Vingerklip

Vingerklip is a pillar of limestone conglomerate standing about thirty-five metres high on a hill above the Ugab valley, all that is left of a plateau that erosion has otherwise removed. The terraces around it are flat-topped remnants of the same layer, so the whole valley reads as a landscape in the process of being taken apart. A viewpoint on a nearby hill, reached by a stepped path from the lodge, gives the standard photograph with the pillar against the terraces behind.

What you actually see

• The pillar - a thirty-five-metre limestone finger standing alone on a hill.
• The Ugab terraces - flat-topped remnants of the same eroded layer.
• The viewpoint - a stepped path up a neighbouring hill for the standard view.
• The valley - open Damaraland country running east and west.

When to go

March to October is the cooler window. Late afternoon light on the pillar is the best of the day. Summer heat is severe with no shade on the approach.

Honest expectations

There is nothing here beyond the rock and the view; the stop takes an hour. The best viewpoint is on lodge property and access may be charged. Gravel roads in are corrugated.

Nearby

The Petrified Forest is west, and Khorixas is on the main road.