Trekking to Mt Giluwe and the Highland tribes

After you arrive in Port Moresby, welcome by our local agent and transfer to the connecting flight to Mount Hagen. After arriving in Mount Hagen, welcome and transfer to Rondon Ridge. This area offers the visitor an eternal spring climate and magnificent views of the Hagen mountain range, Mount Giluwe, Sepik Divide, Baiyer Gap, and the Wahgi Valley. Port Moresby Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea and the main point of entry and exit from the country, is located in a beautiful inlet on the south coast, the Bay of Fairfax. The main places of interest are the Gordons market, one of the largest and most lively in the country, the Parliament House, built in the traditional Maprik style and known as 'Haus Tambaram' (house of the spirit), and the National Museum and Art Gallery, which provides a comprehensive description of Papuan geography, history, and culture.
Northeast of Port Moresby is the spectacular Rouna Falls and Varirata National Park, the first national park established in the country that boasts numerous vantage points overlooking the capital and the coast. To the north of the city flows the Brown Rive, an ideal place for rafting, while to the east is Idler's Beach, very popular with bathers and located east of Port Moresby.

A day entirely devoted to a tour that will take you on a journey through the traditions and customs of the Melpa people. The first contact with the Melpaes took place in the mid-1930s: real farmers who still use traditional farming methods dating back to 9,000 years ago. The tour will take you to 2-3 local villages where the inhabitants will share their fascinating tribal traditions such as the rites of widowed women, the ceremonies used in weddings and funerals, traditions of tribal warfare, and the daily customs of the Melpa people. This area is also the home of the famous mudmen of Pogla, famous for their unique scales and the ancient history that surrounds it.

Rondon Ridge (Mount Hagen) Mount Hagen is located at the western end of the Waghi Valley and is named after the highest peak in the Hagen Range. The Hagen Range and Wahgi Valley were first explored by the German naturalist Carl Lautebach in 1896, who ascended the Yuat River, one of the tributaries of the Sepik River. He named the valley after the German commissioner, Kurt von Hagen, who- in the past- administered the northeastern territory of New Guinea, known as Kaiser Wilhelmsland.
The areas surrounding the small town of Mount Hagen consist of mountain ranges, covered with lush tropical forests, rugged limestone cliffs, and small valleys dotted with small agricultural farms. Mount Hagen is located at the western end of the Waghi Valley, an immense valley with peaks that exceed 4,000 meters. The valley floor is covered with a green carpet of crops of various products such as sweet potatoes, coffee, tea, and vegetables. In every direction, it is possible to see the houses of a certain number of linguistic-cultural groups. Mount Hagen's main cultural group is that of the Melpa (or Hagen). To the west, there are the Tambul and the Nebilyer. To the north are the Baiyers and the Jimi while to the east are the Jiwaka (or Wahgi). Each of these groups is located less than 50km away from the city of Mount Hagen but they all have a different language, customs, traditions, and “bilas” (body decorations).

Early in the morning departure from the lodge and transfer by car to the foot of Mount Giluwe, where the ascent of the mountain to base camp at 3,000 meters will begin. The steep sides of this mountain are covered with forests of beech, oak, pine, karuka, and bamboo. The journey to base camp will take between 5-6 hours. The camp is built along a river on the edge of the forest.
Mount Giluwe Mount Giluwe 4,368m, the second-highest mountain in Papua New Guinea and the highest volcano on the Australian continent. It is made up of a series of volcanic spines left over from the original volcano, which formed over 700,000 years ago and, like Mount Kenya, has twin peaks. The trek takes you through the jungle, the meadows, past countless ponds and lakes, and is magnificent, in wild and remote nature. The accommodations are spartan but more than sufficient.

On the second day of the trek, wake up early in the morning and start the 2-3 hour trek to the top of the mountains. Many consider Mount Giluwe to be the most beautiful of the Papua New Guinea mountains: from the top, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the 'Highlands' valley that extends towards the Papuan plains. After resting and admiring the magnificent views, the descent to base camp begins.

Today we leave for a 4/5 hour trek towards the meeting point agreed for the vehicle that will take us to Rondon Ridge.

Transfer to the airport and departure for the return to Port Moresby.
From here onward, proceeding with an international flight to your next destination.