Week beginning 20th July 2009

It has been a hard week!

We set of for Mount Wilhelm on Sunday in an open back truck, ready to work at the school for the first three days of the week and for us to climb the mountain - or part of it on Thursday and Friday (Thurs was a national holiday for Remembrance Day).

The journey again was spectacular, following the river most of the way and crossing it numerous times on rickety bridges. Then it started to pour down. Alison was alright in the cabin but the men got soaked through on the back. It hurt where they were gripping on and also cold. Unfortunately we didn't get warm again!

We found out that we are living higher than any point in the British Isles - higher than Snowdon or Ben Nevis. Boiling point is lower than 100C (so that's why the tea tastes funny). By the time we got to Toby's Lodge we were at 6,900 feet and it was decidedly chilly. We put on everything we had and went and sat by the wood-burning stove. It took about an hour for the kettle to boil for tea. Hot soup was very welcoming, if not that tasty.

Again we were the only guests at the lodge which has 30 rooms - all very basic but with the luxury of a flushing toilet and a shower which unfortunately never reached more than nearly tepid. The electricity came on at about 7.00 p.m. which was a little late as complete darkness fell about 6.15. It stayed on for a few hours at night and then came on in the morning at 7.15 a.m. - again a bit late as we were to be at breakfast at 7.00 so had to get up and organised in darkness.

Breakfast was mostly frankfurters or fried spam with either a cold fried egg, beans mixed with carrots, and toast. One day we had a box of Kellogs Cornflakes!

Lunch was a sandwich with fried spam and peanut butter or egg and peanut butter. Every evening we had the same meal - bar a few variations. Boiled vegetables, roast potatoes, rice and a chicken drumstick. Fine the first evening but by the fourth! Strawberries were always the dessert and they were delicious. Not a gourmet'sparadise but the people there were very sweet and kind.

The walk down to the school each morning was sheer bliss - the sun shining, birds singing, butterflies fluttering, flowers blooming, wonderful scenery etc.

On the Monday morning - with a full plan scheduled after consulting with the HT the previous week - we arrived to find only 9 of the 21 staff there due to pay problems: pay slips had failed to arrive on the previous Friday so staff had gone into town; there were some tribal problems with some staff in danger of being 'cut up'; and some personal problems etc. The Headteacher didn't feel that we could do much so we virtually wasted a day. When we got back to the lodge - a hard 40 minutes walk uphill - some of our clothes were missing and arbitrary clothes from the pile had been taken for washing. Money had been taken from Jake's pocket and put on the side whist his trousers were washed! Mike's silk tie - the only tie he has with him was taken too. As we had very few clothes and it was really cold it was difficult. The clothes were seen later, still damp and the tie ruined. Now this isn't like a hotel where you go and complain. This didn't have a reception etc. It was an interchangeable group of villagers trying to be nice and helpful. Ben took to putting all his clothes in his bag and locking it if he left the room.

For the next two days the work in the schools was a lot more successful and we felt we could be really useful. The school has made lots of improvements and Alison saw the best lesson she has seen in PNG, so that was heartening.

During this time Alison had developed a streaming cold and struggled to keep going. She decided to head back to Kundiawa on the Thursday rather than walk part way up the mountain. At least there were some relative basic luxuries at the house such as a warm shower, better food, tea when you wanted it etc. The downside was staying in the house alone when it isn't considered safe. The alternative was to climb to the base camp and stay in a hut alone while a guard slept outside while the others climbed to the top. Uhmmm difficult choice.

Ben was also returning and we awoke at 5.10 a.m. in pitch blackness and left at 5.30 to walk for 45 minutes to get the PMV to town. We arrived back about 10.00 a.m. glad to be back home to some warmth.

Unfortunately the first sight to greet me was the three puppies with the three legged puppy lying dead. The family knew it had died but didn't remove it from the litter. They were 'sori' for me but they were probably pleased. They had been repulsed at the thought of a three legged dog and felt it was an ill omen.The dog would have led a difficult life if it had survived as the children (and adults) would have thrown stones at it etc. as they haven't the sensitivities that we have. The survival of the fittest and all that.

Talking of the survival of the fittest, Mike was left with Jake and Philip to climb Mt. Wilhelm. They left on Thursday morning for base camp - about a 4 hour walk uphill, through forest and grass plains espying some Birds of Paradise - nothing too exciting but spectacularly long tails (which is why their feathers are considered valuable in headdresses etc.). You'll see a prehistoric looking scene on the blog photos - especially for Barry.

Base camp was, well 'base'. Hole in the ground loo, food cooked over the fire, sleeping on the floor, rodents scurrying around during the night and not a lot of insulation between the metal corrugated roof and the cold night.The night didn't last too long though as we were up at 1.00 a.m. ready to go. The three of us and 2 guides set off into the night and up and up and bloody up. Despite regular rests, the going was tough, arduous, even gruelling. There were times where you felt that your legs just couldn't keep propelling you upwards, but there was no respite. At times too hot, others too cold we soldiered on. By 5.30 a.m. daylight was dawning and we had some lovely views into the distance (see photos). Unfortunately as we neared the summit, the cloud cover became thick. We reached the summit after the near-vertical final climb, took some photos and had a picnic of peanuts, choco-chomps, raisins and sunflower seeds and jelly babies, peered into the mist and congratulated ourselves on completing the mission without mishap or altitude sickness (apparently 50% of attempts are abandoned due to illness). The guides as you will imagine, climbed with ease with little warm clothing and unsuitable footwear. We were overtaken at one point by a group of teenagers wearing flimsy jackets and bare feet!!!

Coming down was hard with the combination of rocks and slippery mud impacting on our feet. It just got harder and harder. Surprisingly Mike hasn't suffered from any aches or pains other than a swollen head from having succeeded.

We off to Boromil tomorrow and Mike will get his first taste of driving in PNG. Scary!