Another morning pressing my nose to a glass pane, this time the window belonging to a security escorted corporate mini-bus which was delivering us to Onge Village for the start of our trek
We drive along the Highlands Highway heading northeast.
The pages of Phillip Bradley's detailed account of the Ramu Valley Campaign "On Shaggy Ridge" come alive as we traverse the Markham and Ramu valleys.
The battle for Shaggy Ridge was to protect this valuable and strategic parcel of land, well suited to airfields, the establishment and protection of which were crucial in this campaign.
A vast valley floor, approximately 185km long and enclosed on three sides by mountain ranges, I spy cattle grazing, sugar cane plantations and the occasional chicken farm.
We pass through Kaiapit, scene of the first pivotal battle of the campaign. Unfortunately we do not stop here, not sure whether it was due to time constraints, visitor permission issue or another problem which we discovered was evolving over the morning's journey.
We turn off the Highlands Highway onto the Ramu Highway, and towards the foothills of the Finisterre Ranges. The dry dusty grasslands contrast with the green, jungle clad hills and mountain ranges and I am mesmerised by the scenery. This is the first of many "pinch myself to believe I am actually here" moments over the next 6 days.
Nothing seems easy in PNG and the logistics and planning of this type of trek is not an easy task.
In fact, it is hard work, as we were about to find out.
We arrive at Onge Village after a 3.5 hour drive and introduced to our local guide Titus who whisks our trek leaders away to brief them on a small problem that requires their intervention.
A small obstacle - the village chief demanding extra monetary funds before we could proceed on the trek. There was a real threat that we would not be able to continue. To think that we had travelled thousands of kilometres and taken two and a half days to reach this place, we could be literally stopped in our tracks.....
While the negotiations were taking place, we had lunch, met our porters and sorted out our backpacks, rations and group gear. I meet my porter, Leipus who will prove to be a dedicated and attentive companion over the course of the trek.
Still with no resolution, our group decided to stage an impromptu concert for the locals. We "entertained" the audience with solo performances by Jesse on his ocarina, Simon on bagpipes and duets by Will and myself on our new-found recorders.
We drive along the Highlands Highway heading northeast.
The pages of Phillip Bradley's detailed account of the Ramu Valley Campaign "On Shaggy Ridge" come alive as we traverse the Markham and Ramu valleys.
The battle for Shaggy Ridge was to protect this valuable and strategic parcel of land, well suited to airfields, the establishment and protection of which were crucial in this campaign.
A vast valley floor, approximately 185km long and enclosed on three sides by mountain ranges, I spy cattle grazing, sugar cane plantations and the occasional chicken farm.
We pass through Kaiapit, scene of the first pivotal battle of the campaign. Unfortunately we do not stop here, not sure whether it was due to time constraints, visitor permission issue or another problem which we discovered was evolving over the morning's journey.
We turn off the Highlands Highway onto the Ramu Highway, and towards the foothills of the Finisterre Ranges. The dry dusty grasslands contrast with the green, jungle clad hills and mountain ranges and I am mesmerised by the scenery. This is the first of many "pinch myself to believe I am actually here" moments over the next 6 days.
Nothing seems easy in PNG and the logistics and planning of this type of trek is not an easy task.
In fact, it is hard work, as we were about to find out.
We arrive at Onge Village after a 3.5 hour drive and introduced to our local guide Titus who whisks our trek leaders away to brief them on a small problem that requires their intervention.
A small obstacle - the village chief demanding extra monetary funds before we could proceed on the trek. There was a real threat that we would not be able to continue. To think that we had travelled thousands of kilometres and taken two and a half days to reach this place, we could be literally stopped in our tracks.....
While the negotiations were taking place, we had lunch, met our porters and sorted out our backpacks, rations and group gear. I meet my porter, Leipus who will prove to be a dedicated and attentive companion over the course of the trek.
Still with no resolution, our group decided to stage an impromptu concert for the locals. We "entertained" the audience with solo performances by Jesse on his ocarina, Simon on bagpipes and duets by Will and myself on our new-found recorders.
Eventually, thanks to his networking, experience and calm reassuring manner, a very tactful and diplomatic meeting between Reg Yates, one of our trek leaders, and the village chief, resolved the conflict with no extra money changing hands and at last we could “head for the hills”.
Phew! What a relief! We were fortunate to have engaged the services of a company which had excellent links with the local communities and key personnel.
Note to self:
Reputable experienced tour operators are highly recommended.
We leave Onge Village crossing our first creek only 100 metres down the track, then walk through a large palm plantation.
After about half an hour, we emerge from the shade and commence a steady incline following old vehicle tracks into the foothills. Walking in the heat of the afternoon coupled with high humidity makes for hot and sticky work. But this is exactly how I imagined hiking in the tropics to be!
Reputable experienced tour operators are highly recommended.
We leave Onge Village crossing our first creek only 100 metres down the track, then walk through a large palm plantation.
After about half an hour, we emerge from the shade and commence a steady incline following old vehicle tracks into the foothills. Walking in the heat of the afternoon coupled with high humidity makes for hot and sticky work. But this is exactly how I imagined hiking in the tropics to be!
After another hour's walking, the landscape starts to change as we ascend into rainforest. This is when you realise how many shades of green there is in Mother Nature's palette. We head for Aginau Village and arrive there just after 4.30pm. The first day's walking is done - all 6.5kms of it.
Time to set up camp, Leipus erected my tent first to demonstrate the correct procedure to the other carriers. The Faria River is a 10 minute downhill walk from camp. We take advantage of the opportunity to bathe as we will have no such luxuries for the next 2 days. This is one of the true joys of tropical hiking - to wash in cascading creeks is a sublime experience.
It's another one of those "pinch yourself" moments....I think I may have come down with a serious case of ridge top fever!
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