The most exotic volcano!
Highlights
- Climbing the highest volcano in Oceania, Mount Giluwe (4438 m)
- Climb Papua New Guinea's highest peak, Mount Wilhem (4509 m)
- A three-day trek in the heart of the rainforest
- Ifremmont: preventive medical remote consultation and a high-altitude medical hotline on offer
- A human adventure that goes beyond the physical challenge
As part of the ascent of the seven highest volcanoes in the world, Mount Giluwe (4368 m) enables you to get to know Papua New Guinea, the queen island of Oceania shared with Indonesian Papua, which is home to the Carstensz Pyramid. After reaching Mount Giluwe, we suggest you climb Mount Wilhem, the highest point on this part of the island (4509 m). More difficult and challenging than Mount Giluwe, this new three-day approach offers splendid high altitude landscapes, tree fern forests and isolated bivouacs. A fabulous programme to be combined, if possible, with the discovery of the Upper Sepik and the Highlands.
Overview
In 1933, Mount Hagen was the site of the first contact between the New Guinean tribes and the first Westerners to set foot in the valley. Today, Mount Hagen is the third largest city in Papua New Guinea and the capital of the Western Highlands province. It lies at a comfortable altitude of 1677 meters above sea level. The climate is mild and comfortable all year round. Because of its relative isolation, the tribes living in and around Mount Hagen have, for the most part, managed to preserve their customs and traditions. It is from Mount Hagen that we will first climb Mount Giluwe, then Mount Wilhem, situated in the heart of the equatorial rainforest.
Itinerary
Days 1 to 3: Arrival in Port Moresby and flight to Mount Hagen
Day 1
Departure from Europe via Singapore. Arrival in Port Moresby at around 5 a.m. After being greeted by our local staff, you board your flight to Mount Hagen, the economic centre of the Papua highlands region, where Oceania's highest volcano and the country's highest peak await you. At Mount Hagen, you are already at an altitude of around 1600 meters. Meet the team and transfer immediately to the hotel. After a short rest and lunch, you set off on an orientation tour of the town and a walk in the nearby hills.
Day 4: Acclimatization day around Kumul Lodge
Day 4
Early morning departure for Kumul Lodge, a simple lodge (2861 m) set in the high altitude rainforest. The day spent here will serve as acclimatization for the next few days of climbing. After arriving at the lodge and settling in, you set off for a walk in the bush and lunch by a waterfall. You walk for a few hours today through the beautiful jungle. In the afternoon you can watch the various endemic birds that come to the lodge's feeder every day.
Day 5: Mount Giluwe trek
Day 5
Today marks the start of our three-day trek. We start very early in the morning at the foot of the Kagoba volcano, a former high-altitude agricultural research centre. Here, porters and local guides are waiting for us. After the usual greetings and the sorting and distribution of luggage among the porters, we start walking on good paths. It takes 7 to 8 hours to reach the base camp. The first group leaves early, ahead of the others, with tents and food to prepare the camp. Night falls around 6pm and the temperature gradually cools to 7°C at night. The night can be uncomfortable because of the cold and the altitude. Very warm clothes, your sleeping bag and an open fire should keep you comfortable until dawn for the next stage.
Day 6: Mount Giluwe summit
Day 6
Departure for the final ascent, in around 4 hours, very early in the morning (4 a.m.) to the summit at 4368 meters. As it is very rarely climbed, the path to the summit is tricky and requires careful progress. Expect to reach the summit at around 8 a.m. After enjoying the views and surroundings, we return to base camp for a second night.
Day 7: Return to Hagen
Day 7
We take a different route down to enjoy the different scenery. We head for the village of Mailka. Once we reach the village, we transfer back to Hagen and return to the comfort of the hotel.
Day 8: Hagen to Womatne and Songo
Day 8
Today we begin a rarely covered trek that will take us to Papua New Guinea's highest peak via the "backroad". Our route bypasses the summit to reach it by the reverse route usually taken. A more rewarding experience, on a three-day trek through a pristine landscape typical of Papua New Guinea's high-altitude areas. We head for Womatne, in Simbu province along the Gembogl road. From this village, it's a two-hour walk to the small, isolated village of Songo, our first camp for the night. We are given a traditional welcome and settled in with the locals in very basic conditions.
Day 9: From Songo to first camp
Day 9
We set off early in the morning for 1100 meters of ascent, which should require around 8 hours of trekking through different types of high altitude forest. We set up camp (tents) in a grassy area and enjoy the evening around a large open fire in the company of our guides and porters.
Day 10: To second camp
Day 10
An easier day today, with a four-hour trek along a river, crossing waterfalls, in wild mountainous landscapes. We pass through many fan forests, offering magical scenery. Tonight, the camp is set up near a lake called "Heart Lake", because of its shape. Once again, you can enjoy a big campfire with your team.
Day 11: To Mount Wilhem summit
Day 11
We start walking at 3 a.m. to climb the chains of Mount Wihelm to reach the summit at 4509 meters in generally 3 hours, and enjoy the sunrise at the top of Papua New Guinea! Another 3-hour descent on the other side of the peak takes us to the Piunde lakes, where we set up our last camp.
Day 12: To Gembogl and Mount Hagen
Day 12
An easy 3-hour walk takes us to the village of Gembogl, where the summit tours usually begin, where we enjoy a lovely lunch at Betty's Camp. We are then taken back to Mount Hagen and the Highlander Hotel.
Day 13: Contingency day
Day 13
We use the "safety day" to make sure we get back to the city on time, but also to have a full day in a village to get a better understanding of the people and their daily lives.
Day 14: Flight to Port Moresby
Day 14
After breakfast, we head to the airport for a mid-day flight to Port Moresby. We are then transferred to a beautiful hotel in the city and the rest of the day is free.
Day 15: Return flight to Europe
Day 15
Day 16: Arrival in Europe
Day 16
END OF EXPEDITION
For reasons that cannot be foreseen at this stage, such as unpredictable weather, the physical fitness or lack of fitness of participants or other circumstancess (customs formalities, road conditions, traffic, landslides, force majeure, etc.), your expedition leader may have to adapt the program, if necessary, to ensure the smooth running of your trip. He remains the sole judge and the one who guarantees your safety. Activity times are given as an indication and may vary from one participant to another.
The itinerary for all our expedition programs, or the ascent program for our high-mountain expeditions, are given here as a guide only. They are flexible enough to adapt to weather conditions with a few contingency days. In any case, you should follow the recommendations of your guide, who may suggest that you cancel your expedition due to weather, safety or physical conditions.
It is important to remember that this is a truly unsupported expedition, and that anything can happen. Expeditions Unlimited, your expedition leader, your guide or our local teams can in no way be held responsible.
Any costs incurred as a result of a change in the expedition schedule (extra nights' accommodation, extra flights) will be borne by the participants and not by the organizers. "Contingency days" refer to the expedition in the strict sense of the term (base camp/base camp in the mountains, departure point/exit point on a traverse, etc.).
Any early return of the expedition or of certain members only (early success, abandonment, etc.), generating costs for accommodation, meals, changes to air tickets or other activities not provided for in this program, will be charged in full to the participants.
Trip notes
Guiding
In May and November, we offer an English-speaking guide from arrival to departure in Port Moresby. Apart from these two months, we provide an English-speaking guide, especially from June to October. Specialized porters and guides on each climb.
For unpredictable reasons at this stage, like adverse weather conditions, insufficient physical condition of participants, insufficient competencies of participants related to the intended activities, your guide may decide to adjust the intended program and/or activities. At all times, his decision will be final on all matters likely to affect the safety and well-being of the trip.
Difficulty level
Level rated: difficult
This program is aimed at participants in good physical shape, with a significant sport practice, endurance in particular, holding a strong mental to face difficulties that are unforeseen by nature.
Technical difficulty
Mountaineering level: F like... Easy (Facile in French!)
In this program, the use of mountaineering equipment (crampons, harness, ice ax, ropes, etc.) is necessary but the route covered does not involve any technical difficulty. It is therefore aimed at beginners or even participants who have never practiced. Clearly, a little prior experience in the activity can be interesting, knowing how to equip yourself, knowing how to tie a few essential knots. The mountaineering courses at our Adventure School from three days are for you. And this technical rating applies of course to normal weather conditions: the difficulty can increase in the event of bad weather conditions, fresh snow on rocks, insufficient or lack of quality of the ice, etc. Likewise, the situation changes radically, for the same technical level, with the altitude, the weight of the bag, the lack of equipment on the route, the fatigue associated with the approach if it is long, the environment if particularly hostile, etc.
Compagnies aériennes internationales
For flights to Singapore: Qatar Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, priority. Direct flight on Air France sometimes possible but at an additional cost. We are targeting an arrival in Singapore between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm so that we don’t have too much to wait for, but still have enough. It is possible to plan a one-night stop in Singapore, leaving one or two days earlier, in order to cut the trip before continuing to Papua.
Departure from Lyon or other provincial cities possible, as well as from Geneva or Brussels, but sometimes for a supplement.
We use the services of AIR NIUGINI between Singapore and Port Moresby, as well as for almost all domestic flights. Some domestic flights are also operated by PNG Airlines.
Accommodations
4-star Highlander Hotel in Hagen. 3-person dome tents used for 2 participants during the trek.
Meals
During the expedition, meals are prepared by the local team using local products right up to the base camp.
Transfers / Transport
Transfers to and from the airport, and to and from the starting point of the expedition, are provided by 4-wheel drive vehicle or minibus.
Group size
The group is composed of 4 to 10 participants maximum. The number of participants is deliberately limited to allow for greater immersion, to avoid embarrassing our hosts, and to develop freedom and flexibility. However, the maximum number may be exceeded if the last person to register wishes to travel with one or more other people. The services will not be modified, and the conditions of the trip will remain the same.
Equipment
Personal equipment is not provided. However, a complete list is provided to allow you to check that you are taking what is necessary.
All logistics equipment is provided.
Our commitments to sustainable development
Our commitment to a better planet has been a reality since the beginning of our story but we always need to do more and better. Please find out more about our charter and our commitments in terms of sustainable development. We have drafted our charter and take action through six themes on which we act as concretely as possible, most often with you: social equity and cultural respect, preservation of water, waste management in expedition, protection of biodiversity, raise public awareness on these subjects and finally, the optimization and recovery of CO2 emissions.
Regarding carbon emissions, most of which are due to air travel, we calculated and communicated in 2018 on the carbon footprint of each of our programs, expressed in tonnes of CO2.
These calculations made us aware of the importance of the total carbon emissions generated by our activity. Also, we have committed in 2022 to a carbon reduction that we believe is unprecedented in the tourism industry, aiming to reduce the total emissions of our activity by 5% per year, taking 2019 as the reference year (3,430 tonnes of CO2). This commitment is in line with the trajectory of the Paris climate agreements of 2015, the current benchmark. Thus, in 2030, we commit ourselves not to exceed 2,160 tonnes of C02. Thus, our maximum “carbon” budget for 2024 is 2,950 tonnes and for 2025, this budget will be reduced to 2,800 tonnes. And so on until 2030. To find out more about all of our calculations and our commitments in terms of reducing our carbon emissions.
In addition, since 2019, we have been encouraging you when you book for your journey to contribute with a donation to an independent NGO, among the two we have selected that share the commitments made in our charter. We matched the amount of this donation to this program's carbon footprint. Thus, the journey you are considering generates 5,81 tons of CO2, which corresponds to a 100% donation of €174 for an estimated value today of €30 per tonne of CO2. This donation remains of course optional and you can decide to give between nothing and 100% of this amount. Since 2019, including covid years of 2020 and 2021, we have been able to collect thanks to you nearly €7,000 for these associations.
Please do not hesitate to come back to us with any questions you might have regarding this carbon footprint mechanism, our other sustainable développement commitments or even to share with us your experience through a chat or a mail at contact@secret-planet.com.
Departures and pricing
Please find below all dates and prices for this expedition. Prices are quoted "from" and may be adjusted notably according to the number of participants (see trip notes for details). Please note that dates and prices for years beyond 2024, when given, are for guidance only and are subject to change and readjustment to take account of current economic realities.
Dates currently being programmed
Alert me as soon as you set a datePrice includes
Transfers tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Accommodations tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Meals tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Guiding tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Equipment tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Travel folder tel qu’indiqués dans le programme.
Price does not include
International flights. All accompaniments, accommodations or meals mentioned “not included” in the program. Drinks and personal “extras”. The “single” supplement or a different hotel category. Other supplements linked to a lower number of participants registered, your desire to customize or privatize the expedition. The mandatory expedition complementary insurance.
Your custom expedition
We put our expertise, our knowledge of the terrain, our creativity, our experience, the quality of our guides and the reliability of our partners at your service to build your custom expedition. We can also personalize an expedition to your wishes as soon as you form a "closed" group, whatever the number of participants.
This means that, unless you authorize us to do otherwise, no outside participants join you, and we can personalize your expedition by adapting it to your own pace, with the program extensions you desire, a higher level of comfort, certain activities, other encounters, etc.
Every expedition of this type is subject to a specific quotation. To get in touch with us now, please fill in the short questionnaire below. One of our experts will get back to you to refine your request and make you a proposal.
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