Blog 9. Ben Freeth's Ride for Hope - Heading up the Skeleton Coast to Cape Cross

30 September 2025

There were only two people able to come with me to my final destination on the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Cross, and they were the owners of the two wayward and freedom-loving Arabians, Tobea senior and Tobea junior. 

I was planning to do the last stretch in two days, but we decided to go light and complete it in one.  The horses had had a good feed and rest at the stables, so we headed out to ride the 60 km along the Skeleton Coast to where Diego Cão had erected a stone cross way back on 8 April 1484 in what was then the furthest south a European had ever sailed. 

On the way we encountered other crosses too.

The coast is cold, but not that icy!

They pump water from underground here which is 25 percent salt (the ocean is only about 3 percent), and evaporate it.

At “mile 72” there is an old water tower where Vesta and Adroux left water, lucerne and feed.  Talk about “going the extra mile”!

The Skeleton Coast

Lots of “strandwolf” (brown hyena) tracks but this was the only one we saw!

We sadly couldn’t go by horse the last little stretch to the cross itself.

After over 3100 km by horse and mule…  Diego Cão’s stone cross

The dead sea?                   Tobia with salt crystals

Mission accomplished, heading back…..