Useful contacts
- Community Conservancy administrative office
The administrative office for the Richtersveld Community Conservancy can arrange hiking, 4x4 driving, cycling and accommodation, as well as advise on the best route to take depending on your specific interests.
- Eksteenfontein Information Centre
The information centre takes bookings for Rooiberg, Kom Rus 'n Bietjie and the Community Conservancy. Can arrange a range of activities from hiking to cultural tours.
- Rooiberg Guesthouse
Once a remote research station, Rooiberg offers self-catering accommodation 15km from Eksteenfontein at the foot of Rooiberg mountain. Meals on request
- Conservancy - Camping
Three remote campsites - in Kannikaip, Sun Valley, Tierhoek. Accessible by 4x4 only.
Richtersveld Community Conservancy
What better way to explore and uncover the secrets of a remote area than being guided by the local people? Situated in the mountains south of the giant bend of the Lower Orange River, the Richtersveld Community Conservancy is owned and managed by the local people. Home to semi-nomadic sheep and goat herders, this remote and dramatic desert landscape has over the years welcomed only the bravest explorers and the most curious researchers.
Unique flora, nowhere else to be found
In the rugged landscape of the Conservancy, all three biomes of the Richtersveld are represented: Desert, Succulent Karoo and even a small patch of Fynbos in the Stinkfonteinberge. The succulents of the Richtersveld are undoubtedly one of its major features warranting a visit. This area falls within the !Gariep Centre, one of the five centres of endemism of the Succulent Karoo biome. More than 350 plant species are endemic. The Succulent Karoo biodiversity hotspot is one of Earth’s 34 richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life. It has more than 5,000 plant species, 40% of which are endemic. In the Conservancy alone, there are 33 plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Being a biodiversity hotspot means that it has rich biodiversity but also that it is threatened with destruction. 18% of the Succulent Karoo plant species are threatened due to overgrazing, mining and illegal harvesting of plants. The absence of mining activities in the Conservancy makes it a unique area in the Richtersveld to preserve the local flora and fauna. The Conservancy is especially important for the conservation of one of the world’s most endangered plants, the Baster Quiver Tree.
Trails to rocks, plants and legends
Hiking, 4x4 driving, camping and cultural experiences are on offer in more than 160 000 ha of dramatic landscapes. Within the Conservancy is Cornellsberg, the highest point in the Richtersveld (1 377m). Cornellskop is the home of the legendary giant snake and of virtually all known specimens of the endangered Baster Quiver Tree.
Activities
Hiking, 4x4 driving, and cycling: Unique routes to watch birds, rare succulents and the rugged landscape of the Richtersveld. There is access to the Orange River near Modderdrift and to demarcated camping areas on the banks of the river, next to mining ruins, or next to a cave.
Cultural experiences: Rock engravings or petroglyphs, traditional Nama huts (matjieshuise) and Nama stock posts, as well as a myriad of legends to tell.
See more: online video clip
Look here to see a 2 minute video clip of the Richtersveld Conservancy.