SOUTHERN AFRICAN CLIMBING & MOUNTAINEERING MEET
NAMIBIA: EASTER 2001

HOSTED BY THE NAMIBIA SECTION OF THE MCSA


The meet started on April 13, 2001 with a day's climbing at a sport climbing area known as HARMONY CRAG about 25 km south of Windhoek.
25 climbers took part and the hardest routes of the crag ARKTIS (24), EISBERG (23) and LAWINE (23) were done.
During the evening a rather pleasant bring and braai was held at the Namibia Section's Clubhouse Jiggerheim. 54 climbers and hikers attended. A total of 5 hikers for the Brandberg trip, due to leave the following morning, were organised by Roland Stadtherr. Many participants were still arriving until late that night.
On April 14 the following day, everyone left for their various destinations. The main group left for the Spitzkoppe and the Pontoks. A total of 86 climbers and a few hikers arrived at the campsite in Boulder Valley, where the meet was to be held, below the South West Wall of the Great Spitzkoppe.
In order to get used to the friction on the granite some of the shorter sport routes were done. However none of the short 27, 28 and 29 test pieces on Dinosaur Rock had any "clean" ascents.
Of the "big wall" routes, the SW WALL (24) had two ascents. One, in a new record time of 6,5 hours, by Alard Hüfner and Marianne Pretorius. The other was the second ascent of HERERO ARCH (27 A1). This was done in a fine style by Alard Hüfner, Mark Seuring and Marianne Pretorius over a period of two days. A second ascent was also made of SPRUNGSCHANZE (23) by Paul La Cock and Woyciech Modrzewski.
Two new routes, a 23 and a 20, where opened on the Bushman Rock boulder by Charles Edelstein and Ed February.
Another two, a 20 trad, where opened by Alard Hüfner, Marianne Pretorius and Woyciech Modrzewski taking a line along a rounded arch beneath the overhangs of the SW WALL route.
The other by Alard Hüfner, Mark Seuring and Marianne Pretorius at 22, which went up the frontal part of the Hippo Face below the Spitzkoppe Western Peaks.
Although the Spitzkoppe is situated in the middle of the Namib Desert there where two nights with rain showers which made some of the climbing on the South West Wall rather difficult and wet.
Some of the other popular routes that where climbed where: the SPITZKOPPE NORMAL ROUTE, GOLDFINGER on the Rhino Horn, the Pontok Spitze via TO BOLT OR NOT TO BOLT, COMMIPHRA, WINDS OF DESPAIR and all the sport routes in Boulder Valley. Day hikes to places of interest were arranged and led by Elise Haber in the Spitzkoppe and Pontok area.
Some of the climbers remained behind at the Spitzkoppe while a group of 34 went on to "greener" pastures in the Erongo to Omandumba, which turned out to be the last venue of the meet.
After succeeding to climb a few sport routes every one was drenched by a rather heavy burst of rain. The rock managed to dry somewhat during the night and the sport climbing activities resumed the next morning.
Elise Haber took a group on a very interesting high quality Bushman painting sightseeing tour.
Richard Behne and Charles Edelstein "unopened" a new route at a guessed grade of 26. Some of the trad routes, although further away from the campsite, were also done.
The last evening was spent pleasantly around the campfire reminiscing about climbs done, exchanging addresses and planning future trips.

Eckhardt Haber
Convenor of the SACMMN
Chairman MCSA Namibia Section

From Ed February's e-mail newsletter: 24 April

I have just returned from a great trip to Spitzkoppe in Namibia. Didn't do any of the great routes on the South West face but did some fantastic climbing nonetheless. A number of routes got opened most notable of these are five trad routes by Alard Hufner, Mark Seuring and Marianne Pretorius and three sport routes bolted by Snort and climbed by me and him. INXS got a second ascent by Roland Graf and Joachim Morawetz and Alard, Mark and Marianne did the second ascent of Herero Arch, at 26 A0, the best and most difficult route at the Spitzkoppe. Not counting the sport routes of course.

Some beta if you intend visiting the Spitzkoppe
1. The Spitzkop guidebook by Eckhardt Haber is available in all local climbing stores and at the MCSA, its really useful and well worth having.
2. Take enough containers for water as there is no water at the campsite. The Shell garage at Usakos has a useful tap you can fill containers at.
3. If you want to braai, buy wood at the Shell Garage as well, at R10 for a big bag this is one of the better buys in Namibia.
4. Camping costs R20 per person per day and is run by the local community, this has meant that
5. Crime which was relatively high in the campsite is now non existent. Both Snort and I left our things lying all over the place and didn't lose anything.
6. Its a great place, keep it clean.


From Hottentotsholland Section newsletter

THE CLIMBING AND MOUNTAINEERING MEET - IN NAMIBIA: Easter 2001

What a feast of activities were offered to us, from hiking through African bush, past huge boulders of orange granite, to sport climbing multitudes of rockfaces and then the highlights of big wall climbing, The desert sun, thunderstorms starry nights, campfires, stories, songs, fun and very good friends rounded the experience of this fabulous get together of over 70 mountaineers from Namibia, South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe in the Namib desert under the quiet giant Spitzkoppe.

After some days of practicing on the for us unknown granite, with half a finger holds instead of handholds, we went onto the “normal route” of the Spitzkoppe, first scrambling up, squeezing us through dark chimneys, abseiling to circumvent steeper rockfaces, ogling up and down the erotically curved immense orange walls, friction climbing the higher, very exposed boulder type rock, getting stuck in another chimney and laughing with euphoric joy on the top of the last pitch, having finally conquered this immense beauty of nature.


On Spitzkoppe

It was good to be with Fiona, Howard, Kierran and Stephen, who travelled the many miles from the Cape, swam over the mighty Orange river, camped and climbed with me. - Ulli


From Peglerae - Magaliesberg Section)

Namibia 2001: Southern African Mountaineering and climbing meet: April

Die Southern African Mountaineering and Climbing Meet is deur Eckhardt Haber gere"el en skop amptelik af met 'n bring en braai op Vrydagaand 13 April by Afdeling Namibi"e se klubhuis in Windhoek. Daar's mense van oraloor: Kenya se Bergklub tot Kaapstad tot M"owebaai. Die Vrydag is daar reeds geklim by Harmony Crag - Windhoek se nuwe sportklim crag.

Namibi"e is vanjaar in pragtoestand en dit was voorwaar 'n goeie jaar om soontoe te gaan. Bykans elke vierkante sentimeter is bedek met gras en daarmee saam is daar veldblommetjies en baie vo"els.

Vir baie mense bly Spitzkoppe sekerlik die simbool van Namibi"e en daar is goeie rede daarvoor. Die basiskamp was voor die Suidwes muur van Spitzkop. Nou daar is nie so baie prima klimareas wat so 'n goeie "gaper spot" uitmaak nie! Jy sit op jou kampstoel en kyk met jou verkyker hoe Alard H"ufner, Mariaan Pretorius en Mark Seuring met veelkleurige klimhelmets op, soos skoenlappers vassuig aan loodregte, nat, gladde graniet - 300 meter daarvan (26 A0). Die drie was meestal verantwoordelik daarvoor om die Groot Klimme van die Week af te tik.

Daar is verder nou al sportklim galore by Spitzkoppe en nuwe roetes is oa deur Snort et al gebout. Spitzkoppe is 'n ideale plek vir familiekampplek maar jy moet selfversorgend wees insluitend eie water en hout. Daar is deesdae toegangsfooie van R20 pp pd en daar is soort van amptelike kampplekke - long drops en al.

Van Spitzkoppe af is daar teen Donderdag verskuif na die noordekant van die Erongo-berge op die plaas Omandumba. Daar is 'n sportklimarea tussen pragtige granietkoppies ontwikkel (en daar is ho"e berge waarvoor daar veels te min tyd was). Daar is ook boesmantekeninge en wild. Toestande was ideaal want was daar was baie water en die riviertjie vloei.

'n Groep stappers het ook vir die week Brandberg saam met Roland Stadherr gaan klim.

Dit neem nie veel om 'n verskoning te kry om Namibi"e te besoek nie en hierdie was 'n goeie een... EN dan is daar nog die bykans onverkende berge van die Kaokoveld. Volgende keer?

(Terloops daar het pas 'n pragtige nuwe roeteboek vir Spitzkoppe verskyn - kleurfoto's en al. Eckhardt Haber is die redakteur en dis gepubliseer deur Blue Mountain Publishers. ~R100) - Petro Grobler