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Certainly the best way to see more of an area is on foot, and the Namib-Spreetshoogte Reserve is no exception. Three marked trails have been established to help you find your way around the reserve and to learn more about some of the fascinating plants and animals that are found here.

None of the trails are particularly arduous, and all are confined to the plains areas that surround the lodge, with the exception of the ‘View Walk’ that ends on top of the prominent hill visible a few kilometers behind the main dam. The ‘Koppie Walk’ is the longest, measuring roughly 8 km, while the ‘View Walk’ is roughly 6 km and the ‘Dam Walk’ is a quick 3 km outing around the main dam.

The walking times that are quoted for each route are based on the average walker who is stopping quite often to look at sites and rest.

Please remember to take plenty of water with you as well as your hat and sun cream. We are at 1,850 metres at the lodge and being that bit closer to the sun makes it quite strong!

It is very difficult to get lost here. Use the various koppies as your reference points because they will normally always be in sight. It doesn’t harm however to also tell the staff at the lodge where you are going.

If you are more of the adventurous type then remember that longer accompanied walks are also available. These walks focus on less frequently visited areas of the Reserve, and can be tailored to your abilities and interests.

Although there are very few dangers within the Reserve and you may be tempted to go off and explore, please also remember that the Namibian environment is very sensitive to human disturbance and we would be grateful if you would stay to marked routes as much as possible.

Walk highlights: This walk circumnavigates the main dam close to the lodge in a clockwise direction starting from the main gate. There are a number of botanical points of interest marked and there is also a chance to see animals either taking water or shading under the acacia’s that line the dam. When there is water in the dam more and more waders and waterfowl are attracted to this small aquatic oasis as the winter continues. The birds listed below are the more common species that can be seen, while there is always a chance of seeing something a little more exotic.

Large mammals to look out for: Black and Blue Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Burchell’s Zebra, Springbok, Kudu, Klipspringer, Black-backed Jackal, Steenbok and Baboons

Birds to look out for: Crimson Breasted Shrike, Rosyfaced Lovebirds, Helmetted Guineafowl, Pale Chanting Goshawk, and if there is water: Blacksmith Plover, Kittlitz’s Plover, Three-banded Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Egyptian Goose, Cape Shelduck, Maccoa Duck, Cape Teal, Red-billed Teal, Cape Shoveller, Dabchick, Avocet, Little Stint, Grey Heron

POINTS OF INTEREST
1. Prickly Pear Opuntia sp.
Found throughout Southern Africa, originally introduced from Central America. Eleven species of Prickly Pear are declared weeds throughout South Africa and when unchecked they can rapidly spread and take over large

tracts of land. Farmers in this region often plant this species to supplement the diet of their cattle. Kudu also are fond of eating it despite the prickles! Flowers from September to December

2. Glandular Mesquite Prosopis glandulosa and hanging rack
A native of North and Central America and another declared invasive! Also cultivated for fodder, shade and firewood. Bees produce a good honey from the floral nectar. The climbing frame like structure behind is a hanging rack for butchering meat and is a reminder of the reserve’s prior history as a hunting reserve.

3. Psilocaulon sp.
A common shrubby succulent species that is an indicator of disturbed or overgrazed conditions. It is unpalatable to wildlife species.

4. Baster Willow Rhus lancea
Branchlets of this species were once used to make bows. The fruit can also be soaked in milk and then used to make beer. Widely cultivated as an ornamental species and is drought and frost resistant.

5. Milkweed Aclepias fruiticosa
All parts of this plant produce milky latex when broken that can be used to treat warts. The plant is unpalatable to wild animals, but humans have found that a snuff of the powdered leaf can be used as a sedative while the seeds can also be eaten.

6. Candle Thorn Acacia hebeclada
One of the most distinctive acacia’s with erect seed pods that resemble candles. A root decoction is used to treat leprosy and the leaves can be chewed and swallowed to treat an upset stomach.

7. Camel Thorn Acacia erioloba
An easy name to remember because the seed pods look like ear lobes! The wood is durable and often used for firewood- unsustainably in South Africa. The pods can be finely ground and use to treat Pneumonia, or heated and applied directly onto the skin to reduce localized swelling. Both wild animals and domestic stock feed on the pods.

8. False-hook Thorn Acacia hereroensis
In Nama and Damara communities this acacia is used to make medicine for flu treatment

9. Common Wild Currant Rhus pyroides
The fruit is edible with a pleasant sweet acidic taste and is best eaten when orange/red in colour.

10. Sweet Thorn Acacia karoo
The most common Acacia in the reserve and the only Acacia to grow into towering trees. Produces edible gum (look at the stem of the tree) that has been used commercially as glue and to treat mouth ulcers. Early Cape settlers made tea from chopped bark.

11. Milkbush Euphorbia sp.
The milky sap of this plant is poisonous, although Steenbok and Klipspringer will browse it. Porcupine are also very fond of the roots and dig up this plant in order to reach them.

12. Buffalo Thorn Zizyphus mucronata
This thorny tree is widely used in magical and traditional religious rituals. The juice of the tree was traditionally used by the San in making arrow poison, while the root can be pulped to treat the bite of spitting snakes. Chewed leaves can also be applied externally to wounds for pain relief.

13. Kapok Bush Eriocephalus ericoides
This common shrub has a pleasant scent and is mainly found in arid areas. The fruit are covered by cotton like white hair that has been traditionally and even commercially collected for use in cushions and pillows

14. Stone Plant Lithops pseudotruncatella
This amazing desert succulent resembles a stone and consists of two leaves that are rounded and joined together with a flat, beautifully mottled upper surface. The plant produces a daisy like yellow flower for a few days after rainfall each year and is confined to quartz rich areas such as this.

Walk highlights: This is the longest official self-guided walk, but is not difficult or particularly arduous. The walk offers the best possibility to see a cross section of the larger mammals of the reserve, especially those normally found in the wonderfully weathered granite koppie hills such as Klipspringer and Rock Dassie. The trail is also marked with a cross section of interesting botanical points, with the possibility of seeing water birds at the Terrapin dam at about the half way point.

Large mammals to look out for: Black and Blue Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Burchell’s Zebra, Springbok, Kudu, Klipspringer, Black-backed Jackal, Rock Dassie
and Baboons

POINTS OF INTEREST
1. Buffalo Thorn Zizyphus mucronata
This thorny tree is widely used in magical and traditional religious rituals. The juice of the tree was traditionally used by the San bushmen in making arrow poison. The root can be pulped to treat the bite of spitting snakes. Chewed leaves can also be applied externally to wounds for pain relief.

2. Psilocaulon sp.
A common shrubby succulent species that is an indicator of disturbed or overgrazed conditions. It is unpalatable to wildlife species.

3. Honey Thorn Lycium oxycarpum
The roots of this plant can be used to treat backache. The dense foliage produces good shade that is exploited by small mammals such as gerbils and elephant shrews

4. Kapok Bush Eriocephalus ericoides
This common shrub has a pleasant scent and is mainly found in arid areas. The fruit are covered by cotton like white hair that has been traditionally and even commercially collected for use in cushions and pillows

5. Candle Thorn Acacia hebeclada
One of the most distinctive acacia’s with erect seed pods that mimic candles. A root decoction is used to treat leprosy and the leaves can be chewed and swallowed to treat an upset stomach.

6. False-hook Thorn Acacia hereroensis
In Nama and Damara communities this acacia is used to make medicine for flu treatment. Beyond this Acacia on the side of the koppie is a tall spiky looking plant. This is Aloe littoralis, Namibia’s tallest aloe species.

7. Trumpet Thorn Catophractes alexandri
This woody shrub is largely confined to slopes at the base of koppies. The long straight stems were used by the San to make arrow shafts. A number of different parts of the plant can be used for treating colds and coughs.

8. Shepherd’s Tree Boscia albitrunca
This is one of the most distinctive semi-desert trees who’s shape is a bi-product of incessant Kudu browsing. The roots can be roasted and used as a substitute for coffee or pounded when fresh to make beer. The seeds and leaves are heavily browsed by game.

9. Black Thorn Acacia mellifera
This very thorny acacia has pairs of horned black thorns. Local superstition has it that the tree attracts lightning. The sap is combined with Euphorbia latex to make arrow poison., while twigs can be used as tooth brushes.

10. Wild Olive Olea europea and Sand Olive Dodonaea angustifolia
The wood of the Wild Olive is very decorative and is used in making ornaments. Leaves can also be used to lower blood pressure. The Sand Olive also has a variety of medicinal uses ranging from treatments for tuberculosis to skin rashes. Look out for klipspringer antelopes in the rocky koppies of this area.

11. Baines’ Cyphostemma Cyphostemma bainessi
This curious looking succulent tree resembles a very small baobab tree, with thick swollen stems arising from a large tuber like rootstock. The bark is papery and can be peeled off in pieces and was used by the San to carry honeycomb. The tree is endemic to Namibia and is protected. Usually found in rocky areas, Cyphostemma normally flowers from November to January. The table shaped Gamsberg mountain is visible to the north in the distance.

12. Common Wild Currant Rhus pyroides
The fruit is edible with a pleasant sweet acidic taste and is best eaten when orange/red in colour.

13. Sweet Thorn Acacia karoo
The most common Acacia in the reserve and the only Acacia to grow into towering trees. Produces edible gum (look at the stem of the tree) that has been used commercially as glue and to treat mouth ulcers. Early Cape settlers made tea from chopped bark.

14. Velvet Raisin Bush Grewia flava
The stems of this South African endemic are strong and elastic and are used to make bows, arrows and traps. The fruit are edible and can be stored or used to make beer. The tree is heavily browsed by wild animals and is a larval food plant for butterflies.

15. Milkbush Euphorbia sp.
The milky sap of this plant is poisonous, although Steenbok and Klipspringer will browse it. Porcupine are also very fond of the roots and dig up this plant in order to reach them.

16. Baster Willow Rhus lancea
Branchlets of this species were once used to make bows. The fruit can also be soaked in milk and then used to make beer. Widely cultivated as an ornamental species and is drought and frost resistant.

17. Carrion Flower Stapelia sp.
This leafless succulent forms mats of creeping stems and has a bright purple star shaped flower that smells of rotten meat. The flowers smell of rotten meat and are pollinated by carrion flies that are deceived into thinking that they have discovered a suitable carcass on which to lay their eggs.

Walk Highlights: This is a relatively easy walk in a general westerly direction ending with a short but steep climb up a hill on the escarpment that provides a stunning panoramic view across the northern part of the Namib Naukluft National Park and the Gamsberg. Despite the short distance and initial impression of open plains, there are many sites of floral and faunal interest to be discovered en route that provide an insight into the lives and adaptations of the indigenous plants and animals of this unique part of Namibia.

Large mammals to look out for: Hartman’s Zebra, Springbok, Kudu, Gemsbok, Klipspringer, Black-backed Jackal, Bat-eared Fox, Warthog, Crested Porcupine and Rock Dassie.

POINTS OF INTEREST
1 Aardvark burrows. This unique and unmistakable mammal is a great digger and can dig one metre of tunnel at this diameter in less than 5 minutes! These earthworks represent the burrow system of one animal (aardvark are solitary for most of their lives), and there are other burrow systems in the area that are also used by the same animal at different times. Presently, this burrow is being used by crested porcupine- look out for their quills. The aardvark eats only ants and termites and is an uncommon resident of the reserve.

2 Acacia karoo. This is the most common acacia in the area. The clear gum on the main stem can be used both as glue and to treat mouth ulcers, while early Cape settlers used the bark as a substitute for tea. Both the gum and leaves are browsed by game, especially baboons.

3 Aardwolf midden. Although resembling a small hyaena, the rare aardwolf has small teeth and eats only harvester termites. It can eat as many as 300,000 termites on each of its nocturnal hunting trips! This midden is a territorial marker and an aarwolf can deposit up to 10% of its body weight in faeces every time it visits this site.

4 Zizyphus mucronata and Euphorbia spp. A combination of sap from the Ziziphus mucronata (Buffalo-thorn) and the slender green euphorbia at its base provides a potent poison suitable for treating an arrowhead. The roots of the buffalo thorn can also be used to make an antidote for the bite of a spitting snake such as a Cobra.

5 Boscia albitrunca. The common name of this tree is Shepherd’s thorn and it is obvious that there is good shade for both people and animals under the twisted white branches of this distinctive tree. The continued browsing action of kudu has pruned this tree into its present shape- look down for signs of the kudu’s past presence.

6 Sociable weaver nest. There are at least 40 individual nests in this sociable weaver commune. Other birds such as the Red-headed Finch may also take up residence. Snakes and raptors such as the Pygmy Falcon and Pale Chanting Goshawk predate the weavers and can cause the nest to be abandoned. On one side of the tree are the fallen remains of an old nest that got too heavy for the branch that was supporting it- a common disastrous fate for most sociable weaver nests. If you find the nests empty, the occupants are out together on a foraging trip in the surrounding veld.

7 Termite mound. In contrast to termites further north in Namibia at lower altitudes and elevations, the termites of this region need to conserve heat and therefore build low lying, un-ventilated mounds. Many mounds also bear the scars of aardvark feeding, although termites can usually repair this damage.

8 Cataphractes alexandri. Arrow shafts for the poison mixture that you prepared at point 4 are made from the straight, flexible and strong stems of these pale leaved shrubs.

9 Cyphostemma bainesii. The common name of this distinctive tuber-like plant that is found in semi-desert areas is the Butterwood tree. The tuber and leaves contain axalic acid and are inedible, while baboons eat the ripe red berry-like fruits. The tree is stunted in growth as a result of harsh climatic variations of this semi-arid area, while it can grow to 7 metres high under more favourable conditions.

10 Aloe littoralis. Aloes are famed for their medicinal properties, particularly in treating skin ailments, particularly Aloe vera of South Africa that is exploited commercially. This aloe grows to 3 metres high elsewhere on the reserve and is widely found throughout Namibia.

11 Klipspringer midden and view point. This hill is part of the territory of a family of klipspringer antelope- a pair bonded male and female and their sub-adult youngster. You may have heard the distinctive warning snort of these robust and sure-footed antelope as you climbed up. The midden here is a territorial marker and will normally be visited each day by the group. Sit quietly and enjoy the desert panorama and you may also be rewarded by a glimpse of the klipspringer.

Map of self-guided walks in the Namib-Spreetshoogte Reserve