Five tourists will attempt to complete the Kapa Kapa War Trail in the Southern Region for the first time on a 17-day expedition.
The 220km journey will commence at Gabagaba Village in Central Province today (October 4).
The Kapa Kapa War Trail starts at Gabagaba across the extremely rugged Owen Stanley Range, to the vicinity of Jaure on the north side of the Peninsula in Northern Province.
The track was used by American soldiers during WWII in 1942 under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. This was during a battle to defeat the Japanese on the northern beaches.
The mountainous trail is steep and runs parallel to the more well-known and more accessible 96-kilometre long Kokoda Track.
Kapa Kapa track passes through about 20 villages and is more than twice as long as the Kokoda Track.
The tourists are well seasoned trekkers and will be accompanied by expert trekker Peter Gamgee, who has studied the track and completed it alongside his son in 2011.
Gamgee has walked the Kokoda Track 12 times.
The trekkers include one female and two men from Australia, one from Belgium and the other from Scotland.
Gamgee said they’re all looking forward to the trekking expedition and it will be very challenging.
It is the best way to see this part of the country and how beautiful it is and there are really good communities along the way, Gamgee stated.
If successful, the trekkers will complete the track and return to Port Moresby on Oct 22 via plane from the Girua Airport in Popondetta.
Picture courtesy of Peter Gamgee