The other day, Cedric and I set out for Mt. Wilhelm, the highest point in Papua New Guinea (PNG). At 4,509 metres, it is the highest point in Oceania. To put it into perspective, it is higher than Mt. Whitney (the highest point in the conterminous U.S.), and more than twice as high as Mt. Kosciuszko (the highest point in Australia). After all the effort made the other day to get here, we were supposed to set out at 1 AM yesterday morning but I woke up feeling sick. When I set out on the Inca Trail years ago I got sick the day before as well. Giand, our guide, Cedric, and myself contemplated what to do as we sat over a coffee but I was feeling so bad I could barely move. Running on very little sleep only made me feel worse. Giand suggested we sleep for a few hours and set out at 7 or 8 AM, but I successfully talked both of them into us all having a rest day at the hut and then setting out at 1 AM today.
With the Kokoda Track off for now, I told myself it’d be personally devastating if I couldn’t make it to the summit. Whilst I’ve never had an interest in technical climbing, I love the challenge of climbing mountains. Up at 1 AM we were and I still wasn't 100% but we made our coffee and dressed warm. Giand told us we had to get moving because the clouds roll in not long after sunrise. With my jumper, windbreaker, and a shirt to cover my nose, we were out the door at 1 AM sharp. Giand's sister appeared out of the darkness as we began our walk. It turned out her and her partner had walked a long way from a village on the other side of the mountain. Not even 10 minutes into the walk I was warm enough that I had to shed some layers. Since I was wearing long pants, I had to deal with them getting a bit wet due to brushing past wet plants. As Giand and Cedric were walking fast, I had to stop for breaks every few minutes. I thought Mt. Fuji was tough, but Mt. Wilhelm is even tougher! It's more than 700 metres higher and I'm 7 1/2 years older, but I kept telling myself I have to pull this off. When I'm determined, I'm very hard on myself. The elevation of base camp is approximately 3,600 metres, and by the time we reached approximately 4,000 metres I could really feel the difference. This is seriously one tough climb! I'll admit I came very close to saying "I can't go any further" but I just had to press on, even as I had to breathe deep whilst feeling my heart pound. I just had to make it, and I was just that freaking determined! After about a five minute break, we ascended even higher, and I had a bit more energy since I was feeling the euphoria of potentially reaching the summit. Another thing that made this climb even more difficult is that the batteries in my head torch are flat, even though I only replaced them recently. Cold weather can flatten batteries quickly, and I was resigned to using the torch on my solar-powered charger (which meant I couldn't have both hands free). For the final stretch I could make out a bit of light, and we had to walk around toward the top like a twisting ice cream. One more break would give me enough energy for the last push. Just after 6 AM I was on the roof of Papua New Guinea!
On a clear day it's possible to see both coasts. The sunrise was magical!
I feel like I could walk straight to heaven from up here and not have any regrets. Unsurprisingly it was very cold, as there is no land at this altitude for thousands of kilometres around. Mt. Wilhelm is regarded as one of the Seven Summits since it's the highest point in Oceania (although that status is often disputed since Puncak Jaya, in Indonesian Papua, is higher). For more than half hour we sat blissfully at the top, relishing our achievement. I made it. I freaking made it! Climbing Mt. Wilhelm will be up there as one of my greatest travel accomplishments. With the ability to put our torches away, we began our long descent. This is where the beauty of these mountains comes in.
One thing that really surprised me is the amount of rubbish and graffiti I've seen. Spent batteries and plastic wrapping are present even at the summit. When Giand changed the batteries in his torch I advised him to put the spent batteries in my bilum bag and I'll put them in the rubbish when we're off the mountain. The sun was out but, foolishly, I forgot my sunscreen. We could see base camp even not far from the top but it was a long (and scenic) walk down.
Along the way we passed some human bones. These are those of a trekker who decided to set out with no jacket or shoes, and succumbed to hypothermia.
I learned my lesson in New Zealand a few years ago about trekking unprepared, as things like this can happen. It was a long day already, and after hundreds of snaps and thousands of steps, I was ready for a rest at base camp. Giand would tell us that we'd have to get moving fairly quickly since it rains in the afternoon. The clouds rolled in early today as the beauty of the lakes didn't disappoint.
At 11 AM we were back at base camp, and the first thing I did was throw myself on my camping mat whilst Giand boiled the kettle for a coffee. Rain came down only about five minutes after we got back. What an accomplishment! I can't believe I climbed Mt. Wilhelm. As one friend quickly pointed out, it's probably an even bigger challenge than Kokoda. Despite being so exhausted, I'm already thinking about how I'd love to climb more mountains.
After a coffee and lunch, we had to head back to Keglsugl. Giand's younger brother would carry my bag, but I should point out that in PNG, "brother" and "sister" as terms are used very loosely, so a brother may not necessarily mean a biological brother. Giand would invite us to stay at his home when we got back to Keglsugl, and he was able to negotiate a discount for the second night at base camp. Overall, I give him five stars as a guide as he accepted a bit less money when we spoke with him, was understanding when I got sick, and then invited us to his home. After walking through the rain it was nice to put my feet in front of the fire. Everyone else can go to heaven, I'll happily go to Mt. Wilhelm.
Because in the end, you won't remember the time working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that damn mountain. -Jack Kerouac
