Restricted Access

Permits from the Namibia Heritage Foundation must be obtainded before entering the Brandberg Conservancy Area. Bolting is proscribed.

400m, 13 pitches. Begin by starting up the obvious right leaning ramp until it is possible to traverse directly left into the hanging corner system that forms the route.

Pitch 1: Grade 20, 50m. Traverse left into corner (17, little to no gear) and then follow corner through a series of perched flakes and pillars and onto a bucket seat stance on left wall. Big gear needed for anchor.
Pitch 2: Grade 21, 25m. Continue up the corner in the off-width until a small stance after the crack pinches down.
Pitch 3: Grade 21, 35m. Continue up the hand and finger crack, past a horn and into another crack system above until a break in the right hand wall provides a stance.
Pitch 4: Grade 21, 35m. Follow the clean crack above into a chimney, wrestle out of the chimney into the short over-hanging hand crack above and stop at the large ledge (1 X 3 meters) at the base of the “enduro” corner- which starts with a rightward arching crack.
Pitch 5 and 6: Grade 25 and 24. 75m. The first ascent party did one 45m pitch and then one 30m pitch, stopping at a slight foot rail on the right face. Many of the same cam sizes are needed for these pitches and will dictate your belays. The final belay is in a cave at the base of a wide crack above.
Pitch 7: Grade 26, 20m. Stem up the off-width until it is possible to exit right, and then move back left (2 pins) and into a different crack system where the grade eases considerably.
Pitch 8: Grade 13, 30 m. Continue up the easier ground until you reach the ramp system that cuts the upper face.
Pitches 9-13: These are all much more moderate climbing and involve the leader in the chimney systems or out on the exposed face. Continue up the ramp system until it is possible to cut back left to the summit for the quickest finish.

Descent: Follow the ridge west to the notch between the main face and the sub spires. Allow ample time to route find around large boulders and notches. It helps to spot this descent from the ground before you start climbing. An alternative descent is to descend to the east and then the south, then finally to the west, behind the summit, otherwise known as the hiking route. We determined that the notch was a quicker descent, albeit more technical.

Rack: 1 #6, 1 #5, 2 #4, 3 #3, 3 #2, 3# 1, 3 #.75, 2 #.5, 2 #.4, 2 #.3, and single set of micro cams underneath this size. Full set of nuts. Single rope.

Majka Burhardt, Peter Doucette, Kate Rutherford 2010.

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