Day 6 was the longest day on the trek and it just seemed to last forever. We passed some amazing scenery on our way but in the end there was a lot of downhill that never seemed to finish. Still, it was a pretty good day as it only rained towards the end (which made going downhill that much more fun [and slippery]). I was actually in a group that left about thirty minutes before the rest of the trekking group so we were already a little bit ahead before our first break at a river crossing (which you will see below). Today was also an emotional time as one of our members had to withdraw and be evacuated from the track via helicopter due to an infection in his foot. This was the result of not properly breaking in the boots pre-Kokoda and also for not taking proper care of their feet but it did not make the moment any less emotional. We had started as a team and we had hoped to finish as one. We just held hopes that he would meet us at the finish line (he was not going to die but we hoped he was not stuck in hospital or bed rest).
Today was going to be really muddy and right from the start as we left Menari behind us and entered the forest we were immediately greeted by a whole lot of mud. After climbing up hill for a bit we proceeded to begin a downward descent that would have lasted for a little over an hour. It was fun at times to try not to fall or to laugh at myself when I did fall but after a while the mud started to really annoy me. At the bottom of our descent we reached a little river (not the one pictured below [that was far from little]) where we could refill our water as well as get some of the mud off our boots so we could walk with some level of certainty. We then continued through a whole lot of mud patches that reminded us of a swamp but we had yet to reach that part yet. After about another hour and a bit (though it may have been longer, I did not have the time on me) we reached our first major river crossing of the track. We had to wait for about five to ten minutes before we could cross as there was another trekking group ahead of us that had to go. We also had to wait as the current was so strong they had to keep repositioning the rope that we were using to guide ourselves across.
Crossing the river was definitely an experience. The current was strong and you could not see where you put your feet as the water was far from clear. It made those little drops that much more exhilarating. To give you an idea of how strong the current was, one of the locals was trying to swim across and was making as much headway as a seagull in strong winds that seems to be staying in the same spot. Plus, as we were walking across we were getting pulled by the current and if we had not had the rope we would have easily been dragged away. It was times like these that we had a new appreciation for the porters who were helping us.
We had a break on the other side of the river as people cooled down on the banks of the river by putting their feet in. After this break we continued through some pretty thick and slippery mud which we got through some tall grass that was above our heads. It was like walking in through some other land through to the land of the swamp. It was really muddy so our boots were quickly covered in mud. After about an hour or two we finally reached the end of this muddy mess and came to a hill. For me, it was exciting to be back on more solid ground with less mud. It was refreshing. This was also part of the walk where every now and again there would be the faintest breeze which felt like heaven. It was amazing!
After a while we finally managed to reach a village where we stopped for lunch. It was a great village as it had some spectacular views of the mountains behind us (as it was on the edge of a mountain itself) and when we heard the clap of thunder and the dark clouds rolling over the mountains it gave us the push we needed to get back on our way. The thing about this part of the track was that it was the day of the nine false peaks. This means that as you are climbing the mountain it looks like you have reached the top right until you actually do and see that there is still more to climb. It was quite the spirit-breaker for some but I was glad when it was over. At the top we began our long descent down. It was literally three to four hours of climbing downhill non stop. It seemed like it was never going to finish and when it finally did we were greeted with another river crossing. It was not a great mental game to finish the day with soaking boots (you did not take your boots off for some of the river crossings because you could not or because there was no time).
Today was a long day and so it was nice to be able to relax at the end of it knowing that the next day was our last full day on the track. It was both sad and exciting to know that our journey was going to be at an end and to know that we had completed the Kokoda track. It was going to be a great day.
It is so much fun reliving these as I write it. Sorry it takes so long to get these out. See you soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment