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Today we welcomed to PNG two guys who are doing things differently to the 'norm'! Would you believe, Erden Eruc and Douglas Hilderbrand are going to be the first with Kokoda Trekking to walk all the way from Oro Bay to Kokoda and finish at Port Moresby CBD. Tomorrow they will fly into Popondetta and meet up with their guide and friend for the next few days, Wayne Urina.
When I first explained to Wayne what these guys wanted to do I think he thought they must be crazy…what no PMV ride from Popondetta to Kokoda…I replied NO, they want to walk all the way.
Not only that when they arrive at Guria airport they want to be driven down to 'Oro Bay' to commence their walk. Wayne took it all on board and agreed to be their guide and walk with them. Keep in mind that Wayne is the second fastest man to ever cross the Kokoda Track so pardon the pun but this should be a 'walk in the park' for someone with his level of fitness.
After they arrive in Kokoda by the 17th November, they will overnight at our base, Orohaven Kokoda Retreat and rest their legs. The following day, 18th November they will join up with another trekker who will be flying into Kokoda by the name of Joanne and will commence their Kokoda trek.
However just to be different again, Erden and Douglas along with Wayne will not be picked up by motor vehicle at Owers' Corner but intend to walk all the way to Port Moresby to finish their trek.
You may wonder about the reasons behind such a trek. If so, why not click on to Erden's website and learn a little about the man. However, I will wet your appetite by posting something here for you:
Annals Of Adventure–Around-N-Over: It's pretty hard to make anyone's jaw drop these days, when there are so so few firsts, and so many gimmicks and so many pretenders in the world of adventure. But every once in a while, some maniac comes up with an adventure idea that makes you sit back and say: "Holy sh*t! I can't believe he/she is going to do that!" Well, meet Erden Eruc, a Turkish-born American who plans to climb the six highest summits on six continents. No big deal, you say. Lots of people have done that, and hit the highest summit in Antarctica to boot. True, true. But no one has ever done it…ENTIRELY UNDER HUMAN POWER! What do I mean? I mean Eruc will not just climb the mountains, he will get to them by either bicycling or rowing. No cars, no jets, no nothing with a combustion engine. Just Erden Eruc burning millions of calories as he circles the globe in one of the most ambitious quests I have come across. It is also a poignant one, because Eruc added the mountain climbing wrinkle to this project to honor his great friend and mentor Goran Kropp, who died in a climbing accident in 2002. Eruc, who is based in Seattle, has already bicycled to, and climbed, Denali. Now he's peddling his way south toward Florida, where he'll hit the high seas and row his way to Ecuador, so he can bike to Aconcagua. Here's the full, ridiculous, itinerary:
- The circumnavigation journey began in California in a rowboat, crossing the Pacific Ocean and the Bismarck Sea to reach Finsch Harbor in PNG.
- Finsch Harbor to Oro Bay has been covered by beach walking and sea kayaking.
- Oro Bay to Port Moresby has been completed on foot by way of the Kokoda Track.
- Next will be the row from Port Moresby to Thursday Island.
- Travel in Australia will be by bicycle, following the coastal roads clockwise to Perth. Kosciuszko will be climbed.
- Departure on the Indian Ocean from Perth will be the next step toward India.
- Everest will be climbed, after reaching it by bicycling in India and Nepal.
- After bicycling west to climb Elbrus, Erden will turn south to climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
- Bicycling on to Namibia, Erden will launch across the South Atlantic toward Brazil.
- Aconcagua in Argentina will be climbed before turning the journey north toward Bodega Bay in California where the circumnavigation journey had started in July 2007.
Follow his dream by logging on to his website for daily dispatches:
Update 11th November: Wayne Urina phoned me around 9am this morning to say they had reached Oro Bay and were getting to commence their walk.
At 9:35am I received a text message from Erden saying they had just started their walk.
Erden carries with him a sat phone and can even transmit photographs to his website and plans to do this on a daily basis by the way he spoke yesterday.
If you log on to his website you can read other blogs on how he arrived in Oro Bay in a Kayak and much more about this guy with a dream! According to Doug Erden has a lot of people all over the world logging on to his website following his progress.
We wish them and Wayne a great time if that is possible walking on a hot bitumen road in the hot sun of PNG all the way to Kokoda! They will no doubt take rest breaks in villages along the way in the hottest part of the day.
Will keep you updated as I hear more from these guys!
Update 12th November: Just heard from Wayne as they were on the road walking towards Guria airport. Yesterday they walked for 4 hours and some 19 km.
We were informed that there were lots of curious people looking at them wondering what they were doing.
Here in Port Moresby when you see a foreigner walking along the road you almost feel like pulling over and offering them a ride as its an unusual sight. Around the CBD of Port Moresby early in the morning or after 5pm sometimes you will see a group of people exercising together but its not the norm to just walk around the streets or suburbs.
I did not have a chance to ask but would think plenty of bus drivers around those parts would be stopping asking if they wanted a ride as they too would think this very strange that two foreigners would want to walk to Popondetta from Oro Bay.
13th November: Trekkers slept last night at a village near St Martyrs School and are now heading towards Kumusi. This morning they were up at 4am as they are now heading towards an area known for drug users and we do not want them to run into any problems so Wayne decided to have an early start.
Its also cooler to walk early so they should make better time. Yesterday they rested for a few hours to cool down as it was quite hot walking on the road.
Apparently they are all doing well and are nearing the area where Wayne and his family live.
14th November: The group are now at Ilimo Village where they are spending the night with one of our porters Vincent Idau and his family.
They are now roughly two hours away from Kokoda and plan on finishing this by tomorrow so they can rest up for their walk across the track.
15th November: The group have now reached Kokoda and are presently resting at 'Orohaven Kokoda Retreat'. According to Wallace our man on the ground in Kokoda, they were really hungry and ate heaps. The plan now is to rest and wait for Jo to fly in to join up with this trek on the 18th.
Until then I am sure they will enjoy eating some protein before they hit the track for 7 days.
They have been put into the hut with the double bed so they will have to fight over who sleeps on it whilst the other will be on a camp stretcher bed with a mattress.
I am sure they will also love the flushing toilet and shower after days on the road from Oro Bay to Kokoda.
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Orohaven_Guesthouse_3.jpg16th November: Heard from Erden today by a message sent from his mobile phone. He is more then happy to relax and wait for Joanne to arrive and overnight before they hit the track come the 19th November.
I asked our guy on the ground if they were up and about and was informed they had been keeping a low profile in their guesthouse. Erden was on his computer and Doug was reading Bill James book 'Field guide to the KOKODA Track in preparation for their walk.
Erden ended up with blisters on his feet from the walk from Oro Bay so will no doubt be hoping they heal up before he tackles the hills.
P1050088.jpg18th November: Joanne Balson flew out to Kokoda to meet up with her fellow trekkers. The plan was to spend the day in Kokoda and for them all to be up bright and ealy to commence their Kokoda trek around 6:30.
Before Jo left the photographs below were taken. In two of these photographs are two guys meeting up with Brendan Buka in Kokoda to do a 24 hour run/walk. They both entered our Kokoda Challenge race before so know whats ahead of them. As for Brendan, well being the track champion in both directions, the time set is way outside his best time of 16:34 so should be a walk in the park for him.
No, Joanne is not taking with her a box of NOODLES, whats inside the box is two small birds which she offered to babysit on the way to Kokoda for me to their new home at Orohaven Kokoda Retreat.
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IMGP1132___resized.jpg21st November: Have not heard from the track so do not have much to report at this stage except to say they should be nearing the half way point of Efogi.
I am sure if there was some need they would have contacted us as Erden also has a sat phone.
As for the other two guys out to challenge themselves hoping for 24 hours, they walked off the track around 10pm later then expected but still a very good effort! They commenced walking in Kokoda around 11am the previous day and did not stop to sleep.
Brendan Buka the track champion, said they had problems with river crossings and both were vomiting in various places and problems with their feet, whatever, its well done to these two guys!
Both had entered our Kokoda Challenge Race on previous occasions so certainly knew what they were in for.23rd November: We heard from the track yesterday but unfortunately could not access the internet to post.
Turns out the first night was at Isurava Village. The next night Templeton's. The following day they decided to bypass 1900 and pushed on to Efogi the half way point.
Last night they were at Agulogo campsite and today are heading for Ioribaiwa. The plan at this stage is then to walk down to Goldie River so they can walk through the archway at Owers' Corner quite early in the morning.
Why? coz only Joanne and porters will be picked up at Owers' with Erden and Doug along with Wayne walking all the way to Port Moresby. With an early start the heat will not kick in for a few hours so they should make quicker progress on their walk from Owers' to Sogeri.
Depending on how things are going they may decide to walk all the way the same day or break their walk and stay at Sogeri Lodge or the Bluff Inn.
All trekkers continue to do well.
We heard from Wayne that they had reached Ioribaiwa as planned so all is still going according to plan.
Apparently they have had their share of rain but all trekkers continue to do just fine.
IMGP3962__Small_.JPGFor those following this trek do not forget to log onto Erden's website as he has updated a couple of messages from the track itself using his sat phone including a couple of photographs:
Congratulations to trek trek 541 who walked off the track today. Jo is relaxing back at the Gateway Hotel and as I type this Erden, Doug and KTL staff are staying at Sogeri Lodge having continued to walk from Owers' Corner.
If you have followed this trek you will note that Erden has to get from a to b by his own power, ie row; bicycle or walk. To get to his boat that will take him to Thursday Island he has to walk to the Royal Papua New Guinea Yacht Club.
Doug being a good mate is tagging along and keeping him company. The boys are keeping them safe as they make their way down the road to the yacht club.
Tomorrow they intend to be up early as the plan is to start early and walk the 30km or so to finish this part of their trek and Erden's goal of reaching Australia.
As for Jo, she is planning some sightseeing around Port Moresby tomorrow and was looking forward to washing her hair and have a good shower.
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