Spreetshoogte is the pass that makes you grip the bars a little tighter, and then grin inside your helmet. It drops the Khomas Hochland highlands down to the edge of the Namib desert in one dramatic fall, and it is among the steepest in Namibia, with gradients that reach something like one in seven in places. The gravel road is cut into the face of the escarpment, and from the top the view is immense: a plain of red sand and pale grass, flat and empty to the horizon, with the dark lines of the Naukluft mountains running along the south.
The surface is gravel, firm in good conditions but loose on the corners and sometimes badly corrugated at the bottom, so ride it slowly and in a low gear, and let the engine do the braking. Sharp bends and steep drop-offs at the edge leave no margin for error, and a loaded bike is a handful. Loose stones can collect on the inside of the turns, and after rain, streams may cut across the track. Ride in daylight, preferably in the morning when the light is clear and the temperature is bearable, and be aware that the climb is just as challenging in the other direction.
The scenery changes with every few hundred metres of descent. Up high the land is grassy and scattered with acacia, while lower down the vegetation thins and the colours turn to ochre and rust. Dust devils spin in the plain, oryx stand under trees, and on clear evenings the light turns the whole escarpment gold. The temperature difference between top and bottom can be ten degrees, and the wind often picks up in the afternoon.
There is nothing on the pass itself, but Solitaire, a tiny stop on the plain, has fuel, a shop and a bakery famous for its apple pie, and it is the obvious place to refuel and refresh. The dunes of Sossusvlei lie within a day's ride to the south-west, which makes this a natural start or finish to a trip. Carry water, a spare tube and some food, tell someone your plan, and be aware that mobile reception is poor.