Winding walls
Golden rock.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0
A narrow gorge cut by the Tsauchab River through layers of gravel and sedimentary rock over millions of years, running about a kilometre and up to thirty metres deep, close to the Sesriem gate through which visitors enter for Sossusvlei. Its name means six belts, as early settlers needed six leather straps tied together to lower buckets to the water at the bottom. Small pools still linger in parts of it after rain. A short stairway leads down to the canyon floor, where you walk between winding walls of conglomerate rock in browns and golds, narrowing at times to a few metres and hollowed by water into strange shapes. The shade on the floor makes it a refuge from the midday heat. The canyon is covered by the park fee; avoid it when rain falls in the highlands, as floods can rush through suddenly. Namib-Naukluft park entry is NAD 280 per foreign adult per day since April 2026, per visitor guides, plus a small vehicle fee.
Golden rock.
Out of the heat.
After rain.
About 4 km from the Sesriem gate, Namib-Naukluft park
Because settlers needed six leather belts tied together to lower buckets to the water at its bottom.