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For those that have been – what did you ask your doctors for in terms of a fitness letter. I know my Doctor will only want to follow some sort of Medical guideline like a Mines medical or Track permit etc.
This probably isn't the right thing to say but we didn't get a medical certificate before we left. We did see our doctor for a complete physical though, more for peace of mind for us, but never got anything in writing.
Donnahey Jafa,
I did the same thing, just had to get a clearance from my op in Feb, the dr just took my blood pressure, but he did do a complete blood test. You will be fine, I stressed as well before I went, and I can tell you NOTHING will prepare you for it, being pysically fit helps, but when you start to climb…. We had some pretty fit boys in our group, and they struggled, but we had 5 ladies in our group, I was the youngest at 49, the eldest was 65, and one turned 60 on the track, all of us had someone who had fought up there and the ages varied from 10 – 68, there were three groups, one walked from Ower's – Kokoda, we walked from Kokoda to Isurava and back, and the other group walked with us to Isruava then on to Ower's. so although I havn't done the whole track, I have walked both up & down ( from kokoda). Anthony is 64 kg dripping wet, and he carried his own pack, 20kg, there and back. I can tell you it's a mind thing, stay focused and positive, never doubt you can do it, and don't be a hero, if you have to get rid of your pack, do it, remember you paid a lot of money to do this, and you can grab a porter along the way if you have to, just get your trek leader to organise it for you, there is NO shame in giving up your pack.. just for the record, the soldiers didn't carry their packs, they carried their rations and a rifle, dad's entry in his diary' We trekked very lightly, bearing rifles, Thompson sub-machine guns or Lewis guns, the native bearers took the heavier equipment & rations, we marched in battle order, haversacks on our backs containing bully beef & biscuits for two days' ( although I didn't tell Anthony this, until AFTER we got back to Kokoda!)
I speak pidgin and had some great conversations at 4.30am with the boys cause I couldn't sleep, and found out that the majority that insist on carrying thier packs & fail is because they won't give up their pack, honestly the boys can't understand this at all, that's why they are there and remember, they have little money, for most of them the money they earn from being porters feeds thier family for a month, so if you think of it that way, you are actually helping them.
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