Mount Wilhelm – Sunrise above the clouds

This weekend was a weekend full of travel and hiking. We went to climb Mount Wilhelm, the highest mountain in PNG. It was great and full of new impressions and I like to be a bit more detailed than usual.

On Friday at 1PM Locklain (an Australian Cocoa-trader) met us (Fabienne and myself) at the University, we loaded the car and went on to pick up Sarah and Cara (Australian and American Medical Malaria Researchers). As we had a pick up, the most of us where sitting at the back of the truck. Luckily without rain and a good chance to catch a serious sunburn.

Fabienne & Frauke

Our first part of the trip took us after 5 hours to Goroka, a town in the highlands of PNG at about 2000m. The way up to Goroka was already spectacular: first the nice jungle-area of the coast and then the steep mountain panorama of the highlands.

driving up to Goroka

By the way: the roads are bad. Even when they are sealed, which is not always the case they have huge potholes and water-dips. But the car had a good suspension and the mattresses where thick , so we could enjoy most of the trip. In Goroka we stayed at Linda and Nils’s (Dutch Medical Interns) place and went on the next morning at 6 AM with them together to Kundiawa on a fairly good road in 2 hours. In Kundiawa we filled up water resources and bought food. Then the last 30km to the last village before Mt Wilhelm took us 3 hours, as the road can be described as barely more than a track build of rocks and river beds. It was so bumpy that I was feeling every bone already, but the views where spectacular. The mountain scenery ist just breathtaking. Reaching the village we had a short break, unloaded the car and got our guides recruited. The cost for a guide for two days is 100 Kina. Everybody had an assigned guide, and around 2 PM we went up for the base camp, which I thought would be a casual walk. In reality it was a serious hike up the mountains for about 3 hours.

Hike up and the area of the base camp

The fact that it was a terrific bush walking area, through exotic jungle atmosphere became completely uninteresting when it started to rain for the last hour. The ground became slippery and muddy, giving the guides all hands full to do to get us up to base camp at 3200m. Finally we arrived, all soaked wet and freezing like dogs, as the temperature was about 3 degrees. All of us were cold and most of our spare clothes got wet, too. But with some creativity and throwing together what everybody had we were able to have everybody in some sort of dry clothing for the evening. While some of the guides were cooking some rice, chicken and veggies for our dinner and tried to get our clothes dry over the open fire we were staying in our sleeping bags to get warm again. After fetching a quick food we went straight to sleep and when the alarm went off at 1 AM the next morning I was not sure at all if I want to get up. But Linda, the Dutch energy packet motivated Nils, Locklain and myself in such a determining drill-sergeant-style, that there was no chance for opting out. Especially when the guides handed me over my dry shoes and clothes – no excuse anymore!
So at about 2 AM we were standing under a stunning star sky with beanies, gloves, scarves, our headlamps, equipped with walking stick and enough water to start our climb to the summit.

After a short time I already realized that it would be very difficult for me to reach the top: my pulse was pumping constantly at 130bpm and a slight headache started. But we went on slowly climbing under the beautiful clear sky meter by meter. Although we did not see much in the darkness it was just wonderful. Climbing next to a waterfall and seeing the reflection of the moonlight in the glacier lakes under us. The track was muddy and slippery on grass spots, later easier over stone and rocks. I learned to use my walking stick effectively for both security and energy saving. We climbed on, having a break every 15-20 minutes to refuel with water. With every meter we got higher the temperature went down to about -5 degrees. The breaks were shorter to avoid cooling down too much. Although we were walking relatively slowly, after 3 ½ hours at around 4200m my body was not able to cope with the altitude anymore. My heartbeat was running and I became drowsy. Locklain started to have issues already a bit earlier, so we devided the group and had Nils and Linda walking on at normal pace. They spent the last three weeks in Goroka at 2000m and seemed to be coping better with the altitude (plus simply being fitter than us, I suppose). But as descending in the darkness was not an option and waiting in this temperatures would have been sheer madness, our guides pushed Locklain and me further up the mountain until we reached a ridge were we got some shelter from the icy wind. We were at the ridge at about 6AM when the first dawn was coming up. Although I was having huge difficulties in the altitude, feeling dizzy with a slow brain, unable to put together a useful sentence in English I enjoyed the most beautiful sunrise high above the clouds. The guides had chosen a perfect spot for us: we were seeing to both sides of the country for hundreds of kilometers, not up to the sea (this is only possible from the summit), but still a view I will keep in my memory for the rest of my life.

As soon as the sun was up we stared our descent to get out of the altitude. And it is true what they say about altitude problems, just about 100m lower I was already getting better, realizing more of the beautiful mountains around me and being able to smile again.

When we found a nice spot after about 2 hours at the higher one of the two glacier lakes we rested for about one hour and had a nap in the warming sunlight. Actually we intended to stay there and wait to see Nils and Linda coming down and do the last part with them together, but we had not enough food with us and had to go for the base camp and arrived back at noon. The three girls, Fabienne, Cara and Sara had already packed their bags and went down to the village while we were waiting for the Dutchies to get back. They arrived at 1:30PM, Linda surprisingly fit and good mooded, Nils completely scattered. We fed them with high-sugar biscuits and peanut butter toast and black tea. Half an hour later we also went for the descent from base camp to the mountain village Gunop. My legs hurt and were shaky going down, but we were all in a good mood and were making fun on the way down.
Linda & Frauke

Seth, my great guide!

The Mt Wilhelm Travel Bunch!

Then we quickly packed the car, paid the guides, enjoyed the strawberries their wives had picked for us, made a last group photo and went off towards Kundiawa on that terrible road. At 22h we arrived in Goroka after a very loooong day. For the trip to Madang next Monday morning we were joined by Anthony, a british Anthropologist and his Belgian Friend Alaina. It was great fun driving back and I have enjoyed it a lot.

At night we had a final round-up beer at the Madang Lodge, exchanged photos and all agreed on having had a terrific weekend!!!