Charlie's Premium Kokoda Campaign Trek

The trek across Kokoda is the toughest physical challenge most people will encounter. 

The decision as to whether to carry your own backpack is important because it can mean the difference between enjoying the experience or suffering and having to withdraw from the trek.

Some trekkers in the past have stubbornly refused to engage a personal carrier because they want to do it like ‘the diggers did it!’

If this is your rationale we suggest you purchase a pair of hobnail leather boots, carry a canvas backpack with webbing pouches; travel with a half-blanket which you will willingly share with up to six other trekkers; borrow a rifle and ammunition; sleep outside your tent and leave your underwear and toiletries at the hotel in Port Moresby!

For those who are young, confident and physically fit it will not be a problem.  But for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle; who might be carrying an extra kilo or two; who might be harbouring some self-doubt about their ability to burden themselves with extra weight; or who do not maintain a daily regime of physical training it will be a struggle – you will find the track does not make concessions to anybody!  It is therefore important that you do an honest assessment of your physical capabilities.

If you are physically fit, are an experienced extreme conditions trekker, and have prepared yourself with a strenuous training program then you should be able to carry your own pack.  On the other hand if you have any doubts about your ability then you should consider engaging a personal carrier for yourself or sharing one with a mate. 

If you engage your own Personal Carrier prior to your trek we provide them with a trek uniform and purchase additional food and camping gear for them before we leave Port Moresby – there is none available along the track.

The cost of a Personal Carrier is between $660 - $790 per person, depending on the trek type/duration.  The cost will be displayed when completing the online Booking Form.

If you decide to engage one after you arrive an additional $150 surcharge will apply to cover the additional costs we have to incur as short notice.

From time to time we have trekkers who realise they cannot carry their backpack after the second or third day - we then have to try and recruit additional carriers along the trail. This is a difficult exercise in the middle of the Owen Stanley Ranges as we are not able to arrange for additional food, uniforms or camping gear for the additional carriers.  It’s also unfair as our PNG trek guides and carriers, who already work hard under extreme conditions, don’t appreciate having the size of their meals reduced whenever we have to engage additional personal carriers during the trek.

A Personal Carrier will carry your backpack and act as your ‘trek caddy’ for the duration of your trek – he will often catch you before you fall; will assist you over the most difficult sections of the trail; assist you with packing up and setting up and proudly introduce you to his family in his village.  

Tripadvisor is the only independent and reliable forum for trekkers to post their comments in regard to their trek.  You should therefore be wary of companies who don't rate much of a mention because trekkers obviously did not rate their experience with them.

The following post illustrates the difficulties you could face if you do not conduct proper research on the company you choose:

'I do not recommend booking Kokoda with INTREPID

'Trek is an amazing experience but not with Intrepid. I was doing it in July. 
Organization of the trip was terrible but price really high (2600 -2800 pounds).

'Our guide .....oh it was impossible to understand him. First I thought - it's because of my English ( it's not my first language ) but soon I realized - nobody can't understand him. So from my point of you - the historical part didn't exist! I am not Australian i just had a tiny knowledge about the battle. Hoped I will learn more during the trip - unfortunately...nothing! Need to read about it at home.

'Another thing: it's a challenging trek. You ( or maybe just me) expect that at the end of the day person who look after the group will ask: are you ok? how are you feeling/doing?

'Nothing.Two guys were ill during the trip. The only thing they did - stopped trek when they were throwing out. People from the group cared after each other - sharing first kit, happy to help each other

'Food - disaster. For breakfast salty crackers with jam of honey, corn flakes with powder milk.....every day. Never ate it). Dinner and lunch - boiled pasta/ noodles/ spaghetti plus breakfast set. 18 meals - PASTA. Sorry...twice we had rice. No fruits - if you want to, need to get for yourself. Didn't expect amazing meals, understand that you can't get products on the way....but other groups had really great food - so if you want to, you can organise it much better than ours.
My porter was really bad too. Here I need to admit that I was unlucky because it was just few like him! He rarely was behind me - didn't have any help/security. When he was on his place .... I don't know who saved more other bottom. He landed on my back quite few times! 

'Also when he finally arrived on place where we were staying ( people from the group were enjoying water, I was waiting for my porter) , very often was leaving my backpack somewhere....I had to find it. 

'Finally .... I had a feeling that they just going with us, we weren't a group 9 I mean a crew and people from the group). The didn't stay with us after walking, didn't' talk to us etc. 

'Anyway: I think that the trek is great and Kokoda can be an amazing experience.....but think twice before you'll book it with Intrepid.

Ask annapietrasz about Kokoda Track

www.tripadvisor.com.au

The VHF radio net along the Kokoda Trail has improved however there is only one channel and it is sometimes difficult to break into the chatter.  The system does not have a base station with a 24/7 listening watch which could be critical in an emergency.

Adventure Kokoda are equipped with satellite phones for use in emergencies.

Operators who do not have a satellite phone with an active account fall into the 'dodgy' category - unfortunately they exist and the only protection trekkers have is the old caveat emptor of 'Let the buyer beware'.

Trekking without a satellite phone in your group is classified as 'unnecessary risk'.

The Kokoda Trail is a rugged and remote 130 kilometre jungle path across some of the most hazardous terrain most people will ever traverse. 

'Imagine an area of approximately one hundred miles long.  Crumple and fold this into a series of ridges, each rising higher and higher until seven thousand feet is reached, then declining in ridges to three thousand feet is reached, then declining in ridges to three thousand feet.  Cover this thickly with jungle, short trees and tall trees, tangled with great, entwining savage vines.  Through an oppression of this density, cut a little native track, two or three feet wide, up the ridges, over the spurs, round gorges and down across swiftly-flowing, happy mountain streams.  Where the track clambers up the mountain sides, cut steps - big steps, little steps, steep steps - or clear the soil from the tree roots.

'Every few miles, bring the track through a small patch of sunlit kunai grass, or an old deserted native garden, and every seven or ten miles, build a group of dilapidated grass huts - as staging shelters - generally set in a foul, offensive clearing.  Every now and then, leave beside the track dumps of discarded, putrifying food, occasional dead bodies and human foulings.  In the morning, flicker the sunlight through the tall trees, flutter green and blue and purple and white butterflies lazily through the air, and hide birds of deep-throated song, or harsh cockatoos, in the foliage.

'About midday, and through the night, pour water over the forest, so that the steps become broken, and a continual yellow stream flows downwards, and the few level areas become pools and puddles of putrid black mud.  In the high ridges above Myola, drip this water day and night over the track through a foetid forest grotesque with moss and glowing phosphosrescent fungi.  Such is the track which a prominent (Australian) politician publicly described as 'Being almost impassable for motor vehicles', and such is the route for ten days to be covered from Ilolo to Deniki.'

Major General Sir Kingsley Norris

The Kokoda Campaign - Chronology

If you lead a sedentary lifestyle you will need a minimum of three months physical training and preparation.

You should start with a complete medical check-up then consult with your local gymnasium to prepare a personal training program aimed at increasing your aerobic fitness level. As a guide we recommend you start with minimum of 45 minutes of aerobic activity (walking, power-walking, jogging, cycling, tennis, etc) at least four times per week.

You should aim to increase your work rate by ten percent each week after that.

Your training needs to include extensive walking, preferably in a hilly-area, carrying a weighted pack. In the last month of your training you need to be capable of walking at least 10 km daily, carrying 3 to 5 kg more than the weight you expect to carry on your trek.

Think of your training as a deposit in your fitness account – everything you do between now and the trek will pay a dividend on the trail.  If you haven’t made enough ‘deposits’ into your fitness account you will have to go into ‘debt’ on the trail – and debt of any kind is always painful!  

You can’t cheat yourself on Kokoda – if you have done the work you will complete it OK – if you haven’t you will be a candidate for an emergency evacuation!  

39th Battalion preparing for the Kokoda campaign on the Sogeri plateau in 1942