Mt Wilhelm

Destination: Mt Wilhelm

Closest town: Kundiawa

Accommodation: Betty’s Lodge

Cost: K280per/night (Includes meals)

          K10 each track fee

          K150/guide (we took 3)

          Porter K60

Difficulty: The climb isn’t too challenging.  There is some rock scrambling and walking along edges.  The guides will hold your hand. The altitude can get to you, well it did get to me.

Equipment:  You need to take food for base camp. A warm sleeping bag, snacks, warm clothes (scarf, gloves, beenie), rainproof jacket, good walking shoes and if you have them walking sticks wouldn’t go astray.

Contact: Betty +675 71005432

When my friend Katie came to visit we decided to attempt Mt Wilhelm.  Jonah, one of my teachers, who had visited Katie's classroom in Australia, came along with us. It has been his dream to climb the mountain.  We took along a security guard for good measure.

We picked up Betty at the Airport (Butterfly) Cafe.  You can get a good breakfast here.  Her husband looked at my Ford Ranger and commented that it wouldn't make it up the mountain.  We decided to give it a go.  

We stopped for a loo and coffee/diet coke stop in Kundiawa.  Then headed up the mountain.  It was great to have Betty with us to show us the way and for her wonderful inspirational stories.

As we approached the steep part of the road it started to rain.  Well the road was mushy, the tracks were deep but packed with some timber.  Off we set in low range.  Katie giving advice, me driving.  We made it through the first section with sheer determination and team work.  We swapped for the second section and Katie took the wheel as she was biting at the bit to have a drive in the PNG conditions.  We made it to the top and surprised everyone when we drove in, in the Ranger.  Up here people think that Land-cruisers are the only vehicles and what more two white girls had driven up this Ranger!  

We enjoyed our tour of the trout farm and the fresh trout for dinner.  In the morning, after breakfast and sorting out a few local guide issues we headed off for base camp.  We took our time and arrived at the lakes in the afternoon.  It was super cold!  We decided to sit around the fire with guides and ask them to tell us stories.  Apparently, this isn't usual for the trekkers. 

We cooked ourselves some veges and 2 min noodles for dinner and tried to get an early night.  My cold had finally caught up with me and I was freezing and couldn't sleep.  

At 12am the guides woke us to climb to the top but it was raining and I was concerned that if we set out in the rain we would be too cold at the top.  We waited for the rain to stop and set off at about 2.30am.

The walk was not too difficult but I had altitude sickness and felt nauseous all morning.  When we reached Christopher's corner I was shivering and the weather was coming in and the guides were worried we would be on the summit in the rain.  I was not keen to climb on rocks in the rain.  We made a decision to return home.  So we didn't reach the summit.  But we did make 4181m.

  
                 
                 


   

As we turned to come down altitude sickness got the best of me.

We paused shortly at base camp on the way down where I slept in the space blanket which warmed me for a bit until I woke shivering 45min later.  I then heated myself around the fire and we headed for Betty's Lodge.  My security guard, Sepik, was so glad to see us he cried, bless him.

We loaded up on Mt Wilhelm super cheap strawberries on the way down.  20t (10c) for a stick with strawberries sewn on. YUM.

We had a pleasant drive back and I spent the next week coughing and on antibiotics.  My tip - don't climb unless you are well.

I hope I get another chance to climb and hopefully reach the summit.

.