Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail

Trekking through one of Namibia’s most remote & untouched landscapes on foot!

My wife, Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
One of Namibia’s most remote and untouched
landscapes on foot, Namibia, 2024.

We are trekking through , looking out over never-ending vistas of ancient rock formations, and sleeping under a blanket of starts trekking in one of Namibia’s most remote and untouched landscapes on foot! 

This is a remote wilderness covering 50,000 hectares of authentic nature. There are no fences or wildlife management, and the animals are free to move in and out of the area depending on the time of year, their movements driven by food and water.

Camp 1, view from bed at night!
Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
Namibia, 2024.

First day

On the first day, we were picked up at Palmwag Lodge at 4 p.m. We are very excited and perhaps a bit nervous. We drive about 20 minutes to the starting point, where we are to hike approximately 25 kilometers into the Etendeka Mountains. 

'The open Land Rover drive ove off the small trail onto a dry riverbed where we set out. My wife, our friends from Denmark, and I are ready for the adventure! For our friends, this is their first time on the Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail, whereas my wife and I explored the trail in 2019, at that time with our two adult children (link). 

Our guide Edwin briefs us on the trip,
Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
Namibia, 2024.

Our guide Edwin briefs us on the trip. First, we have a short 3-4 kilometer hike along the dry riverbed to River Camp. The next day, we have to walk approximately 14 kilometers up to Mountain Camp, near the top of Crystal Mountain. This journey will take us through the deserted Etendeka plains and mountains, an area with "cats" (we were prepared), hyenas, and black rhinos. Usually, the animals are very shy. 

Walk along dry riverbed

After a lovely walk along the dry riverbed and over a small hill, we reach River Camp, which lies on the banks of another dry riverbed. In this camp, there are sleeping platforms where you can sleep relatively safely under the open sky. Our platforms lie a little apart on one side of the common area, while the other are on the other side. There is no significant difference no matter which platform you get. On each platform, there is two camp beds with bedrolls. The bedrolls consists of waterproof bivouac coverings (which proved very useful), duvets, pillows, and bed sheets. Everything is clean and ready for use when we arrive.

Our sleaping platform, Staff bring luggage,
Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
Namibia, 2024.

Our large luggage had been driven to the camp in advance. Pure luxury. In a bag at the end of the field bed, we find a thick blanket, and on a small table, there is a flashlight. Nearby the platform, a flush toilet (!) and a nice bucket shower next to the main area. The bucket shower is a bucket upside down with a showerhead. Surprisingly, there is solar-heated hot water that can be poured into the bucket. Everything has been tastefully built of rusty steel and gabions (steel mesh with stones in it), blending nicely into nature.

Gabions (steel mesh with stones),
blending nicely into nature.
Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
Namibia, 2024.

At sunset, our guide and his two helpers had lit bonfires and prepared our dinner. How nice to sit by the fire, enjoy G&T while darkness creaps in, and listen to the crackle of the bonfire and the sounds of the night.

At night, my wife and I lay on the platform, talking about the moon and the stars. I saw a shooting star one minute after laying down? And the most spectacular milkey way (see photo above). What a completely enchanting evening and night. It reminded me of a specific night on my son's and my trip to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which you can read more about in Danish here (link).

Giraffe skeleton,
Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
Namibia, 2014.

Elephant track on our track!!
Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
Namibia, 2024.

The next day, we embark on the long, beautiful hike through the Etendeka Mountains to the top of Crystal Mountain. We see many animal tracks and remains, which our guide carefully explains to us. We also see droppings from black rhinos and hyenas and from more "harmless animals." And we see springboks and Kudus. We pass "Lions Spring," a spring still flowing, and we cross hill ridges and plains.

Ascent to the edge of Crystal Mountain,
Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
Namibia, 2024.

The last part of the trip is the ascent to the edge of Crystal Mountain. Everywhere, there are crystals "spread around" on the ground by volcanic activity 130 million years ago. The crystals become more and morte colorful the closer we got to the top of Crystal Mountain.

Crystals everywhere,
Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
Namibia, 2024.

Mountain Camp is one of the most remote and peaceful places to stay. You sleep on platforms at the edge of a canyon with the most incredible view of the flat-topped mountains in the Etendeka Range. Meals are enjoyed around the campfire with an amazing view! We have a sundowner G&T on the edge of the mountain, watching six ridges between us and the setting sun! The next day, we hike about 10 km back to the main camp. Along the way, we spot black rhino droppings, lion, and cheetah tracks!! But thankfully, no cats ;-) You definitely keep a close eye behind you after that!!

Mountain Camp, Sleaping platform,
Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
Namibia, 2024.

Sundowner, Mountain Camp, Namibia, 2024.

Sundowner, Mountain Camp, Namibia, 2024.

Lion tracks on way back to Main,
Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
Namibia, 2024.

Conclusions, Crystal Mountain Camp is still one of the most incredible places we have ever stayed! Sleaping on platforms in God's own free nature with miles of mountain and plain views from the rim of Crystal Mountain. There was no disturbing light at all, only the incredible starry sky.