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Our boys thrive in the wet season as this is where they call home. As we are all locally based we know the wet season, we know the the time it is raining and when it is not.
Our guys in Kokoda say the wet season is best of all as if you are truly looking for the adventure of a lifetime, its really fun testing yourself against all odds to cut trees for river crossings, make flying foxes to get packs across, tie ropes, build rafts, make fires out of damp/wet wood, and trudge along in the mud for a couple of hours in the swampy area.
Last night I was reading an article on Fox Sports re the Hawks'
AFL football team Kokoda warning. All about the guys presently out on the track with Brian Freeman and the hardships they might face due to the wet season. The wet season has not even started as yet. A trek in July this year with the Australian High Commission and Federal Police saw the highest rainfall since 1963 and in Frank Taylor's words was supposed to be in the dry season and a safe time to trek.I trekked myself in November which is usually the first month that everyone gets scared to trek. My guides and porters said it was no where near as wet as some of the times they trekked in the supposed to be dry season from May through to October.
As we have a base radio in our home we hear constrantly all trekking companies who walk the trail. At the moment the AFL guys have got perfect conditions none different to 99% of all our other treks throughout 2004.
Check it out for yourselves:
CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE
At the moment I have an experienced Sogeri Guide by the name of Eric here who finished a two day trek yesterday afternoon out to Ua'ule Creek and back. I showed him the article on Fox Sports and he started laughing.
He said conditions yesterday were perfect just like when I was out there myself two weeks back.
Whether you trek in the wet or dry, Kokoda is a trail where you have to be careful all year round. The terrain is full of three roots most of the way and in some areas where there is just plain dirt, this is slippery and I myself ended up going, going, gone and on my bottom 13 times.
Now that I am finished, the achievement one feels is hard to describe and now I look back on slipping over as part of the fun of my adventure. In dangerous places where you could really injure yourself, if you hire a personal porter he will do everything in his power to make sure you are safe.
I mentioned to Russell (veteran of 287 treks) how we have never had more injuries than a couple of sprained ankles. He replied, we teach our trekkers what to look out for. We teach them how to put their feet when walking over tree roots.
In river crossings we tell them which stones to avoid and which ones they can put their weight on. Most times we walk ahead so we tell them to follow what we are doing and which stones we are stepping on as this is our backyard and we know it well.
I must say I was a good student and I listened and done what was asked of me all the way from Ower's Corner to Kokoda and apart from slipping over in parts I had no problems whatsoever but my eyes were always glued to the ground.
Hope this helps a little to show that yes an AFL football club can walk in December and not do any more harm than any other month of the year.
Footnote: Re the Kokoda Trail: You could injure yourself any time you trek. It takes full concentration day in day out to walk safely and carefully. It is achievable, I proved that, but it has to be taken seriously and any club with its star performers would need to think twice before taking them on the Kokoda Trail as yes they could sprain an ankle real easy.
Having said that in 400 + trekkers in 2004 we can count on one hand the amount of people who sprained their ankles. Good boots, and ankle strapping is the way to go and care where you place your feet.
Article in todays Post Courier's 'the drum' – Thursday, December 9, 2004:
SO far so good with the AFL Hawthorn Hawks players, doing their much criticised trek along our Kokoda Track. They were warned against doing it and told they'd come to grief doing it in the worst time of the year.
But they reportedly made it to "Brigade Hill", along the track yesterday and stopped to hold a service to commemorate a victory by the Diggers there 62 years ago.
Bet they enjoyed the break!
unquote:
CLICK HERE to be taken to the Post Courier's website address:
Saw on the news last night that the AFL Hawks made it back home, WELL DONE GUYS you have joined the KOKODA CLUB!!!
CLICK HERE to read about their adventures on the Kokoda Trail:
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