Originally, we had planned to go hanggliding this weekend. I wanted to keep in training and was quite keen to try new things after the last long and successful flight. Also, there was a new hangglider to be tried out by Andreas. However, already a few days before we intended to leave for the coast we heard the bad news: east wind and up to 40 degrees in Swakopmund, a real desert storm. The main deterring factor was that the wind blew the wrong direction and we would not be able to start.
Therefore, we decided to go climbing at Spitzkoppe, almost a year after our last visit there. We arrived late afternoon and found a beautiful, quiet campsite. We scrambled up the rock for a last view over the plain this evening. It was already dark when we came back to the car for our sundowner. Then we made plans: 4 two-pitch routes on Sugar Loaf looked tempting. So we got up at 6 to make our way up the rock face in the morning sun before it became too hot. We started with a grade 16/17 and I felt brave and thought I would lead the second pitch. However, I changed my intention long before I reached the first stand. I just felt too insecure on that pure friction rock face. Promptly, I slipped on the second pitch and struggled to get over that tricky section. The next route was a 19/18 and I left the lead from the beginning to Andreas. After a 20/21 where Andreas was almost blown off the rock by a strong gust, we retreated to shorter routes in Boulder Valley.
After lunch and a nap Andreas attempted a 23 on Dinosaur Rock. From the bottom it looked to me as if there were enough grips and cracks for it to be an 18. I would learn otherwise. Andreas struggled his way up to the 3rd bolt. He put the quickdraw in, but when getting the rope up he suddenly slipped and fell – on top of me. I was glad to have stopped his fall just above the ground and that we were both ok. He pushed and pulled himself up the rock again and finally reached the anchor. Now it was my turn to try this route on a top rope – a waste of power. I realized that this was definitely not an 18, somehow the angle of the rock was not right for that grading. I gave up half way. After two more, easier routes, we finished the day with a braai.
For the next morning we had planned to tackle the fourth route on Sugar Loaf, a 22/20. Strong winds at night and in the morning persuaded us to a lie-in instead. Then we had a look at the routes on Bushman Rock: a 23, 20, 17 and 10. We decided to leave the 20 and 17 till some time after a thorny tree has been cut back and to leave the 23 at all. I took my first lead of this trip on the 10, wow! After a hairy 19 on Lion Rock Andreas was keen to try “mit links”, a bloody hard one. He struggled, pushed, pulled and cheated his way up to the anchor. When it was my turn I protested to even try it, but he insisted in pulling me up the rock. A very light climb up and scenic abseil down The Bridge pleasantly closed the day.
