I can’t believe it took me this long to hike Fish River Canyon says Blake Dyason.
I’ve hiked all over South Africa, guided countless trails and spent plenty of time exploring Namibia. Yet somehow, one of Africa’s greatest hikes always seemed to slip through the cracks. Every year I’d think, next year. Then something else would come along.
At the beginning of 2026 my friend Julz invited me to join a group heading to Fish River Canyon.
I didn’t hesitate.
The best part? I wasn’t going as a guide. I was simply another hiker.
No route planning. No making decisions for everyone else. No constantly thinking about logistics or safety plans. Just five days of walking, laughing and soaking it all in.
It was exactly what I needed.
Meet the Team
One of the things that makes a multi-day hike unforgettable isn’t just the scenery—it’s the people you share it with.
Lee & Alix were the husband-and-wife dream team who organised absolutely everything. Permits, accommodation, transport…they somehow made all the complicated bits look easy. Alix brought endless enthusiasm and excitement to every day, while Lee was the calm, dependable backbone of the group. As the hike went on, though, we all noticed an interesting trend. Lee’s backpack seemed to get bigger every morning while Alix’s somehow got smaller. In her defence, her backpack was literally falling apart and couldn’t carry the weight anymore. Whether it was brilliant strategy or just terrible luck…we’re still undecided.
Then there were the twins, Ash and Claire. They genuinely come as a package deal. They finish each other’s sentences, laugh together, encourage everyone around them and somehow always have energy to spare. They were the unofficial entertainment committee.
Helen quietly became everyone’s favourite person. Even though she was clearly fighting off what we were convinced was swine flu—or at least some mystery virus—she never complained once. Instead, she spent time chatting to every single person in the group, making everyone feel seen and included.
Kylie joined us at the last minute and brought so much joy to the trip. Quiet by nature, unintentionally hilarious and somehow able to cross almost every river without getting her feet wet. The rest of us accepted wet shoes as part of the experience. Kylie treated it like an Olympic sport.
Ridge was probably the fittest person in the group, fresh in the middle of training for another ultra-distance trail race. Nothing seemed to faze him. One of my favourite parts of the trip was watching this incredibly talented trail runner discover just how rewarding multi-day hiking can be.
Julz was the glue. Stubborn enough to never accept help herself, but always the first person helping everyone else. She also happens to be an incredibly talented photographer, and many of the moments you’ll see in these photos exist because she quietly wandered off to find the perfect light while the rest of us stood around chatting.
And then there was me.
For once, I wasn’t leading the adventure. I was simply part of it.
Im not sure how much value I brought except for the litre of wine I brought for every night of the hike as a surprise for the group.
Finally Standing at the Edge
Fish River Canyon is about 1,100 kilometres from Cape Town, so we split the drive over two days, spending a night along the Orange River before making our way to Ai-Ais.
Like every hiking trip, the excitement was mixed with a little anxiety.
“Did I pack everything?”
“Why does my backpack feel so heavy?”
“What have I forgotten?”
Those pre-hike nerves are strangely comforting. They remind you that you’re about to leave normal life behind for a few days.
After leaving our vehicles at Ai-Ais and catching the shuttle to the trailhead, we finally stood on the edge of the canyon.
Nothing prepares you for that first view.
Photographs don’t capture the scale. The canyon simply keeps unfolding beneath you until it disappears into the distance.
It feels endless.
The descent into the canyon is steep and slow, especially with a heavy backpack. Every few minutes someone stopped to take another photograph or simply stand quietly and stare.
Eventually we reached the river.
After recent years of drought, recent rains had completely transformed the canyon. Water flowed the entire way.
We knew immediately how lucky we were.
Finding Our Rhythm
The first two days were harder than any of us expected.
The soft sand seemed determined to fill every shoe, despite gaiters. Boulder hopping slowed our pace. River crossings became part of everyday life.
But somewhere during those first two days something shifted.
We stopped worrying about kilometres.
Instead, we started noticing everything else.
The flowers blooming beside the river.
The endless colours painted across the canyon walls.
Fish Eagles calling overhead.
Leopard spoor in the sand.
Otter tracks weaving along the riverbank.
Sunsets that made everyone reach for their cameras.
Every evening we’d find a campsite beside the river, wash away the dust, cook dinner and sit around talking long after the food was finished.
The wine helped too.
By the second night, nine individuals, had become one group.
The Simple Moments
Some of my favourite memories weren’t the big moments.
They were the small ones.
Listening to Ridge share how he calmly escort a scorpion out of his tent.
Listening to Ash and Claire invent an experimental Hungry Hiker recipe by mixing two meals together before simultaneously deciding it wasn’t their best idea.
Watching Kylie somehow dance across another river crossing without getting her shoes wet.
Stopping for coffee beside the river after accidentally promising everyone shade that turned out to be another hour away. Lee and I had slightly misread the map. Thankfully we eventually found the perfect granite slab beside the water, and what felt like a mistake became one of everyone’s favourite lunch stops.
Every evening we’d sit together and play a simple game.
Everyone shared their high, their low and one embarrassing moment from the day.
The only rule?
You couldn’t copy someone else’s answer.
It became one of my favourite traditions.
A Different Perspective
One of the highlights of the hike came on the famous shortcuts.
At first, I wasn’t convinced.
I worried we’d miss some of the canyon by leaving the river.
Instead, they became some of my favourite sections.
Climbing above the canyon gave us completely different perspectives. The landscape changed. The vegetation changed. Even the colours under our feet changed.
It felt like walking through several different countries in a single afternoon.
The Reminder
Not every memory was a good one.
One evening we arrived at what should have been a beautiful campsite.
Instead, we found toilet paper, human waste, litter and far too many fire scars.
It was genuinely heartbreaking.
This is one of Africa’s great wilderness experiences.
It deserves so much better.
Thankfully we walked a little further and found another quiet campsite where we could enjoy one final evening beneath the stars.
If there’s one thing I hope every person takes into Fish River Canyon, it’s a commitment to leave it better than they found it.
A Perfect Finish
Our final morning greeted us with something I’ll never forget.
As we packed our bags, light rain drifted across the distant plains.
Then, stretching across the canyon, a perfect rainbow appeared.
It honestly felt like nature had built a finish line for us.
There was no rush after that.
We stopped for one last swim.
One last coffee beside the river.
One last opportunity to simply enjoy each other’s company before civilisation returned.
We reached Ai-Ais just after lunch, kicked off our shoes and celebrated with an ice-cold beer.
Looking back, I don’t think what made this trip so special was just the canyon.
It was the people.
The laughter.
The conversations.
The unexpected moments.
And the reminder that sometimes the best adventures happen when you stop trying to lead them and simply become part of them.
Only two weeks after our hike, heavy rain forced the canyon to close again and almost a hundred hikers had to be rescued. Just a few years earlier, there had been no water flowing through the canyon at all.
We had experienced Fish River Canyon in almost perfect conditions.
Sometimes adventure is about planning well.
Sometimes it’s simply about being grateful for the luck you get.
A Few Tips If You’re Planning Fish River Canyon
- Start hiking as early as possible on Day One. The first two days are slower than you think.
- Prioritise sunrise and sunset. The changing colours on the canyon walls are unforgettable.
- Carry a reliable way to treat your water.
- Take a Slingsby Map and download offline maps before you leave. I personally love the details on the Slingsby Maps and Maps.Me is an easy to use and accurate offline map I would recommend for this hike.
- Binoculars are well worth the weight for birds, wildlife and distant views.
- Take cash for Purple Palace and the park permits.
- Pack an extra groundsheet for camp—it keeps the sand out of everything, especially if you want to sit together and eat.
- Most importantly, leave no trace. The Fish River Canyon is beautiful. Let’s keep it that way for the next hikers.
Some adventures live up to the hype.
Fish River Canyon exceeded every expectation I had.
All the photos in the blog were captured by talented photographer Juliette Bisset