Brandberg: A trip of really high highs and really low lows

45 minutes he said; we will be back in Karibib in no time he said… Nearly 3 hours later and I am hopping out of the bed of the covered bakkie as it is still rolling to a stop. My legs are wobbly, my entire back is in pain, and my neck is stiff as can be. I wipe the sand off my left arm only to reveal another layer of sand. This is the culmination of my trip and ascent of Brandberg Mountain, Namibia’s tallest mountain. From the beginning of the trip to the end, myself and my friends experienced a range of incredible highs and unbearable lows.

Starting from the beginning, we woke up bright and early to go to Brandberg Mountain from Karibib. This was a 3 hour drive, give or take. The catch was that our ride was a covered bakkie (pickup truck) that sat 4 up front, 5 including the driver. There were 11 of us with full backpacking backpacks. This meant 5 with 5 bags in the front and 6 with 6 bags in the bed. No one was going to be comfortable.

I was one of the lucky ones to sit in the bed of the truck. There was a thin mattress and some pillows to protect our tailbones. We piled in our bags and then squeezed in our bodies. It was tight and uncomfortable, but we thought we could handle it. That was until we got to the gravel roads which covered about 85% of our trip. We bumped and bounced around. The thin mattress provided little to no comfort, and if there were any screws or knobs our backs’ found them. On the especially big bumps, our heads smacked the ceiling of the cover. Despite or discomfort we found plenty of humor in it. We were fresh and eager. We switched positions multiple times until we found the best of the worst.

Eventually we got to the nature reserve of Brandberg and picked up our guide. That’s right. We picked up another human being with a backpack and shoved him in the front cab for another hour long drive to the trail head. Once we got to the trail head we all got out and let the blood rush back into our limbs. In front of us was a giant slab of reddish granite rock. The peak wasn’t visible and wouldn’t be until day 2. We said goodbye to our driver and finally started the adventure we had all been waiting for.

The hike started off in sand. Gradually the sand became small rocks which became big rocks which eventually became giant steep slabs of granite. The landscape in front of us and behind us was unique, with the reddish granite rocks going straight up in front of us and a vast plain of nothingness at our backs. We could have been on another planet especially since no signs of civilization were visible despite being able to see for miles. In its own way it was beautiful.

The hike was strenuous and because we started in the afternoon the heat was pressing down on us. Luckily there was a nice consistent breeze. We trudged along following our guide up between rocks and sparse vegetation. Throughout the hike our guide pointed out Rock Paintings. Some of these paintings were quite faded and hard to see, but others were very much visible. The paintings were reddish brown and white and depicted men, women, and animals. It was pretty amazing to see these works of art that were some 5,000 years old.

We hiked upward making our way to our campsite. When we made it the sun was already beginning to set, so we set up our campsite and ate. For me dinner was a sweet chili tuna packet on a brotchen. We made a little fire to sit around, but as soon as the stars came out our sights where set to the sky instead of at the fire. I honestly can’t remember a time when I had seen as many stars as I did on Brandberg. It was spectacular.

On day 2 we woke up, broke down camp, ate breakfast, and started. We hiked just a short bit to another campsite with access to a spring for water. We set up camp here and purified water. We then started our trek to the summit. This was an interesting hike. There were the usual steep inclines and maneuvering through rocky passages, but in between there were also large flat plains. After a couple hours of hiking the peak was finally visible. In another hour of pretty steep incline we made it to the highest point in Namibia. At 8,550 feet we could see for miles. It was a wonderful feeling to be up there looking down on the country. At the top we found a tin with notes from other hikers. We left or own names and messages to add to the collection. The work it took to get to the summit was well worth it. We made our way back down to our campsite for some much needed rest and relaxation. We played cards until it was dark and the stars came out again.  

Day 3, we woke early and hit the trail as soon as we could to try and beat the heat. We were walking back to the bottom to finish our hike. We went down the same way we came up. Going down proved to be much easier than going up had, but still was fairly strenuous at times. Our biggest worry however, was not making it down, it was whether or not our ride would be waiting for us. We had only been able to shoot off a couple of texts to the driver to let him know when we would be down. At the bottom there would be very little shade to cover us from the afternoon heat.

We all made it back to the trail head just before noon, and our bakkie was nowhere to be found. There was also no cell phone reception. For the time being we could only wait and hope that he was on his way. Our guide went off to find reception and returned later with bad news. Our driver had gotten a flat tire. We had to wait for him to get it fixed then make his way to our location. Between us, we had very little water. Most of us brought only enough for the hike down not anticipating a long waiting period for our ride. We shared what we had and drank sparingly. We eventually hiked to a ridge where we could get cell reception. Our guide informed us that our driver could be lost and mentioned the possibility that we might have to camp another night or hike 5 miles to the nearest farm. Neither sounded like a great option considering we had almost no water left. Some of us found some shade and hunkered down hoping that our driver was on the way. Eventually, we got word that he was back on the road but had gotten lost. He was close to our location and our guide was able to talk him back in our direction.

Finally, after almost 6 hours of waiting we spotted the bakkie. It was a welcome sight to see. We walked off the ridge to the bakkie, expressed our gratitude to our driver for his perseverance, and hopped in…all 11 of us plus 1 guide after 3 days of hiking in the dead of summer. With my legs hanging out the back of the bed of the bakkie we made our way to drop off our guide. This was a little over 1 hour of bouncing on gravel roads in a most uncomfortable position as the tailgate popped open time and time again. After dropping off our guide and saying our goodbyes we piled back in. We found a slightly better formation; laying our bags on the bottom and sitting on top of them. We had another hour to the nearest town.

At the small town of Uis, we stopped at a rest camp for drinks and happened upon a pool/bar/restaurant. It was glorious. First stop was the bar for water and cool drink (soda). Second stop was the pool. We stripped down to our underwear and jumped it. I don’t think there could have been any better feeling. It was pure joy.

After the pool, we ordered food and drinks. I don’t know if it was because of all of the things that happened before, but I’d say that the chicken burger was probably the best I’d ever had. This gem we found in Uis helped erase some the pain we endured earlier that day. Unfortunately we still had to make it back to Karibib…a 3 hour drive on mostly gravel roads. So once again we piled into the bakkie. This was the longest 3 hours of my life. I sat by the tailgate, back bent, legs squished, screws poking and prodding different parts of my body. We tried to keep the back window down to keep the dust out, but the heat and mustiness of the air was unbearable, so we opened the window. While the breeze kept us cool, the dust caked our bodies inside and out. I used a bandanna to breath but still found myself wiping the grit off of my teeth. I and the rest of my companions in the back endured the pain. We had some good laughs in doing so, but ultimately we couldn't wait to be out of the cramped space. When we finally made it to our destination it was a huge relief. To be able to stretch our muscles and to be able to take a breath without sand were treats.

Despite some of the tough times during this trip, I would not change anything. The hike was incredible and we got to see some amazing sights. Yes, the transportation situation was pretty miserable, and being stranded out in the middle of nowhere for hours with little water was harsh. But hiking to the tallest point in the country, seeing a unique landscape, gazing up to an unbelievable amount of stars, and celebrating at the Uis rest camp are all memories that I will cherish forever. And to do it with the group that we had made it all the better.

Oh, and I definitely have a greater appreciation for water and spacious vehicles.