Thursday, 1 June 2023

THE KOKODA TRACK IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA – GEOGRAPHY OF THE KOKODA

1.        We started our trek in the village of Kokoda at the northern end of the Track (88km north-east of Port Moresby by air) but a track continues further north to the village of Wairopi and down to Gona and Buna on the north coast.

 

2.        We ended our trek at the landmark of Ower’s Corner at the southern end of the Track (42km north-east of Port Moresby by road).

 

3.        The Track is 96km in length, mostly single-file, typically taking 50 elapsed hours of trekking and rests with an average trekking speed of 2km/h. We took a short cut and covered 93km in 34hrs and 35min for an average speed of 2.7km/h.

 

4.        We climbed a total of 6,314m of ascents (ups) and a total of 6,283m of descents (downs). Mount Everest is 8,849m in height above sea level.

 

5.        Our highest trekking point was 2,249m above sea level near the peak of Mount Bellamy.

 

6.        Our lowest trekking point was 329m at Ua’Ule Creek.

 

7.        Our total vertical elevation gain was 1,925m but over a total of 12,597m of ups and downs.

 

8.        Before COVID, an average of 3,000 people trekked the Kokoda each year. The first year measured was 76 trekkers in 2001. Peak annual trekkers were 5,608 in 2008.

 

9.        20 trekkers have died getting to or trying to complete the Track.

 

10.   World Record trekking time is still 16hrs 34min 5sec by PNG born Brendan Buka in 2008.

 

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