#1024 'Sossusvlei

The Naukluft Lodge is located about 60 kilometers from the gate to the Sossusvlei Valley. Our guide, Werner, took us into his care at 6:00 a.m. He was a typical ranger: lean, dark-skinned, very kind—and an experienced guide. Finally, not having to driv"&"e was a relief. Werner, who knows the area well, told us a lot—and we had a thousand questions for him as we drove through the cool Namibian night. Here and there along the roadside, there were lights from the widely scattered farms of the Naukluft. It's "&"amazing how people can earn their living here.

The sun slowly climbed the sky—and burst a dark yellow over the Naukluft Mountains. Our jeep rattled through the Naukluft plateau. The gravel road was packed with bumps and formed countless small bumps"&" that rhythmically battered the jeep's suspension. A paradox in itself – the more vehicles use the road, the more stagnant waves disrupt the journey. At times, it's impossible to avoid the waves, and the vehicle rattles and groans like I've never experien"&"ced before.

Arriving at the gate to Sossusvlei National Park, we paid the fee and drove into the park – once again over sandy and gravel roads. We passed numerous mountains, which now increasingly alternated with dunes. After all, we were actually "&"heading straight for the Namib. It was actually coming towards us – not us towards it. After all, every few years it devours the next hill – driven by wind and storms. Each dune has a number as its designation.

After another 20 kilometers or so pas"&"t fascinating landscapes, sometimes accompanied by springboks and oryxes, and occasionally by a large herd of zebras, we came close to a large pool of water. This turned out to be a shallow lake – a giant puddle – but impenetrable and only accessible by t"&"he edge. Werner parked the Toyota Jeep at its edge. According to Werner, we could choose either to climb all the way up Big Daddy, the highest dune in the world – or turn back before reaching it. He would see us clearly from the camp near the Jeep. At the"&" foot of Big Mama, opposite Big Daddy, behind the giant puddle.

We chose the tough option and trudged uphill for an hour or so – through mercilessly deep desert sand. At 9 a.m., it wasn't blazing hot yet, but rather lukewarm. Gekkos accompanied us "&"– their footprints were clearly visible. They flew across the sand, while I crawled. Luk was faster but waited patiently for the old man. Near the top, I had to take constant breaks. In the end, I only managed a maximum of 15 steps before the next break. "&"The sand was so deep, there was always the chance of tipping over to the left and right. Once at the top, we could see the incredible scenery of the Namib for miles in all directions. To the right was the giant puddle, directly below us was the petrified "&"forest, to the left and behind us was endless sand, shaped by the wind into beautiful troughs. We cheered when we reached the top and celebrated ourselves like heroes.

The return journey passed the 2,000-year-old petrified forest, whose rainwater h"&"ad been blocked by the advancing dune sand. The giant puddle was the next valley, formed by rain in the Naukluft Mountains, waiting to be silted up by the desert. Thus, the Sossusvlei Valley moves a few centimeters eastward every year, devouring life that"&" springs up elsewhere.

Original 30 x 10 cm

Frame: Nimes III stained antique black, approx. 90 mm
Ash gray-black, perfectly historically patinated, matte.
Ibis x1060-862

Outer frame size: 58 x 40 cm
Glass/mount size: 42 x 24 c"&"m

Mount 3375 soft white smooth, museum quality, 3 mm, acid-free