Have you ever wondered how it feels like to attend a festival at one of the most astonishing rock formations of Namibia? The answer is not that simple, but I can guarantee you that it is an experience for in the books.
From 5 – 7 November the BAR-HP Festival was held at Spitzkoppe campsite, BAR-HP stands for Between a Rock and a Hard Place. The festival housed approximately 150 partygoers who were ready to have an unforgettable adventure in the mountainous surrounding of Spitzkoppe.
The music that was reverberating against the rock sides of the formation was a mix of Techno, Afro Tech, House, Tech House and Disco. When the night fell the sky revealed a countless number of stars and if you were lucky, you could even see some falling ones!
During the day the festival transformed into a huge chill gathering with visitors trying to get rid of their first hangover. Thanks to the tents to rest, a sun heated pool and numerous rocks to lay down and chill on the hangover turned in to a rather unjoyful experience. Along the day the music played by the many DJ’s attending the festival turned from relaxing vibes to more harder techno bangers. During the day different trips to the Rock arche and peaks of Spitzkoppe were offered. Unfortunately, I was feeling the music, so I decided to stay on the campsite and enjoy numerous cold beverages in the sun heated pool.
As the sunset was approaching, we decided to climb up the mountain located next to the campsite. From here we were enjoying a spectacular view overlooking the flatlands of Damaraland with the sun slowly disappearing on the horizon. Of course, this view was accompanied by a glass of the finest whiskey coke I had in many years (partly because of the view presumably). During the last night, the party really started to pop-up and I had the feeling everybody started dancing like their life depended on it. The rock formation was lit up with a combination of disco and colorful lights which simulated the feeling of being on a far far away planet somewhere in a foreign galaxy.
The next morning it was time to enjoy a somewhat healthy breakfast and pack up our tents so we could prepare for our journey in convoy back to Windhoek. After all, I have tried to explain how it feels like to attend a festival at one of the most astonishing rock formations in Namibia. Though, I feel like words are not able to describe.