Adventure on every mountain

Moutaineering in Africa - Stories and adventures
Haus, Wolfgang Amadeus
adventure-on-every-mountain
No longer available
new
€7.90 *
Adventure on every mountain

Author: Wolfgang Amadeus Haus
Peak Publishers
Windhoek, 1989
Soft-cover, 15x21 cm, 68 pages, some illustrations and maps


Publisher's announcement:

This book is for all those who can think back about their adventures, or who would like to add new ones, and surely there are many of you. Good luck on all your doings.


From "TWO MEN AND ONE MOUNTAIN"

So lets go and make this wonderland of ours a reality and join me on one of my mini-expiditions right here in S.W.A (Namibia). I have translated this story from my first manuscript, which I wrote in German and I tried to be as correct as I could. It is remarkable how life can be, because sometimes not everything is going according to plan. "Why", you might ask. "Because life is not perfect and what happend to me and my partner on a tour to the mountains here in Namibia was remarkable and packed with adventure, so stay tuned in, as the saying goes over the radio."

The telephone rang. "Hallo Wolfgang, are you there?" That is how it all started, but now you will ask "what started?" Please have patience, because this is a rare commodity, which you will need for sure if you would like to go to the mountains with me. First to drive there, or drive around there, because that was our intention - to make a reconnaissance tour first, but from this reconnaissance much more developed, an adventure which you will now experience with us. The caller was Mr Heiner Roth, the well-known and experienced Brandberg expert. "Hallo Heiner", I said "How are you, whats up?" He replied by saying that he has an American as guest in his house, and he wants to climb the Konigstein peak - South West Africa's highest peak - in a matter of three days.

We both agreed that three days would be too short. Heiner replied that he had told him so, but he, that is the American, could make a reconnaissance drive to the Brandberg with me, Wolfgang. "Why not" I replied, "when can I see him?" Heiner arranged a meeting with the man from the USA, his name is Louis Hill and he comes from the town of San Pedro in California. My name is Wolfgang Amadeus Haus and I am living in Windhoek, South West Africa/Namibia. And now that you know who took part in the story, we can start.

Louis got a good rucksack and sleeping bag from Heiner Roth, all other equipment like good mountain boots from Germany etc. he already had in his luggage. Heiner Roth is a wonderful mountain friend, he helped where he could, even though he is on pension now. The man is kind and that probably was his great asset when he took part in three expeditions to the Brandberg in 1953, 54 and 55, where he and the other climbers and friends where so successful in discovering the rock paintings (old Weyers Brunn, Felsenzirkus and hundreds more as well as new plants).

He also conquered Aigub Peak, Horn, Numas Rock, Numas Valley, to Königstein and others here in S.W.A. While talking to him I felt that I gathered rich information about the Brandberg and such information could save one's life. He truly is a wonderful man and I wish to convey my sincerest gratitude to him. At the home of Heiner Roth we could convince Louis Hill that a three day climb to the Konigstein would be impossible, we should rather take it easy and just take a look at the Brandberg. I was glad to get out to the countryside again for a while. Our adventure started on the morning of the 26th January 1989, a day like any other (so it seemed) but not for us, because we love nature and mountains.

Maybe we are able to see more than other people. We look at the scenery from the top of the mountains and each mountain is just as exciting as the Eros Mountains north east of Windhoek. We where driving in my Combi to the Brandberg only to do a reconnaisance tour, but later in the day as we reached the Brandberg, I was thinking, "maybe we should climb to one of the summit peaks", but which one in particular, I was not sure of yet. We would decide later, I thought. The weather was exceptionally cool and it looked like it would be raining. As we came closer to the Brandberg, or did the rain come closer, who cares, but as soon as we reached the mining town of Uis, which is the last outpost of civilisation there, a cloudburst came down, the likes of it I have never seen before.

The whole range was covered in clouds and I was happy to see this. We decided to try some climbing the next day, the 27th January. We would start very early in the morning. We did not yet know, which peak we would climb. Sometime later that morning, we arrived at the Tsisab Valley and Louis Hill felt good, that's the kind of countryside he likes, he said, and so I was happy too. We relaxed and made ourselves comfortable at our camping site. I looked straight at the clouds and there was an exciting looking peak, only just visible. It was in fact the Altan Peak. [...]