Around Sandwich Harbor

I have had a lot of locals recommend the trek into Sandwich Harbor, South of Walvis Bay. This is the famous part of the Skeleton Coast where the enormous sand dunes drop directly into the crashing ocean, one of the few places on earth where that happens.

We stop in town to grab a permit and head off in the early afternoon, not really knowing what to expect. South of town when the road ends I air down to 12psi and attack the dunes in low range 4×4. Following other people’s tracks the Jeep does great, though on a couple of the steeper ones the weight is against me whenever I venture out on my own. Even with both lockers, I just dig trenches and don’t climb.

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Tracks to the dunes

After a lot of searching and struggling to find the right tracks, we navigate a huge section of smaller dunes in from the ocean. It’s great to explore and feel as if we’re all alone out here – in fact we don’t see another vehicle for hours and hours.

Finally we burst out onto the coast and make a snap decision. Because it’s late in the day we don’t have time to venture into the monster dunes and all the way into actual Sandwich Harbor, so we follow the coast, picking our way among smaller dunes, eventually reaching the point where the massive dunes dump right into the crashing waves.

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Massive dunes drop straight into the ocean

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On the dunes

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View back from on the dunes

It’s a truly spectacular sight.

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Patterns on the beach

Knowing the tide is on the way out I push my luck and drive right down on the wet sand, between the massive dunes and the crashing waves. It feels extremely committing, and when I reach the very end I’m happy to turn around and come right back out!

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Hopefully the tide is going out….

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Tracks between the dunes and the ocean

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Making tracks with the KO2s

This is a place I won’t soon forget.

-Dan

5 Responses

  1. Leo Navarathne says:

    Hi Dan,

    I thoroughly enjoy reading your adventures.
    Something I want to share though, we too go to desert & dunes here in the UAE in our jeeps. But we never engage low range. Dunes are always tackled on hi 4×4 as momentum is the trick. Low range & lockers are used only in recovery situations, just to get ourselves out if bogged.
    Wish you success with future dunes.
    Best, Leo

    • Dan Grec says:

      Hi Leo,

      Thanks for the info and advice. I certainly don’t have a lot of experience and I experimented with a few different things. I was trying to keep the momentum going, though I’m a bit of a chicken because I really, really don’t want to roll the Jeep!
      I will have to keep practicing!

      -Dan

  1. January 27, 2018

    […] I push the Jeep hard in the big dunes to get to the Sandwhich Harbor area of the Skeleton Coast! http://theroadchoseme.com/around-sandwich-harbor More: http://theroadchoseme.com/around-sandwich-harbor With the KO2s down to 10psi the Jeep did […]

  2. January 27, 2018

    […] the Jeep hard in the big dunes to get to the Sandwhich Harbor area of the Skeleton Coast! More:Around Sandwich Harbor | The Road Chose Me With the KO2s down to 10psi the Jeep did great on the dunes. With all the weight there were plenty […]

  3. February 5, 2018

    […] I'm going to try and tag on the back of a tour when I loop around back there in a month or three. Around Sandwich Harbor | The Road Chose Me […]

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