyone in your local area you can meet up to train and fundraise with.

Absolutely not! One of the amazing things about the challenge is that people of all ages will come together to do something very special. Everyone who is at least 18 years old by the challenge date is more than welcome to join this awesome trek in Namibia.

You will of course need a pair of walking boots and you will need to bring your own two to three season sleeping bag. We will supply you with a comprehensive list of everything you will need to take on the event well before your departure date.

We stay in a range of awesome accommodation on this trek on a twin-sharing basis, including three-star class hotels and comfortable desert camps.

All camping equipment, excluding bedding, is provided and already set up for us upon our arrival at each camp. Please note, you will need to bring your own two to three-season sleeping bag.

 

Yes of course! If you wish to extend your stay in Namibia, you will need to come out of our group flights.

We are also delighted to say that we will be offering a relaxing extension package soon. We will let you know as soon as we have finalised the arrangements for this.

If you just want to extend your flight without partaking in the optional extension package, simply get in touch and we can find flight options for you.

Please let us know if you decide to do this at least 14 weeks before our departure date.

 

Your registration fee of £299 per person is used to administer the challenge and secure your seats with the airline.

Your challenge costs of £1,999 (ie. 50% of the fundraising target if you choose the Sponsorship option) cover:

  • Your flights (not including airport taxes and the fuel surcharge, approx. £350)
  • Meals throughout the trek (excluding free days, ie. Days 7 and 8)
  • Accommodation and camping equipment, except for bedding
  • All transfers in Namibia
  • Entry fees where required
  • A team of awesome, first-aid trained local guides and Dream Challenges staff
  • Full support from the Dream Challenges office in the lead up to and during your challenge
  • Medical support, including two doctors, who will accompany us throughout the challenge
  • Your Trek Namibia 2021 medal and t-shirt

In addition to paying your registration fee (£299) and either paying your challenge costs or raising the minimum sponsorship target, you'll need to budget for your:

  • Airport taxes and the fuel surcharge (approx. £350)
  • Personal travel insurance
  • Gratuities
  • Personal expenses

The group size for this challenge is likely to be around 30 people.

You will need to take out your own personal travel insurance covering health, accident, loss and repatriation. Dream Challenges has a recommended policy that provides appropriate cover for this type of activity. We will send you the details once you have registered. You can, however, take out your own insurance, providing it covers you for a charity trek in Namibia.

Currently, GB citizens don't require a visa to enter Namibia for up to 90 days, but we'll let you know if this changes.

The Dream Challenges team are here to help you achieve your challenge and will support you all the way. We are on hand from the minute you sign up to answer any questions that you may have about your training or the challenge itself.

Once you have registered, we will send you a realistic training programme to help you get fit for the trek. The programme builds up gradually as the event gets closer.

During the trek, we'll have two qualified doctors accompanying the group from the get-go and at all times throughout the challenge, along with a team of experienced challenge guides and vehicles to transport your luggage.

Vehicles will carry your luggage, food and water, so you will only need to carry a small day pack, containing essential accessories and equipment.

We’ll have a first-aid trained event leader, plus two qualified event doctors, who will be with you the whole time.

As we're not medically trained, we're afraid we can't offer you advice on this. We recommend you contact your GP or your local travel clinic, who will have the latest travel health advice.

We also recommend you visit the NHS Fit for Travel website here, to keep up to date with current travel health news and advice on staying healthy abroad.

NHS Fit for Travel website: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home

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mountain zabras in Namibia desert
bird in Namibia

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