The Fish River is the longest interior river in Namibia. It cuts deep
into the plateau which is today dry, stony and sparsely covered with
hardy drought-resistant plants. The river flows intermittently, usually
flooding in late summer; the rest of the year it becomes a chain of long
narrow pools. At the lower end of the Fish River Canyon, the hot
springs resort of Ai-Ais is situated.
Public view points are near
Hobas, a camp site 70 km north of Ai-Ais. This part of the canyon is
part of the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. The other 90 km of
this canyon are privately owned.
Geo
Satellite image of the canyon
Upstream
the river runs through horizontal dolomite strata. These strata formed
part of the canyon about 650 million years ago when plate movement
cracked the earth, the first process in the formation of the Fish River
Canyon.
Lower down, a granite complex system is exposed to form a
characteristic river bed that results in forms like Fingerspitze. In
this area, a fault runs north-south, which accounts for the gorge-like
channel and the presence of hot sulphurous springs."Fish River Canyon
Hiking Trail"
The Fish River Canyon Hiking Trail
The Fish
River Canyon hiking trail is one of the more popular hiking trails in
Southern Africa. The immense scale and rugged terrain has drawn many
visitors from all over the world to experience what hiking or trail
running the canyon can offer.
Apart from the 2 kilometre descent west
of Hobas and some optional short cuts, the trail generally follows 88
kilometres of the Fish River through to Ai Ais and is usually completed
within 5 days. Although there are a number of footpaths through the
canyon, the trail is not fixed leaving the hiker to decide where and how
long to hike.
There are no amenities on the trail and hikers have to carry all their needs with them. Open fires are not allowed on the
