Solitaire is not so much a town as a fuel pump, a cafe and a graveyard of rusting cars in the middle of the Namibian desert, and it is one of the most reliable landmarks on the gravel road between Walvis Bay and Sesriem. The name suits it: there is nothing else for a long way in any direction, only stony plains, camelthorn trees and the far wall of the escarpment. The settlement sits on the edge of the Namib-Naukluft Park, on the C14, where the plateau of central Namibia drops toward the Atlantic.
For a rider, it is a lifeline. There is fuel here, cold drinks, a shop and a bakery that has become a minor legend for its apple pie, and every overlander who passes through seems to stop. Fuel is the key: the nearest alternative is a long way off, and the road conditions make the distances feel longer. The gravel roads around are wide, graded and fast on a good day, but loose stones, sand patches and corrugations can turn a relaxed ride into a wrestling match, and punctures are common. The passes nearby, Spreetshoogte to the north and Kuiseb to the west, drop steeply off the escarpment with tight bends and big views. Early morning is cool and the light is lovely, while the middle of the day is brutally hot.
The landscape is extraordinary. Beyond the settlement, the Namib, one of the oldest deserts in the world, stretches toward the sea, with red dunes, dry riverbeds and mountains of rock that glow at sunset. The desert is home to oryx, springbok, ostrich and small creatures that live on the morning fog, and the sky at night is crammed with stars. The air smells of dust and warm stone, and the silence is almost physical.
The cars rusting beside the pumps are part of the charm, arranged as a kind of art installation, with old Studebakers and trucks fading into the sand. Visitors often photograph them, and the staff are used to riders arriving with dust-caked helmets and a big thirst.
Carry water, spare fuel if you can, and a puncture repair kit. Tell someone your route, since mobile coverage is patchy, and avoid riding at dusk, when wildlife appears on the road.