With Gibson through the sand

Swakopmund, 4th of April - Back in Swakopmund we prepare for our fat bike tour in the desert. A bike shop with a coffee bar. The owner shows us the bikes, German Silverbacks. No grease on the chain, the sand has done its work. In a group of about ten we start, Belgians, Germans and a lost Dutch guy. Gibson, with the physique of an Ethiopian distance runner, takes the lead and discretely inspects the agility of the riders. After a couple of minutes pedalling through Swakopmund, we shoot into the desert. Uphill, downhill, crossing the dry Swakop river. My heart beats fast, the fonkelwijn does its job. Gibson has no compass but seems to know where he is going. I am happy when we see the Atlantic from time to time. The sun gets a bit nasty, and all of a sudden Jérôme joins us out of nowhere. Did Gibson call him? Both let us do some easy slopes and then lead us to a ridge from where we can do a 45 degree downhill. Jeroen throws himself into the deep and reaches the bottom without harm, I eat sand and only succeed in the second attempt after Gibson taught me how to push myself off with one long pedal stroke. The Namib is the world's oldest desert, stretching more than 2,000 kilometres along the Atlantic coastline. This afternoon we get a taste of the vastness of it. We return to the Atlantic on a single track through scrubs. 

Sand and rubber (FDC)

Heads down (FDC)

On the ridge (FDC)


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