One of my favorite campsites of all of the time we’ve spent Overlanding in Africa has to be Spitzkoppe in Namibia. Spitzkoppe is nicknamed the Matterhorn of the south, or ‘pointed dome’ translated from German.
The highlight feature of Spitzkoppe is the rock formations that spring up high out of the earth. The crown jewel of the formations is Spitzkoppe mountain, which comes to a sharp peak high above the flat desert landscape.
In addition to the main Spitzkoppe mountain, there are a few clusters of massive rock formations. We set up camp on the base of one of many rock formations for the night.
On our 2014 Overlanding trip with Acacia Africa, we arrived in Spitzkoppe, Namibia, on a nearly full moon. The air was clear and cool without a cloud in the sky. Even with the moon being full, the sky was packed with stars.
Normally, the moon reflects light within the moisture and particles in the air, making it hard to see the stars. However, the sky around Spitzkoppe was so clear and far removed from the world we still saw a ton of stars.
Visiting Spitzkoppe on a full moon might have actually helped the photos. The moon was so bright it felt like daytime, and we walked around without headlamps for most of the night. The moon also lights up the rock formations, adding a unique element to the night photos of Spitzkoppe.
I got out my tripod and followed my steps to take night photos in Africa and got a few of my favorite photos of our entire trip to Africa.
As amazing as the main rock formation in Spitzkoppe was, I think the rock we parked our overland truck next to was nearly as impressive. The rock dwarfs our 20-meter long truck in what seemed like a single piece of stone.
The other interesting thing about these stones are how smooth they look. Sands have swept across these rocks of millions of years giving them a smooth and rounded look that’s unlike anything I have seen before. A trip to Namibia wouldn’t be complete without camping in Spitzkoppe.
Jasper
Sunday 27th of December 2015
Great photos, well done! Spitzkoppe is also our favourite campsite, the views are absolutely breathtaking, both day and night. Yet, we have never had such a clear and beautiful sky as you had: reason to go back soon!