I was transported back to my late teens by an e-mail from a friend today. He sent me some photographs of Dune 7, near Walvis Bay in Namibia, and reminded me of the torture we both experienced on it.
Locals claim it's called 'Dune 7' because it's the seventh-highest system of sand dunes ever measured in the world. I haven't seen any evidence to prove that, but I can believe it. At well over 1,200 feet high, it's pretty darn big!
From the summit one can look out over the intervening sands to the town of Walvis Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance beyond. Turning around, one looks inland, into the wastes of the Namib Desert, one of the most desolate areas on Earth, and a harsh but fascinatingly beautiful place to visit.
We remember Dune 7, he and I, because during our military service, we (and countless other unfortunate souls) were made to run up it, wearing full battle kit! Have you ever tried running up over 1,200 feet in height, on a 45° slope made entirely of soft, deep sand, carrying not only your own body weight but upwards of 80 pounds of gear as well, and all the time with instructors screaming obscenities in your ear? It sheds a new and horrible light on the human condition! We never made it without having to stop several times to catch our breath. It's such a horrendous ordeal that I don't know anyone who ever made it to the top without at least one stop. This photograph of (very lightly-laden!) tourists climbing it gives you some idea of the difficulty, and the gradient.
I found this video clip on YouTube of some tourists climbing it. The heavy breathing is no exaggeration, believe me! Been there, done that, and got the T-shirt to prove it! The video shows the surrounding desert scenery very well, once the poor photographer gets to the top.
Of course, once on top and having recovered one's breath, the fun part starts - getting down again! Many people slip and slide their way down, step by step, but for the daredevil types, there are a few companies offering 'sandboarding' trips to Dune 7. A quad-wheeler will tow the tourists to the top, and they then set off down the slope on a sand-riding equivalent of a snowboard. Spills and crashes are frequent!
I'd like to see that 'sandboarder' try the descent wearing 80 pounds of military kit, in Army boots, with an assault rifle in his hands!
Ah, memories . . .
Peter
4 comments:
No doubt, said assault rifle would require thorough cleaning afterwards.
Oh, yes. Sand in everything!
The worst part of rifle-cleaning was, the instructors knew that there would inevitably be a grain or two of sand somewhere in the rifle. They would blow in during routine activities. You couldn't possibly stop them without encasing the rifle in a plastic bag. Result: when they wanted to mess with us, it was time for rifle inspection.
"Troop! Look at this! Your rifle's filthy! Sand everywhere!" (Points to a single grain of sand on the inside of the receiver cover.) "Drop and give me twenty!"
*Sigh*
Really cool pictures. I wouldn't want to be out there in that heat, gear or not.
Walvis Bay is also a tad windy. Just a tad.
Stranger
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