Spitzkoppe ? Namibia?s Matterhorn
ALSO known as the Matterhorn of Namibia, the Spitzkoppe is a prominent landmark rising over 670 m above the featureless plains northwest of Usakos.
The complex consists of the Klein Spitzkoppe (1 640 m), the Gross Spitzkoppe (1 728 m), which lies 15 km to the east, and the Pondok Mountains.
The recommendation by the National Heritage Council of Namibia to proclaim the larger Spitzkoppe area a Section 54 Conservation Area is a welcome step as it will provide better protection to the area?s rich cultural heritage.
Many visitors to the Spitzkoppe are familiar with the rock paintings in the Bushman Paradise Cave at the eastern end of the Pondok Mountains. But the area has a rich legacy of rock paintings ? with over 397 identifiable rock paintings at 37 sites.
There are also other cultural resources at Spitzkoppe such as the foundations of the Deutsche Kolonial-Gesellschaft which established a way station here in 1896, old graves and water storage reservoirs.
With a checklist of 151 species, birding can be rewarding and Spitzkoppe is regraded as one of the best places in Namibia to see the endemic Herero chat. Rockrunner, White-tailed shrike and Hartlaub?s spurfowl are among the other species to be on the lookout for.
Visitors can also explore the many fascinating rock formations in the area. A natural rock bridge, a rock shaped like the mouth of a shark, mushroom-shaped rocks and hollows eroded into the granite by wind and chemical erosion are among the numerous weird formations.
A visit to Spitzkoppe is especially rewarding after rains when the natural waterholes which have been eroded in the granite are full of water.
The Gross Spitzkoppe is also one of the top rock climbing destinations in Namibia and several hundred climbers have scaled the precipitous bare cliff face to the summit ever since the mountain was first ascended in November 1946.
Visitors to Spitzkoppe can camp at the community campsite which is run by members of the Gainu Conservancy. Submissions and requests for hearings by members of the public must be submitted to the National Heritage Council of Namibia before Monday, 29 November.
Enquiries can be made with Ms Erica M P Ndalikokule at Tel +264 61 244375, Cell +264 81 128-0874, Fax +264 88 636298, Email: [email protected]
To find out more about the Spitzkoppe, visit . Click on Regions and then on West on the dropdown menu to learn more about this fascinating landmark.
The complex consists of the Klein Spitzkoppe (1 640 m), the Gross Spitzkoppe (1 728 m), which lies 15 km to the east, and the Pondok Mountains.
The recommendation by the National Heritage Council of Namibia to proclaim the larger Spitzkoppe area a Section 54 Conservation Area is a welcome step as it will provide better protection to the area?s rich cultural heritage.
Many visitors to the Spitzkoppe are familiar with the rock paintings in the Bushman Paradise Cave at the eastern end of the Pondok Mountains. But the area has a rich legacy of rock paintings ? with over 397 identifiable rock paintings at 37 sites.
There are also other cultural resources at Spitzkoppe such as the foundations of the Deutsche Kolonial-Gesellschaft which established a way station here in 1896, old graves and water storage reservoirs.
With a checklist of 151 species, birding can be rewarding and Spitzkoppe is regraded as one of the best places in Namibia to see the endemic Herero chat. Rockrunner, White-tailed shrike and Hartlaub?s spurfowl are among the other species to be on the lookout for.
Visitors can also explore the many fascinating rock formations in the area. A natural rock bridge, a rock shaped like the mouth of a shark, mushroom-shaped rocks and hollows eroded into the granite by wind and chemical erosion are among the numerous weird formations.
A visit to Spitzkoppe is especially rewarding after rains when the natural waterholes which have been eroded in the granite are full of water.
The Gross Spitzkoppe is also one of the top rock climbing destinations in Namibia and several hundred climbers have scaled the precipitous bare cliff face to the summit ever since the mountain was first ascended in November 1946.
Visitors to Spitzkoppe can camp at the community campsite which is run by members of the Gainu Conservancy. Submissions and requests for hearings by members of the public must be submitted to the National Heritage Council of Namibia before Monday, 29 November.
Enquiries can be made with Ms Erica M P Ndalikokule at Tel +264 61 244375, Cell +264 81 128-0874, Fax +264 88 636298, Email: [email protected]
To find out more about the Spitzkoppe, visit . Click on Regions and then on West on the dropdown menu to learn more about this fascinating landmark.
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