A new attempt climbing the Great Spitzkoppie in 1940

Back in Cape Town Woods waited patiently for two years, and it was Easter, 1940, before there was another opportunity to visit South West Africa.

The party which met at Somerset West, consisted this time of Woods, his friend "Smithy" (I. C. L. Smith), Servaas le Roux and Herbert (H. G.) Jarvis. Their main target was the reputably unclimable Great Spitzkop. Between Okahandja and Omaruru the heavily-loaded Buick panted over the Great Damaraland plateau - "a wilderness of bush with 'island' mountains here and there, and tall, pointed antheaps, often over twenty feet high, scattered about. A remarkable feature of these large mounds is the way their tips turn over slightly, always inclined towards the magnetic north." Just beyond Omaruru, Woods and his companions turned west on to a little-known byway; it followed the course of the Omaruru River and skirted the northern foothills of the extensive Erongo Mountains - an impressive range with some peaks topping 7 000 feet. Steadily pushing ahead towards the mighty ramparts of the Brandberg they eventually struck the dry, barren plain which heralded the approach of the Namib Desert. Forty miles to the south-west, a huge group of granite rocks - The Spitzkoppies - slowly swung into sight. Dominating all was the incredible spire of the Great Spitzkop. Wood's own description of it cannot be bettered. Most mountaineers have a keen eye for scenic beauty:

'The sight of its soaring shaft of rock towering above the surrounding wastes brought forth varied exclamations of surprise and delight. From our northerly aspect it appeared as a smooth-sided, ruddy pinnacle, sharp-pointed and clear against the horizon, its sheer faces reflecting the morning light in varied hues of pink and purple. Towards the summit it curved in a manner reminiscent of the Matterhorn, its two thousand odd feet of naked stone piercing the blue of the firmament like a great scimitar or the horn of a giant rhinoceros. The tops of its neighbours stood out on either hand."

So formidable did the Great Spitzkop look, however, that the climbers decided to prepare themselves by tackling South West Africa's highest peak first. This was the crown-shaped dome of Kdningstein (approximately 8 700 feet) which lay in the boulder-strewn Brandberg. Few had been there previously, and their visit to Koningstein turned out to be as much a journey of exploration as of mountaineering. Fatigue, lack of water and an injury to Woods who wrenched his knee, prevented a final assualt on this Brandberg giant, but the way to the top appeared comparatively easy from the point where they decided to turn back. After noting the best place for an advanced base should they ever return, the four climbers set out for Usakos - the small town which lay about twenty-eight miles from the Spitzkoppies. They had only four days left for the assault. The climbers spent the first day making a circuit of the Spitzkop by car, carefully assessing the defences of their formidable looking opponent.

The eastern slopes - where the sides of the peak showed signs of being broken up - appeared the most promising. Their reconnaissance over, they pitched camp within 100 yards of the mile-long mountain base. The following morning Le Roux and Smith left camp about 7 a.m. to make the first assault on the mountain. Woods was with them but, due to his wrenched knee, would obviously only be able to accompany his two friends during the earlier stages of the climb. In a few minutes they were threading their way through the dense accumulation of boulders which litters the lower slopes. Although the granite slopes proved very steep, the slabs were rough and the climbers - all of whom were wearing tackies (gym shoes) - moved quickly and easily upwards. To their right lay the northern face of the mountain; it appeared unclimable. Then came the main belt of rock, laced with wide cracks, all choked with massive boulders and impossible to negotiate. Forced to the left over precarious, crumbling rock, the three climbers reached a huge crack which appeared to carry almost to the top of the peak. For half an hour they carefully threaded their way up it, the crack gradually narrowing to a width of some 15 feet.

The next 100 feet were sheer, and the crack was found to be blocked by several jammed boulders. With the aid of a belay they were able to continue their advance over a large projecting block to their right. A formidable overhang now appeared in the crack, and at this point Woods wisely decided to call it a day. Smith and Le Roux tied on and, with Le Roux leading, continued upwards towards a wide ledge. Other ledges followed - none of them horizontal. On one they had to traverse a slippery, convex whaieback; it had no holds and if he slipped, there was precious little hope of holding Le Roux.

"The whaleback led to quite a large corridor, after which a ledge slanting for eighty feet to the left led to another broad ledge, not very long, both ends of which dropped off into space. In between was a very awkward-looking crack, and further to the left a deep crack that leaned back, up which Servie led. It was not sensational, but very exhausting. We were then on a narrow ledge that ended in space 30 feet to the left. Nine feet above was a level platform with very little to hold on to between. Servie, on my shoulders, could find nothing secure."

It was now getting late and, as both climbers were feeling exhausted, they wisely decided to retreat. On the way down they erected several stone beacons to guide them for their next attempt.

Recommendations: Outdoor Southern Africa