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SPITZKOPPE: NAMIBIA’S ROCKY EDEN
Article and Photos by Claire Mulligan
Forget lush forests rife with bird song, if you are a
geologist, a climber, a rock hound, or a star gazer,
Spitzkoppe is Eden. My new husband and I jump at the
chance to camp and hike about Spitzkoppe while we
are in Africa visiting his parents. You can't ask for
a better tour guide than Doctor Albrecht Giesecke, a
geologist for whom a rocky landscape is one great
history tome of the earth itself.
Gross Spitzkoppe lies in central Namibia, a nation
with only 1.8 million people in an area of 826 268
km2. We set out from the capital city of Windhoek and
drive for 250 km on good straight roads. Under a
beating sun, we pass a vast civilization of termites,
their often 3-meter high towers ubiquitous in the
semi-desert plain. The termites live safe and sound in
their climate controlled towers, self-sufficiently
cultivating mushrooms in their basements. Thanks to these
adaptations, they survived the dinosaurs.
Namibia is like that, a land that forces the mind to
think in vast stretches of time. The Sociable weaver
birds build tenement style nests that are occupied for
up to a century. The Welwitschia mirabilis plants of
the Namib Desert can survive for two thousand years.
And our destination, the Inselberg (island mountain)
known as Spitzkoppe, is nearly 700 million years old.
Twenty-five kilometres past the town of Usakos we turn
off the highway onto a sign-posted dirt road and drive
for another 30 km. Ahead Spitzkoppe rises 700 metres
out of the Kaokoveld plains; beside it are the Pondok
mountains (topographical expressions of the same
granite intrusion). In all, it is an area that encompasses 4.5
by 6 km. On the way we pass rough, wind-buffeted
stalls where the people of this area, the Damara, sell
what the landscape offers--rocks. But what rocks they
are--blue lace agats, tourmalines, rose quartz, and
beryl of every colour.
At the entrance we pay N$10 per person ($2 Cdn), which
includes the nightly camping fee. Simple
bungalows are available for N$60-$100. They have
showers, toilets and beds, but lack electricity and
bedding.
These amenities are new to Spitzkoppe and are
run by the Damara, who also provide guided walking
tours, a community police to patrol the area and a
small shop that sells drinks, simple maps and
souvenirs. These recent innovations, especially the new police force, came in the wake of the 1999 murder of a German tourist. Caution is still advised with valuables and it is best
to hike or climb in groups or pairs. It is likely that amenities
and security will improve as the area grows in popularity.
We find a sandy camping spot near an Acacia tree that
is filled with the delicate nests of the Masked weaver
bird. The rock is the colour of sienna, rust, and
ochre. All around us are precarious groupings of globular boulders. Dr. Giesecke explains how cooling at night and heating during the day results in the onion-like layers which make the huge rocks so distinctive.
We scramble through this other-worldly landscape and
find our way to a landmark arch that resembles a
fossilized serpent. During lunch here we spy the Rock
hyrax, a creature that looks like a large rodent but
is actually a relation of the elephant. We keep an eye
out for hawks and for the Herero chat, a bird
indigenous to the area. For the scorpions we keep out
a more wary eye.
Later we hike to Bushman’s Paradise, a small,
intriguing valley 3 km away in the eastern part of the
Pondok Mountains. To get there, we endure a fifteen
minute climb with the help of a steel chain. Along the way we pass the overhang site which used to display the only extant rock paintings in the area. Tragically, most of the paintings have been destroyed by vandals.
At dusk we gather fallen twigs and branches to make a small fire. The sunset is spectacular, but only when night falls I am reminded what that over used word ‘awesome’ truly means. I live in a city and have forgotten the unearthly potential that stars embody. In Spitzkoppe, they stretch from horizon to horizon, shimmering in the dry air, unfettered by light pollution or air pollution. We bring out a star chart and marvel at the constellations.
I look back to the rocky mass that will one day be eroded to the level of the surrounding plain. I have to agree with Dr. Giesecke: the length of a human life is too short to truly enjoy the full extent of natural processes. The best we can do is stand there and wonder.
If you go:
Climbing:
The Gross Spitzkoppe is known as the Matterhorn of
Namibia. The Western face was first climbed in 1946
and has since then drawn raves from climbers. It is
considered a grade three climb. Bouldering
opportunities are abundant in the area.
Transportation:
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Local buses do not go to Spitzkoppe. Renting a car is
the best, though most expensive option. Otherwise, a
variety of tours can be booked in Windhoek.
Best time to visit:
Spring and Fall (opposite in Africa)
Average temperature: January 23C--July 13C
Currency: The Namibian dollar. N$10 equals $2 Cdn
What to bring:
Plenty of water
30+ sunscreen, a sunhat, and lightweight cotton clothes.
Mosquito netting, mosquito repellent
A star chart. Namibia is one of the best places in the
world to stargaze
Vaccination and Immunization:
(CDC) Centres for Disease Control recommends the
following vaccines:
Malaria: risk in the northern regions and in Omaheke and Otjozondjupa and along the Kavango and Kunene rivers.
Hepatitis A or immune globulin
Hepatitis B
Typhoid
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