Trek the Kokoda Trail Travel Blog

Posts Tagged ‘safety on the track’

Carry your own pack  on the Kokoda Track?
The Pros:
*  The achievement factor – doing it tough like the diggers
*  Possible increase in your level of fitness by the end of the trek
The Cons:
*  Be fit; be very very fit. Train hard to get results. Have you got the time and inclination to do this ?
*  Consider the following scenario: The trek is well underway, your pack is too heavy; you’re not enjoying it. You begin to even hate it. Your Kokoda experience has turned decidedly sour.
Hire a porter to carry your pack on the Kokoda Track ?
The Pros:
*  The trek isn’t easy. But it’s a hell of a lot easier with a personal porter.
*  You’ll have a great trekking companion who is there to support you.
The Cons:
*  nil

Our trekkers health and safety are a major concern for us all. The Track is a remote location and if any problems are encountered along the Track it is essential that we have systems in place to handle any emergency situation.

The most important requirement is that our trek leaders have ready access to outside assistance should it be required.  Just a quick call on the satellite phone will put the Leader in contact with a Doctor back here in Australia and if there is a real medical emergency,  systems are in place to arrange for a helicopter evacuation.

From the moment one of our trekking teams departs Australia, our back up emergency operations  plan comes in to play.  24 hours a day, our operations managers  in Australia and in Port Moresby carry with them  mobile phones  linked through to our Trek leader’s satellite phone on the Track. If a call is received at any time the Operations manager carries with him a complete list of all the details of each trekker from their insurance details right through to their emergency contacts.  From back in Australia the Ops manager is therefore able to  assist the Trek leader in any emergency situation.

An enormous effort has been made around the Kokoda airstrip in March.  The entire airstrip has been slashed and mown, the new terminal area has been surveyed and cleared, 60 safety cones and 2 windsocks installed, and a signal circle cleared and painted.

The airstrip has now been cleared to the northern end of the market road. Part 2 of the safety package will see  the airstrip extended further, a new terminal building and apron and navigation and weather equipment installed later this year.

A team of Doctors, in conjunction with the Kokoda Track Authority, have recently returned from the Kokoda Track with a wealth of research information.

Over 185 trekkers on Anzac Day treks  volunteered to give a blood sample to the research teams who were strategically placed  at Iorobaiwa and Isurava .

The study data is yet to be statistically analysed, but the general message to come from the study is in keeping with similar research in competitive endurance events. Put simply to drink when you feel thirsty. The Kokoda Track places the body under significant physiological stress and a consistent, sensible fluid intake is required. Trekkers need to avoid dehydration but must resist the temptation to force themselves to drink too much fluid while on the Track.

We are often asked how fit you have to be to trek the Kokoda Trck. The answer – the fitter you are the more you will enjoy the Kokoda Track. Trekking the Kokoda Track is tough and physically and mentally challenging. Your personal training programme starts as soon as you book your trek and you need to make fitness preparation part of your lifestyle.

The Kokoda Track is tough – You will need this ingredient more than any other for the trek. In your preparation, be tough on yourself. Set your training goals and stick to them. If it means getting up earlier to train, then do it. If it means dieting, cutting back on alcohol, coffee etc, then do it. If it means forfeiting social engagements, then do it. Don’t compromise with yourself under any circumstances. Every additional step you take and every sacrifice you make will pay incredible dividends for you somewhere on the Track.

Trekking the Kokoda Track requires mental preparation – Travelling in a remote, underdeveloped country like Papua New Guinea requires patience, flexibility and a positive attitude. The local people have a more relaxed, easy-going attitude to life than most Westerners. You may have to wait longer for service in a shop, hotel or restaurant than you would expect to back home. We don’t look upon these things as problems, merely facts of life in PNG. If you are open-minded, relaxed and strive to be happy, your travels will be rewarding and unforgettable.

We have created a few videos with tips for getting fit for trekking the Kokoda Track. Have a look at our Fitness on the Kokdoa Track page or visit our You Tube channel: youtube.com/trekkokoda