Tiras

Words and pictures by Steve Killick

THE TIRAS BERGE

CONSERVANCY SA4x4

Steve Killick explored an area of vast, dramatic landscapes where natural beauty and thought-provoking echoes of the past combined to whet his appetite for more.

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We arrived at the farmhouse at dusk and were escorted down to the campsite set in a grove of ancient sweeping kameeldoring trees, and presented with a bunch of firewood. “Look out for the kudu bulls at the water trough tomorrow morning!” said Jőrn as he headed off, leaving us all alone to our campfire and the silvered full moon landscape. Well, there were no kudu in the morning, but we decided to explore the farm a little further. A lowrange track up to the top of the mountain afforded a spectacular view back over the Tirasberg and a sighting of six very shy kudu cows. Jőrn had explained to us that the game was only now moving back into the area after many years of hunting had eliminated most of it, including the predators. Theyʼre farming karakul sheep for their pelts at present, as this is more eco-friendly than traditional sheep farming. As the vegetation recovered, the game was returning, and Jőrn told us theyʼd even had a few leopard sightings and one cheetah sighting. The farm is also blessed with a profusion of Hoodia cactus, which was used by the San people to suppress hunger and thirst on long hunts. More recently the drug companies have discovered its properties, and itʼs currently being used in the quest for the ultimate diet pill. Fortunately these little plants are now protected by law and cannot be grown, except under licence. From Aubures we headed into the heart of the Tiras Berge to a farm called Koimasis, or “Meeting Place” in Nama. Apparently the area had

held spiritual significance for the San who once roamed these parts, and who would meet periodically at special sites for healing rituals and gatherings of the different family groups. Camped in amongst the red boulders at the foot of the giant granite dome glowing in the evening light, one could feel the same magic that has drawn people here for thousands of years. Nowadays Koimasis is a cattle and ostrich farm, as well as a well-established guest farm. Accommodation is in selfcatering chalets or campsites cleverly built into the boulder outcrops, so that each site is afforded remarkable privacy from which to enjoy the surroundings. We spent a lovely day walking on the mountain behind the campsite; a bizarre moonscape of boulders, kokerbome and nabome. From Koimasis itʼs a 20 km drive back to the D707, which skirts along the eastern edge of the dune fields through the Naukluftberg Nature Reserve up to Sossusvlei. The landscapes are breathtaking – deceased kameeldoring trees silhouetted against a shimmering landscape of multiple hues. I have to agree that this stretch of road is certainly worthy of its reputation of being the most scenic road in Namibia. It is, however, best travelled at dawn or dusk when the light is softer and Left caption Below caption

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fter five days of foot slogging down the Fish River Canyon, an icy Tafel lager had never tasted this good, nor had my body ever relished anything quite as much as this prolonged soak in the Ai-Ais springs. Aaaah! Beyond this moment we didnʼt have a plan. Well, nothing beyond venturing north to Sossusvlei with ten days in hand to explore the area in between. We said goodbye to our hiking companions, packed up the Hilux and headed to Keetmanshoop to provision for the next leg of the trip. “Welcome to the Tiras Berge Conservancy” said the pamphlet in the window of the gas station at Helmeringhausen, “The place to spend a few relaxing days away from everywhere”. I jotted the map down on the pamphlet, and so we headed west in search of the Tirasberg. This 125 000 hectare area on the edge of the Namib Desert is situated within the triangle of the Fish River Canyon, Sossusvlei and Lüderitz. It comprises a number of farms run by conservation-minded farmers whoʼve created facilities to welcome visitors to share these vast and beautiful landscapes in which they live. In the west, the red dunes rise above the shimmering white plains like a tidal wave extending all the way from the Atlantic coast. At its centre is the 2 000 m high Tirasberg, a vast granite mass rearing out of the scorched gravel plains. Our first stop was at the farm Aubures of Jőrn and Adrienne Miller.

red dunes rise above the shimmering white plains like a tidal wave caption

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the landscape more dramatic. Itʼs also the time when the game is active, and we passed several herds of gemsbok, springbok, kudu and zebra en route. Itʼs interesting that this game migrates freely (and is encouraged to do so) across farm boundaries, following the sporadic rainfall. This migration pattern is essential to the survival of the species that form this unique ecosystem in the oldest desert in the world. On our return south from Sossusvlei we visited the farm Gunsbewys belonging to Mrs Gertrude Gräbner, an eccentric old lady of the desert who welcomes everyone as if they were friends of the family. She is only too keen to share her passion for the desert with each and every guest. She offers guided dune walks that take you to the highest dune in the area in time to enjoy the sunrise with a cup of coffee from the thermos. On the way down, she points out all the intricacies of lives adapted to this environment, some of which are extremely uncommon and only to be found in her little corner of the Namib. We were fortunate

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enough to see one of them, the Dune Lark (Certhilauda erythrochlamys), which was admittedly a rather drab LBJ (Little Brown Job). A number of rare beetle species had apparently also drawn researchers from all over the world, and I could only marvel at her extensive collection pinned to a board in her house, each one carefully labelled with its Latin name. Guided dune drives are offered by her neighbour, a very skilled driver in these sandy conditions, from whom I certainly learned a few tricks. Just remember to pack a pump and a pressure gauge for re-inflating those tyres. Her rock-painting walk was the highlight of my visit. Although the paintings themselves are not of the highest quality Iʼve seen, I was blown away by the number of artefacts scattered around at each of the sites we visited: arrow tips, hand axes, grinding stones, ostrich shell beads, pottery shards and large flat rocks that had been smoothed by centuries of animal skins being stretched and rubbed across their surfaces. At one of the overhang shelters, Mrs Graebner related a story told by an old lady on a neighbouring farm who had been just a little girl when the area was first occupied by German settlers. Apparently, at that time a lone San man was still living up in the mountains and was tolerated by her family. A friend of her fatherʼs was injured in a hunting accident on the farm; his wound

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had turned septic and no treatment they could offer him was helping. With no apparent knowledge of the accident, this San man had appeared one morning at the homestead, offered a remedy which he applied to the patient, and disappeared back into the mountains. Within a few days the wound had healed and the patient was back on his feet. It was clear to me from all this evidence that the San people had lived and thrived in this seemingly hostile environment with knowledge that we have long since lost. I wondered, as we drove along the sandy track back to the homestead, what other secrets these people had known that have been lost to us for ever. Unfortunately, our time in the Tirasberg was coming to an end. We said our goodbyes and headed down the D707 south towards home, knowing that we would be back to explore the area further. The farms in the conservancy offer a wide variety of activities from guided 4x4

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dune and mountain tours, games drives, desert walks, bird walks, succulent walks and rock-painting

walks to rock climbing and horse riding – something for everyone in an altogether breathtaking setting.

CONTACTS Koiimasis Wulff & Anke Izko PO Box 14, Helmeringhausen Tel: +264-(0)6368-3052 www.koiimasis.com Exclusive camping ground. Self catering rock chalets. Horse riding and wild horses. Ostrich and parrot farming Landsberg Wilfred and Annelise Izko Tel. +264-(0)638-6522 4x4 Mountain drives Tiras Klaus-Peter & Anita Koch PO Box 30566, Windhoek Tel: 264-(0)638-6930

Camping, Nature drives, Succulent walks (Lithops) Gunsbewys PO Box 30566, Windhoek Mrs. Gertrude Graebner Tel +264-(0)638-6604 Camping and self catering chalet. Visitor’s centre 4x4 Dune and nature drives, Dune walks, Rock painting walks Aubures Jorn 7 Adrienne Miller Tel: +264 (0)6362 ask operator for 6502 [email protected] Camping, 4x4 trails and night drives, Nature walks