Safari to Spitzkoppe

a surprisingly interesting desert location

Spitzkoppe is an impressive collection of stark granite outcrops that stand clear of the coastal plateau, a famous location for rock-climbing, but also with some decent hiking and rock-art.

There are also surprising levels of biodiversity and endemism in the area. The lodge here is most commonly used to break long self-drive traverses between better known locations.

The granite from which these mountains are formed is more than 120 million years old and the highest outcrop rises about 1,784 metres above sea level, 670 metres above the surrounding plain.

Although the area appears to be arid and rather barren, it actually lies at the interface of savanna, Nama Karoo and desert biomes and has a very high botanical diversity, with many rare and endemic species.

Wildlife

These granite outcrops provide rare cover in this barren landscape and are home to some rare plant species including Cyphostemma currori, Moringa ovalifolia, Antiphiona fragrans and Sarcocaulon marlothii, which are much more interesting when pointed out to you in the flesh.

Depressions in the rocks fill during rare rains to create ephemeral pools, which support a surprising range of specialist species, including the water plant Aponogeton desertorum, invertebrates such as fairy shrimps and two species of arid-adapted amphibians, marbled rubber frogs (Phrynomantis anectens) and Hoeschi toads (Bufo hoeschi).

The area is home to 69 species of reptiles, including 42 species of geckos and lizards, of which 19 are endemic to Namibia. The rare Marico gecko is thought to have a significant proportion of its total population within the Spitzkoppe area.

Birds

Bird life in the Spitzkoppe area is surprisingly diverse, with species that are common in the Namib as well as others that are more typical of thornbush savanna habitats.

Mountain specialists include special sightings include booted eagles, Martial eagles, lappet-faced vultures, black eagles, peregrine falcons and alpine swifts.

This is also a good place for finding some of Namibia’s endemic and near-endemic birds, including Hartlaub’s spurfowls, Ruppell’s koraans, Ruppell’s parrots, rosy-faced lovebirds, Bradfield’s swifts, Monteiro’s hornbills, Damara red-billed hornbills, Carp’s tits, Herero chats, rockrunners, white-tailed shrikes, Gray’s larks, Benguela long-billed larks and chestnut weavers.

History

For thousands of years this area was home to tribes of San Bushmen and there are many examples of their rock-art in the Spitzkoppe area.

In 1896 a trading post named Spitzkopje was built by German settlers below the mountain and was the centrepiece of a 1200 square kilometre farm.

The farm was handed over to the local Damara people as part of the Odendaal Plan for tribal homelands and the area is now contained within the Gaingu Conservancy.

The Spitzkoppe Mountains were also the filming location for 2001: A Space Odyssey in the Dawn of Man sequences.

Rock-art

The Spitzkoppe area is rich in Bushman rock-art, most of which is thought to date from the Ceramic Later Stone Age, when nomadic pastoralists inhabited the area.

Unfortunately the famous Bushman Paradise had its 2000-4000 year old paintings destroyed by visitors during the latter part of the twentieth century, so it is now necessary (and more fun) to seek out the forty or so less well known sites.

Despite the damage, the rock-art remains a valuable record of pre-history, it is very clear that the Spitzkoppe area was a place of cultural and spiritual significance to the San Bushmen.

Rock climbing

These granite peaks are popular with climbers and contain some really challenging routes which have ratings up to level 24.

The main summit was first conquered in 1946 and for decades was considered to be a three day ascent. That was until Gabriel Athiros from South Africa and Oliver Stansfield from England completed the round trip in less than seven hours.

The Spitzkoppe area is rarely included in trips, largely because the area offers fewer activities than the nearby Twyfelfontein area. But this area is much quieter and the two places can easily be combined in longer trips.

The usual stay duration is 2-3 nights.

Getting there

The Spitzkoppe area can easily be reached by road, usually falling in between Swakopmund and Twyfelfontein.

Where to stay

There is one good place to stay in this area, namely the excellent Spitzkoppen Lodge.

can fit nicely into a slower-paced self-drive trip