Day 5: Richtersveld

We set an alarm for the first time and managed to pack up and leave an hour earlier. We also ate cereal for the first time as the rusks supply was getting low.

We decided to first finish the Sun Valley circle route. We came accross another campsite, Bastersfontein, with wooden houses.  They were very dilapidated with broken or missing windows and doors. It looks like it hasn’t been used for years. If anyone knows what the official word is about the Richtersveld World Heritage site and whether we were actually allowed to camp in it, please comment below. From there we followed the GPS to Eksteensfontein on the route that it suggested yesterday. To our surprise we reached Eksteensfontein without passing any gates or anything, so it seems like one can enter this way as well. Again I would like to express my gratitude for buying Tracks4Africa, we heard a lot of bad things from people, but I don’t see how any other GPS/Mapping solution would have gotten us through the West Coast or the Richtersveld.

Somewhere along the Sun Valley circle route

The dilapidated Bastersfontein campsite

From Eksteensfontein we followed a few wide and corrugated gravel roads to the Richtersveld National Park Gate. We were planning on crossing at Sendelingsdrif today. To our dismay we were informed that the pont were closed. We had two options. Drive to Oranjemund or camp inside the park at hope it opens the next day.

We opted for the latter. It turned out quite expensive for the Swiss as they had to pay a conservation fee of R74 (SA price) on top of the ±R100 p.p camping (R225 for 2 people + R82 per extra person). We camped at the Potjiespram Camp Site, which they admitted themselves are not the best site. In the end our stay was rather enjoyable and even included a short float on the orange river.

The Swiss made food again: Corned Meat with tomato, carrot and butternut that was cooked on the fire in foil. We finished eating before sunset and played card games again until 21:00.