Klein Aus Vista Mountain Biking Trails

There is something extraordinarily special about the landscape around Klein-Aus Vista.
It is where streaks of Namib sand merge with the bleached grasses of the Pro-Namib in
a sensuous slow dance of splendour.

The lodge, nestled in the rocky Aus Mountains, is famed for its extensive and lovely vistas, best seen from one of the mountain bike or hiking trails, a viewpoint above the Klein-Aus Vista campsite or from the secluded Eagle’s Nest Chalets. Contributing to the scenery, the Wild Horses of the Namib remind us of untethered freedom and appeal to our soul to embrace the wonderful adventure of life in its entirety.

Desert Horse Inn is imbued with the energy of the horses, adding a spirited component to the warmth of the family-owned lodge. As the pastel landscape transforms into desert en route to Lüderitz and the coast, there is the abandoned diamond mining town of Kolmanskop to visit where disintegrating houses are a photographer’s playground, a desert town to discover and fascinating promontories to explore. For the more adventurous we recommend our Rustic Geisterschlucht Cabin.

Mountain Biking
Namibia stands for endless horizons, wilderness and beautiful natural settings. An excellent way to experience the stunning nature of Namibia is to go on a mountain bike ride through these wide and mountainous landscapes. We laid out different trails on our land which cater for intermediate to advance mountain bikers and guide you through the wild romantic scenery of the Aus Mountains in Gondwana Sperrgebiet Rand Park and the neighboring Farm Kubub. Our trails lead you through the impressive biodiversity, geology and historical sites of the area.

Landscapes
The landscape on the trails is characterized by granite gneiss outcrops, rugged valleys, meandering dry river courses and vegetation of the Succulent Karoo which is one of the most diverse desert biomes worldwide. The altitude varies from 1250m to close to 1700m.a.s.l. Cyclists will be able to spot klipspringers or the occasional kudu en-route, but the grand vistas over the Namib are by far the highlight.

Routes
There is a choice of different routes and laps varying from 18km to 60km. The trails mostly consist of narrow challenging single track paths as well as jeep tracks through the Aus Mountains. The single track routes also follow the hiking trails. Please be careful when approaching hikers on the trails. The Jeep tracks used to be historic transport routes and were built by the Schutztruppe during World War I. With the help of mules and oxen provisions and water were supplied to the entrenchments at the western foothills. The fortifications (ramparts and trenches) can still be seen today. All Routes are described below and listed with maps and full descriptions in the Routes Tab.

Bike Rental
- full suspension mountain bikes
- All bikes are fitted with a multi-tool kit, compressed CO2 cylinder with tyre inflator device
- Helmets are supplied at no charge
- Bikes have tubeless tyres filled with a tyre sealant, no spare tubes supplied
- Pre-bookings prefered
- Rates: N$ 400 for daily hire from 7am till 7pm
- Note that the park permit is not included in the rental rate
- Damages to bikes, including tyres, are for your account.

Orange Arrow Route
Colour Code: Orange Arrows
Distance: 18-45 km
Elevation Gain: 377-1000m
Duration: 1h30 to 4 hours
Grading: Intermediate to Advanced
Start: Desert Horse Inn Parking Area or Campsite

White Arrow Route
Colour Code: White Arrows
Distance: 18-60km
Elevation Gain: 377-1500m
Duration: 1h30 to 6 hours
Grading: Intermediate to Advanced
Start: Desert Horse Inn Parking Area or Campsite

Time Trial / Cross Country Route
Colour Code: Grey Arrows
Distance: 11.5 km
Elevation Gain: 377m
Duration: 40min to 1.15 hours
Grading: Intermediate to Advanced
Start: Desert Horse Inn Parking Area

Hiking
There are numerous ways to discover the Gondwana Sperrgebiet Rand Park and its adjacent lands. For nature-and adventure lovers, we offer various marked hiking trails which guide you through the wildly romantic scenery of the Aus Mountains to explore the flora and fauna of the Succulent Karoo desert. The trails cater for both beginners and experienced hikers and we have six different hiking trails to choose from. All trails are carefully marked with differently coloured arrows. At every starting point we located an Info Kiosk with detailed maps and information of all trails and specific parking spots, so that you can comfortably start from several locations, regardless of where you are staying at Klein-Aus Vista.

Schanzen Trail
Colour Code: Brown Arrows
Distance: 5.1 km
Duration: approximately 90 minutes
Grading: Easy to Intermediate
Start: Desert Horse Inn or Campsite Info Kiosk

Vista Trail
Colour Code: Red Arrows
Distance: 4.1 km
Duration: approximately 90 minutes
Grading: Easy to Intermediate
Start: Campsite Info Kiosk

Schutztruppe Trail
Colour Code: Yellow Arrows
Distance: 10.8 km
Duration: approximately 3 hours
Grading: Easy to Intermediate
Start: Campsite or Geisterschlucht Info Kiosk

Mountain Trail
Colour Code: Black Arrows
Distance: 6.4 km
Duration: approximately 2 hours
Grading: Intermediate to Advanced
Start: Eagles Nest or Geisterschlucht Info Kiosk

Geister Trail
Colour Code:Green Arrows
Distance: 12.7 km
Duration: approximately 4 hours
Grading: Intermediate to Advanced
Start: Geisterschlucht or Eagles Nest Info Kiosk

Eagle Trail
Colour Code: Blue Arrows
Distance: 17.7 km or 20.4 km
Duration: approximately 5 hours
Grading: Intermediate to Advanced
Start: Eagles Nest Info Kiosk