Namibia is an acquired taste . Having spent a brief , forgettable time on the Angolan border in the 1980s , ridden a remote race down south in Mariental in the 90s , and done two overnight Desert Dashes in the early 2000s , my memories were dust-clouded by sandy desolation . I hadn ’ t felt the unique magic so often described by native Namibians – until my most recent trip to the coastal hamlet of Swakopmund , where I was MC for an African Cup event . I enjoyed a scenic three-hour drive down to the coastal desert lowlands from the grassy game reserves of the high eastern plateau around Windhoek – especially rewarding given my two previous trips by bike along this route were by night with very little scenery visible .
Riding a fatbike in the dunes stole my proudly African heart , and I was determined to find out more about the trails in this vast country that borders ours . It has a relatively tiny population of 2.5 million , yet so many top riders have emerged from its wilderness . Rio Olympian Dan Craven ( grandson of the rugby legend ), Wines2Whales winner and Commonwealth Games medallist Vera Looser , 36One record holder Drikus Coetzee and , most recently , fast-rising star Alex Miller are examples of big engines with humble heads who hail from Namiba .
If I could only go back to one place in the country , I ’ d choose the coastal dunes around Swakopmund , but as we discovered when we reached out to locals , there are plenty of other special places to explore on two wheels . Given the vast distances , we ’ d suggest you choose a region and explore all it has two offer . Many farms are opening up trails to the general public , and Windhoek has a world-class track on its doorstep . – Paul Ingpen
PHOTOGRAPH WILHELM LILGE