Fire hazard

In Namibia it is dust dry again. Nice for gliding, that gives strong, high-reaching thermals. Just not for the country. The vegetation is extremely flammable. And there are always bushfires.

The drought is hard to imagine, as it rained so much in January. Suddenly everything was green. Sinks and pans overflowed. The grass shot up. And that is now the problem, it is now everywhere as hay on the stalk. When there is a thunderstorm, lightning sets it on fire. Driving cars off the beaten track is forbidden. Hot catalysts can easily ignite the dried out stalks.
Areas around Bitterwasser and the neighboring village of Hochanas have also been colored black. Luck for Bitterwasser, the fire around the mast of the directional antenna near Hochanas spared the mast itself. If it had been flared, there would be no telephone and no internet in the lodge.

Go back

What a start to the season!

The early birds did it. Elmar Fischer and Reinhard Schramme struck in the first few days. Here is Elmar's report:

Loading of gliders in 2025

On the weekends of September 6/7, 2025, and September 13/14, 2025, 30 gliders were loaded into seven containers to begin the long journey to Bitterwasser, Namibia.

All gliders are very well booked. There are still a few slots available at the beginning of November. If you are interested, please contact  hog@bitterwasser.com.