Dune 45

Dune 45 is a star. It glistens in the Namib son — bright orange — sand saturated with rust and pulverized garnets.

Climbers atop Dune 45 in Namibia. In the lower left, a tree casts a shadow. — Dune 45

It is so well known that my camera recorded the location simply as “Dune 45.” Located at the 45th kilometer mark on the road connecting Sesreim and Sossusvlei, it’s a popular site for climbers in the morning before the sand becomes too hot.

Eight climbers climb Dune 45 in bright sun. — Climbers battle sun and hot sand to climb Dune 45.

It is also a star in shape, formed by winds from three directions. It grows highest at its center — 80 or 170 meters, depending on who you ask — and from there three arms spiral out. Sand blows in from the coast, the Kalahari Desert, and the Orange River. Geologists estimate that it’s 5 million years old.

Climbers approach the center of the top of the ridge.

By day people leave footprints on its spine and sides, climbing to its top, smiling for selfies, and then trudging (or sandsurfing!) back down. They pour the remains of metal and precious stones out of their shoes, drink water, and rest in whatever shade they can find. Then they leave the dune to the insects, snakes, birds, and wind.