Maidenhead man finishes 'arduous' trek across Namib desert for St Marks Hospital

05:04PM, Wednesday 15 October 2025

Maidenhead man finishes 'arduous' trek across Namib desert for St Marks Hospital

Andrew Smart took on the challenge to raise money for St Mark's Hospital in Maidenhead.

A Maidenhead man raised more than £1,500 for St Mark’s Hospital through an ‘arduous’ trek for charity across the Namib Desert in Africa.

Andrew Smart, 62, spent almost two weeks travelling hundreds of kilometres into the heart of the desert, including long treks on foot against the beating sun and undulating dunes.

The Namib Desert, the oldest desert in the world, spans more than 2,000 kilometres through Angola, Namibia and South Africa along the African continental coastline.

Mr Smart, a Woodlands Park resident, said that although the trek had been ‘arduous’, ‘St Mark’s is a great hospital and I’m proud to be supporting it’.

Mr Smart traverses the steep Olive Trail path


Highlights of the journey, he said, had been climbing the desert’s largest sand dune – known as Big Daddy – and experiencing sunrise at the dramatic Spitzkoppe arch.

Part of the journey included a trek through a narrow mountain gorgeway pass called the Olive Trail.

“Trekking along the Olive Trail really challenged my fear of heights,” Mr Smart said.

“The route was arduous as we navigated our way through the stunning valley, climbing up, down and over boulders and rocks until we eventually arrived at ‘chain passage’.

“This part of the route requires you to trek via a very narrow ledge which is almost non-existent as you turn to navigate around a corner, holding nothing more than a chain to stop me falling several metres down into a rather unpleasant pool beneath.”

Around 120km of Mr Smart’s charity mission was completed on foot alongside a team of fellow intrepid trekkers.

A converted lorry also served as a tour vehicle for the group as they traversed a circular route from the Namibian capital city Windoek.

Mr Smart said: “The weather proved interesting generally requiring us to be up at around 5:30am so that we could complete much of our trekking before the full force of the intense sun.

“However, we also had some overcast days which were quite a bit cooler and one day which started out very cold, requiring us to wear extra layers.

“But thankfully, no rain to contend with.”

Part of the trek took the group through the Spitzkoppe arch


But it was not just the beating sun and vast expanses of desert to contend with, as even the washroom facilities proved problematic – including so called ‘long drop’ loos.

Mr Smart said: “It was from one of these that I got lost following a late-night/early-morning visit to the long-drop and I discovered I could not see my tent given the complete absence of even moonlight.”

Mr Smart’s fundraiser had scooped £1,530 at the time of publication, all of which he said would be donated to the League of Friends of St Mark’s Hospital.

The charity has supported St Mark’s for more than 50 years by helping to finance medical supplies, and volunteers tending the hospital’s gardens and delivering newspapers to patients.

Chair of the League of Friends Helen Heaton said: “Andrew’s dedication to The League of Friends of St Mark’s Hospital, Maidenhead is inspiring.”

To view the St Mark’s Hospital fundraiser, visit: tinyurl.com/bdezsa3x

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