Konigstein, Namibia Highpoint

Konigstein, Namibia Highpoint

Aug 4, 2025

Eric Gilbertson 

Elevation 2573.17m +/-0.11m EGM2008 

Location -21.149919, 14.577509

True summit is boulder 60m south of trig pillar

Aug 3 – evening flight Luanda to Windhoek, drive to Uis
Aug 4 – hike konigstein, camp at trailhead
Aug 5 – drive to Windhoek
Aug 6 – morning flight out of Windhoek

I was in southern Africa climbing country highpoints and had just finished Morro do Moco, the Angola Highpoint. Next on the agenda was Namibia. 

The highest point in Namibia is Konigstein, a point on Brandberg Mountain. The peak is in a protected park and a permit and guide are required by law. I emailed Lucia at the park office in early July and requested dates for the climb. Current park policy is that the climb must be done in at least two days. The park will not give a permit for a single day hike, likely because guides do not want to do it all in one day (about 19 miles). 

I got permission to do the climb Aug 4-5, then I filled out some forms and wired the climbing fee to the Namibian bank account of the park. 

The normal process is then Lucia sends the contact phone number for the local guide assigned to the climb, and the client coordinates with the guide where and when to meet. There are many different guides in the area. 

There was some sort of communication error and by the time I landed in Windhoek I still hadn’t received information about my guide, even though I was told I had the permit. So I just planned to drive to Uis and start asking around.

I rented a 2wd SUV, and that was the cheapest vehicle capable of getting to the trailhead. A small car could get to Uis, but high clearance is needed to get from Uis to the trailhead. 4wd is recommended for the soft sand, but not strictly required. 

I picked up my SUV from Bluu and started driving at 830pm. After two hours on the road I realized the car rental agent had not returned my passport or driver’s license to me after making copies of them (and I’d forgotten to ask). So I had no form of ID on me. This can be problematic in Africa because of the numerous police checkpoints. In fact, I’d already made it through one and luckily just gotten waived through. 

At that point it was too late to drive back and get the passport and license since the rental place was closed. I could wait until morning, but then I would not make it to Uis until afternoon and the guide might say there was not enough time for the mountain. So that would likely mean abandoning the climb. 

I decided to take my chances and continue to Uis. I had pictures of both IDs on my phone, and plenty of cash. That combination could probably get me through any checkpoints. Along the way I stopped at a gas station and stocked up on water and food. 

There was a good paved road to Omaruru, then a decent gravel road from there to Uis. I arrived just outside Uis by 130am and found a side road to pull out on and sleep. 

By 730am the next morning I drove to the one gas station in town and asked where I might find a guide. They directed me to the Uis Rest Camp. Inside I talked to the receptionist and she gave me a wifi password, which was great because my phone didn’t get service in Namibia. 

I found Lucia had sent me a message the previous night while I was driving. I called her up on Whatsapp and she apologized for the confusion and gave me the phone number for my guide. 

My guide was at a place called White Lady Painting. He had his hiking shoes stored at the rest camp so I picked those up first.  I drove 30 minutes over there, picked him up, and we continued to the trailhead. This involves driving on some rough unmarked side roads, and I was happy to have my guide directing. They definitely required high clearance, and tall grass was scraping on the undercarriage. In a few places I nearly got stuck in the loose sand, but made it through by maintaining momentum. 

By 11am we made it to the trailhead and started hiking with two days of food, a tent, and sleeping bags. I packed 6 liters of water in case there was none up there. 

The original plan was to hike to a campsite at the edge of the summit plateau that day. Then the next day we would summit and return. My guide estimated we might not get back to the trailhead until 8pm the next day given the late start. That would work for me, though it seemed like a long time for that distance. 

We made steady progress, but by noon my guide wasn’t feeling well. I suggested he could just return to the trailhead and I could hike up and back that day, and do it as a day hike. I showed him the map on my phone. I think based on our hour of hiking he got the impression that I would be ok by myself, so he agreed. I gave him my overnight gear to carry down, then continued on my own.

The trail is not very well defined, but luckily there are rock cairns frequently enough to follow. Jonathan R had also given me his GPS track, which was super helpful. Despite it being winter it was still hot in the sun and I was happy to have brought 6 liters of water, even for a day hike. Though, my pack was pretty heavy. 

The trees and bushes were very unique there, not like I’d seen in any other parts of Africa. I heard it usually only rains once every four years in that area, but they’d just had a big rain storm in March. So the plants were all green, even though the rain had fallen five months earlier.

I soon crested the plateau, then continued on mostly flat or rolling terrain. I passed a few good campsites with fire rings, and was pleased to see no trash anywhere.

 

Higher up there were actually a few pools of water in a meadow, which was surprising. By 5pm I made the final scramble up and reached the trig pillar and summit cairn. 

I took out my DA2 and set it up on the highest boulder that was not obviously part of the cairn. Nearby there was a big radio tower and solar panel. 

I’d read in 2024 Rob Woodall used a hand level to measure a big boulder about 60m south of the trig pillar was actually slightly higher than the highest natural rock at the trig pillar. I checked with my Abney level and I agreed it was slightly taller.

To be certain, though, after 30 minutes I moved the DA2 over to that boulder and took another 30 minute measurement. Indeed, the RTK elevation was showing higher, though I would need to process later to be certain.

By 6pm I packed up and started heading down. The sun soon set, and then it was a lot harder to find the faint trail. I managed to stay on it, though, and my watch GPS track from my ascent was very helpful. 

I made good progress down, and when I left the plateau I saw the light of a fire in the distance. By 10pm I reached the trailhead where my guide was waiting by the fire. He was doing fine, and we hung out until the fire died out. Then we pitched tents and camped out at the trailhead. 

The next morning we drove out, and I gave my guide a ride to Karibib. I then continued to Windhoek and stayed at a cheap hostel before flying out the next morning to Gaborone.

Survey Results: the  true summit is the boulder 60m south of the trig pillar, elevation 2573.17m +/-0.11m EGM2008. This is 0.23m taller

than the highest point near the trig pillar not part of the artificial cairn (2572.94m +/-0.16m). This is common with survey markers. Markers are often placed in locations that make sense to survey, not necessarily the highest ground. In this case the trig pillar is placed on a broader, flatter rock surface, while the true highpoint is a smaller, more exposed boulder that would not work well for the trig pillar. 

It’s possible there was or is some higher natural rock underneath the trig pillar, but that’s difficult to ascertain since it was covered in concrete to make the pillar. 

Technical document detailing my measurements: Brandber Mountain-Konigstein Elevation Survey

 

© 2025, egilbert@alum.mit.edu. All rights reserved.