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Early morning summer clouds over
the Gross Spitzkoppe and Pontok Mountains
About
25km west of Usakos traveling on the B2 road to
Swakopmund you will see
the Spitzkoppe rising an impressive 1728 m above the
surrounding gravel plains. Most
self drive tourists are unaware of the attractions of the
Spitzkoppe area and speed right past. You need to budget at least 4hrs with a planned overnight camp being the ideal, as the best times for photographs are
following sunrise and just before sunset in the summer months when the
sun is well on the south side of the rock formation. The rocks reflect
deep reds with sharp contrasting shadows. The formation of Spitzkoppe happened about 130 million years ago during a time when the ancient
continent of
Gondwana
was separating to form the continents of Africa and South America. Many areas of Namibia experienced volcanic
activity and it is at this time that the intrusion of magma to
become known as the Damaraland Rock Complex thrust its way upwards
through the older Damara Sequence that had formed between 760 to 460
million year ago. At the time of the magma intrusion and cooling
within the surrounding rock, the peak of the Spitzkoppe would have
been below the then ground-surface-level. The ongoing erosion
of 130 million years have reduced the level of the surrounding, and
softer rocks to present day ground levels. This process is called Inselberg formation and the Spitzkoppe area has many of
these worn into interesting shaped rock forms.
Sapling rooted in cracks |
Whale ashore? |
Rock Finger |
Fingers or toes? |
in the midst of all of this apparently
harsh and strange world you will find an abundance of life forms that have
adapted. You will find places where trees grow seemingly defiant out from
the thin cracks in the rock faces. their fine root systems penetrating deep
into the rock fissures where they collect moisture.
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Erongo Region
21º 49'S
- 15º11'E
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