4000 tourists expected to throng Fish River Canyon as hiking season draws near
More than 4000 tourists are set to descend into the Fish River Canyon as the hiking season commences from 1 May 1 to 15 September, a statement released this week stated.
In preparation for the season, Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism will embark on a route marking and route inspection exercise in the Fish River Canyon from 12 to 17 April in anticipation of the start of the famous Fish River Canyon hike, NWR spokesperson, Nelson Ashipala said.
According to Ashipala, the hiking list is already full and the joint exercise by the two marks the beginning of the Fish River hiking season that will see throngs of tourists undertake the 4 to 5 day guided or unguided hike into the canyon with a total hiking distance of about 86 kms.
“Route inspections in the canyon will make navigation easier for tourists and nature lovers as well as make sure that the canyon is fit for hiking. Since the rainy season came to an end, one was not able to determine the amount of water that has flown into the canyon. Inspections will allow NWR to advise tourists on the safest routes and the depth of the pools within the canyon,” he concluded.
The Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon worldwide after the Grand Canyon in the USA. The Canyon forms part of the state-run Ais-Ais Richtersveld Transfontier Park. The Fish River is 800 kms long and thus the longest river in Namibia.
