/Ai/Ais-Richtersveld April 2015

[Toko]

I love the camp setting, good braaing there.

The spiny thing might be a Monsonia crassicaulis, transferred to new genus.

[Bushveld Jock]

RP the room looks shady but believe it felt like 45 deg C. No energy to make it tidy. I could only remove my body from the pic.

Maybe it was Dewi that got lost in Botswana and instead of going east followed the river west.

[Bushveld Jock]

I love the camp setting, good braaing there.

The spiny thing might be a Monsonia crassicaulis, transferred to new genus.

Thanks. I've browsed around to get a name for the plant as it was not listed in the general guide. Too many species in the park that can be quite a challenge. I will post it of the FB and see what answers I can get.

[Bushveld Jock]

Toko,

I see both names can be used:

Scientific Name

Monsonia crassicaulis (Rehm) F.Albers


Higher Classification
Dicotyledons

Family
GERANIACEAE

Synonyms
Sarcocaulon crassicaule Rehm

Common Names
Boesmandoring (a), Boesmanskers (a), Candlebush (e), Grootkersbos (a), Noerap (a)

National Status


Status and Criteria

Least Concern


Assessment Date
2015/04/14

Assessor(s)
L. von Staden

Justification
Widespread, common and not in danger of extinction.

Distribution


Endemism
Not endemic to South Africa

Provincial distribution
Northern Cape, Western Cape

Range
Southern Namibia through Bushmanland and the western Great Karoo to the Tanqua Karoo and Little Karoo between Montagu and Oudtshoorn.

Habitat and Ecology


Major system
Terrestrial

Major habitats
Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo

Description
Rocky outcrops.

Population

[Bushveld Jock]

Day 5 Part 3: Gannakouriep Camp

Late in the afternoon we went for a quick drive passing Hakkiesdoring Hiking Camp and saw a jackal along the road that quickly ran away to the top and difficult to get a good shot of.



We carried on south to a road that will lead to Rosyntjieberg, but after a while we realized we were on the wrong road when the sun was on the left of us and the car's compass reading north. We carried on until we got a marker to get the right orientation and finding the road we were travelling on the map. At R19 we found that we were north of Gannakouriep instead of south and backtrack until we found the turn-off to the camp. One thing I've learned from this trip is that you can be very vulnerable when lost and need to have extra water in the car and good navigation equipment and map. We met up with no other cars during that day and just shows the importance of finding your way back and to be prepared as they say in the boy scouts.

Some interesting read when things go south in the Richtersveld:

http://www.roxannereid.co.za/blog/how-t ... chtersveld

Back at camp the clouds were becoming very dark and far off we could see that is was raining. What a relieve to a hot day in the Richtersveld.







Darkness setting in with jackals howling not too far away.



SO had to wake up early in the morning after the clouds moved off to take this pic of the starry sky above Gannakouriep

[nan]

me too I take pictures of the rooms "in action" = inhabited

love the sun over the hills with the black clouds
and all these lunar landscapes

[Pumbaa]

That landscape shots with the dark clouds in the background are for sure something very special, Jock Bushveld

[Flutterby]

Beautiful pics again. Nice sighting of the the jackal, and Dewi!

[Bushveld Jock]

Flutterby, Pumbaa, Lisbeth, RP, Toko and nan,

Thanks for all you comments on the last two episodes.

[Bushveld Jock]

Ready for the next episode