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Brandberg 2009 Day 5

Sadly today is our last day on the mountain. The descent via Ga-Aseb ravine is steep and we estimated it would take around 3.5 hours to get down. I was however in no hurry. For more than a year we planned this trip and there was huge built-up to it, maybe too much. It was surreal to think that all that anticipation would end today with the last 4 nights under stars something of the past.

The funny thing about this trip was that we were 7 friends from way back, from primary school. Here we are still friends after all that time with so much keeping us close to each other, however what struck me was that we did not talk a lot on the trip. We joked and discussed routes, plans etc, but we actually did not talk. Maybe its just a guy thing, but I can remember the good old days when we had huge discussions on the meaning of life. Maybe it was a lack of wine or maybe we were just too tired to work up conversation late at night. All I know is that we better do this again soon.

From where we camped you could not see down the ravine. A short walk from the camp takes you through a little neck from where the ravine opens up in front of you. It is a magnificent view.

You cannot walk down the ravine itself, it is filled with boulders as big as cars so you keep to the east of the ravine when going down. This is also where we met up with Majka Burhardt for a brief chat about their climbing on Orabeskopf Wall.

We made our way down very steep granite slabs and boulders. The ravine flattened out towards the bottom and we welcomed the path crisscrossing the river to reach the shade tree at the bottom of Ga-Aseb where Basil would meet us in his old truck. He promised to bring ice-cold beers and some toasted sandwiches with him. He did not fail us.

A quick 'been there done that' pic and we left for Uis again. Brandberg was everything we hoped for and more. The criteria was set for the next trip:

• it has to be a physical challenge
• little must be known about the place, i.e. it must be a new experience
• the company should be good friends

Brandberg 2009 Day 4

Day 4 was planned as a rest day with only about an hour's walk. The plan was to get to Longipools and chill out for a couple of hours before heading down to the top of Ga-Aseb ravine where we would setup camp.

The walk from Wasserfal Flache was easy on the flat granite. A small climb over the next towards Longipools and we could see it. By this time there was consensus that every one's legs were taking strain and most of us planned to take a nap on the rocks at Longipools. Merwe and Aisie had different plans. They still have not started a fire only using sticks and a bow. Tip to all mountaineers: Always bring your own lighter as the sticks method does not work regardless of what Bear on Ultimate Survivor has to say.

Herman and myself decided to do the optional ascend of Orabeskopf which you could reach by walking further up Longipools and then try to reach it from the western side.

After about 2.5km up the ravine we headed south for the ascent but our efforts proofed fruitless. We could not find a safe passage across to the peak and we also set a time limit for being back with the rest of the group. We settled for a peek over the very windy ridge which I suppose would have given you a similar view than from Orabeskopf itself. The southern side of Orabeskopf is a 300m wall of pure granite and yes it has been climbed already in 1974.

The next day we met some rock climbers who climbed the most prominent crack, a 13 pitch grade 18 climb. They were then looking for some more variations to get up the cliff. I believe it was none other than Majka Burhardt and her crew on their Namibian expedition.

We reached the rest of the group a couple of hours later lazing in the sun, no fire yet. We then made our way across to the top of Ga-Aseb ravine where we had our last camp.

That evening the whiskey ran out and we all made mental notes to bring more on the next trip and to not let Erik get into your supply on Day 3 with the promise of reimbursing you the next evening.

Again everyone were lights out before we had a chance to make pudding.

Brandberg 2009 Day 3

Today was Summit Day and we knew that a long day lay ahead. We were up early and started the mostly flat walk further up the ravine towards our citadel, Konigstein Peak at 2578m.

From Obere Kaskaden we walked on through boulders and large rocks for a while before reaching a really welcome flat section of the mountain. The soil was visibly moist and the birds in this area was more present. I was really impressed with the diverse fauna and flora in this 'desert'.

We saw fresh leopard tracks at the first water and there were a couple of Klipspringer making their way up the ridges as we approached.

The flat sections did not last too long and we reached a particular steep section of the ravine where the only option was to scramble up across the boulders. We ascended 100m over 650m in distance.

At the top of this ravine you are quite close to the base of Konigstein where we left our backpacks to climb the peak with less weight. Reaching Konigstein is not challenging at all, a walk up the mountain. This is also the first time we encountered foot paths and the going was a lot easier than the previous two days.

However reaching the summit of any mountain remains a personal and sacred experience. Everyone clearly had some of their own thoughts on their minds and for the first time I acknowledged how screwed up we became from working too much for too long. It has been 15 years since I reached the peak of any meaningful mountain. Yes sure, we summited many challenges and we have conquered our fears of becoming husbands and fathers, employees , MD's and business owners, but as they say: "When last did you do something for the first time?" I felt selfish on the mountain thinking I owe it to myself, also thankful that we actually took the time out to do this trip vowing to start planning the next one as soon as we get home.

From Konigstein it was an easy walk towards Wasserfal Flache where we would be looking for a place to camp. On the way we visited the Slangholle, a cave with some magnificent rock art. The name comes from a large snake painted on the outside of the cave.

To the western edge of the Wasserfal Flache there is another cave with some flat rock infront of it where we setup camp. The cave entrance is complete with a waterfall which was by this time reduced to a fast drip. The little water probably traveled a couple of hundred meters over a large rock which meant it was just a good temperature for a shower. We welcomed the warm shower and secret bars of soap made its appearance.

It was long day. We covered almost 16km over 7 hours. A couple of us were really glad to have made it to the summit. On day 1 there were a couple of worried faces, but now we have done the hardest part and were looking forward to a rest day before leaving this magnificent place.

Brandberg 2009 Day 2

I always find that the first night you camp, you don't sleep well. The luxury of your own pillow was out of the question but our granite bed covered with a thin inflatable hiking mattress was probably as comfortable as one could wish for.

There were a haziness in the air making the stars less impressive than what we hoped for. Nonetheless it was a privilege to do a bit of star gazing every time you wake up from having to turn from one sore hip to another.

Luftholle was a magnificent place to wake up in - a room with a view!

Thinking the worst of the climbing and bouldering was over we looking forward to the day's hike on the plateau climbing slightly until we reach Obere Kaskaden some 12 km away.

From Luftholle you are on a little plateau consisting mostly of large granite slabs from which you first drop into the next valley before walking up the Katarakt Ravine. It took some scrambling to find our way down the slab but once we were in the valley the going was easy and we were in high spirits.

The grass was tall and even green in some places, trees had lots of green leaves and the Quiver trees were blooming with bright yellow flowers. We could have been in the Bushveld for a short while.

This is also where we saw our first Elephant's Foot (Adenia pechuelii). According to Wikipedia this plant is endemic to Namibia and a rare sighting in rocky areas.

The Katarakt Ravine had lots of water and we stopped at some of the bigger pools to cool off. Keep in mind that 2009 is an exceptionally good year for water and we found at least 5 pools in this stretch of the river.

Parts of the ravine were littered with boulders and walking on the ridges proved to be more economical. We soon realized that for flatter sections of the ravine it is best to walk in the river and on steeper sections outside the river. There was constant rivalry between us for the most economical route as there are no paths in this section of the mountain.

We arrived at Obere Kaskaden late in the afternoon tired after a day which was much harder than we anticipated. That evening the whiskey went down very well.

We had fillet steak with pasta-and-sauce. Credit to Aisie, our 'braaier', for making do with a flimsy rig held together with two Leathermen. It was surprising to see how hungry we were once we started to eat and I had to make a second batch of pasta. We finished this off with some stewed dried fruit and custard.

That night we slept well. I found a little indent in the rock which was a perfect spot. We also spread out a bit to make the snoring more bearable.

Brandberg 2009 Day 1

The route Andy suggested took us from Amis Camp at around 700m up to Luftholle, a cave at 1800m. Over a distance of almost 8km we had to climb 1100m. The entire walk was in a ravine covered mostly with boulders. There are no foot paths up this route and if you are lucky you walk across large plates of granite.

The transfer from Brandberg Rest Camp in Uis with Basil's old Bedford truck took two hours, so we started the hike very late. We however managed to get to Luftholle in just over 6 hours well before sun set.

This route gave you the feeling of being completely isolated. Luftholle cave is one of the most magnificent places I have laid my head to rest in.

The view stretches forever. That evening we were gazing west towards the Atlantic and we could not spot a single light, except for a single vehicle. But no towns, no houses - nothing for hundreds of kilometers.

It was a tough day and were happy to be here away from everything. The trip now started to become real.

Brandberg 2009 Preparation

Andy Chase from Windhoek provided much needed data on routes and water points. Without his help we would have probably had to take a guide which is something our ego's would not have survived.

Everyone trained hard, their credit cards were flexed to get the necessary equipment and we ended up being very well prepared for our 5 day hike through this remote wilderness area.

I have to admit that I was not as fit as I wanted to be. I started out training on my mountain bike with occasional hikes in between. Then I started to train with the 20kg pack which went well and my two dogs enjoyed tremendously. As the big hike came closer I realised I have not yet reached my 'ideal weight' for the hike.

Let me say this, when I was a student 20 years back I went on a 10 day Drakensberg hike. I now weigh more than what I weighed back then with my pack on my back. I had a goal of getting rid of at least 10kg. That did not happen and I ended up starting to panic-jog. This is not a good idea as you will just hurt yourself.

The three weeks before the trip I also ended up in a whole host of deadlines at work. I worked too late in the evenings and my immune system took a beating. I did however had the sense to take the very last week easy by getting some more sleep. Take your vitamins!

On Brandberg your number one concern should be water. The best time to hike would be after the summer rains, i.e. April to July. Then you also have to be sure that it rained enough during the summer. Luckily for us Namibia had exceptionally good rains this summer and the mountain was green with water everywhere.

The next thing to know about the mountain is that it can be very hot during the day as well as very cold during the nights. We felt the heat on the ascent and descent, but above 1800m the temperature was actually quite mild.

We took the minimum clothes, except for Erik who for some reason ended up with a new sequence for every event. He was never like this and I suspect his young bride has something to do with this.

We wanted to be sure that we could reach someone in case of an emergency and carried the sat phone with us - a brick but I guess it could save a life.

We were armed with 1:50k topo maps with possible water points and Andy's previous GPS tracks overlayed on it. These I printed on A3 paper and laminated two copies with everyone's emergency details on the back. I also took the GPS with. I loaded T4A GPS Maps for topo information and as well as Andy's GPS tracks. He frowned upon this, but I wasn't going to get lost.

Brandberg 2009 - Why?

It all started with Aisie giving me a copy of Nou's on in ons Donner in by Johan Bakkes. This reminded me of something I forgot. When last did you do something for the first time? What were the things you promised yourself long before you thought of a career a family or even your first car. Call it a mid-life crisis, call it what you like, I realised that something had to be done.

I discussed this with my wife Michelle who (to my surprise) agreed that it would be a good idea if I take 10 days a year and do my own thing. Some ground rules were laid down. It had to be a physical challenge, it had to involve a place of which little is known and the company should be good friends.

I started research on Brandberg in 2008 and at all of our parties for the last year I dropped new information on the illusive Brandberg hike. The company was going to be old school friends from 20 years back and they were all keen. The wifes were not so keen but they did not offer too much resistance, probably thinking we would not go through with the plans. Most of the plans involved lots of wine so I don't blame them for thinking it was only praty talk.


But little did they know that I was going to climb that mountain even if only one friend joined me. We ended up being 7! Merwe, Aisie, Herman, Erik, Pieter and Kennett joined me on the hike.