The Namib Desert is famous
for its giant dunes and there’s no better way to conquer these
towering beauties than to zoom down them head first on a traditional
Swakopmund sandboard, or carve up the dune with style and skill on
a snowboard adapted for sand.
The beauty about sandboarding is the sand is not abrasive, and as it’s
obviously not cold, you can board in shorts and t-shirts. The worst
that can happen is that you walk away covered in sand.
For the lie down option you’re supplied with a
large flat piece of waxed hardboard, safety hat, elbow guards and
gloves before heading off to climb a dune. The idea is to lie on the
board, push off from the top and speed head first down the sandy surface.
Speeds easily reach 80 km per hour and some of the dunes are very
steep though first you’ll do a few training rides on the lower
dunes. No experience is necessary; it’s exhilarating and lots
of fun.
Stand up boarding requires more skill. It is exactly
the same as snowboarding, but on sand, using standard snowboarding
equipment to surf your way down the dunes. If you’ve got snowboarding
experience then this is an opportunity to try out those turns, free-style
jumps and big spray curves.
All trips include lunch and a few drinks. Sand boarding is a must for the determined adventurer, and it’s also an environmentally
friendly activity. The dunes are constantly shifting and can move
ten metres in a week; sand board tracks soon disappear.
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