Climbing Mt. Giluwe - 7th Volcano Summits

Climbing the highest volcano summit in the Pacific Oceania and on the Australian Continent – Mount Giluwe in Papua New Guinea!

Mt. Giluwe; a view from the eastern side, photograph taken from Alkena village looking west to Mount Giluwe in 2007.

Mt. Giluwe in Papua New Guinea is at a height of 4,367m above sea level, is the highest volcano in the Pacific Oceania region and has the distinction of being the highest volcano on the Australian Continent. It is the seventh volcanic summit and second highest peak in PNG after Mount Wilhelm. It is an ancient extinct shield volcano with two prominent 400m high cones forming its summit. 
The original volcano on the site of Mt. Giluwe formed roughly 650,000–800,000m years ago, probably as a strato-volcano of similar height to the current peak. Extensive glaciation eroded away much of the peak, leaving a series of volcanic plugs which form the present-day summits.

 During the last glaciations of the Ice Age, the upper slopes were covered by a massive ice cap over 150m thick, from which only the main and east peaks protruded above the ice surface. Although the glaciers are now long gone, numerous U-shaped valleys remain visible to date. The present-day climate on the summit plateau above roughly 3,400m is cold enough for nightly frosts and occasional snowfall.

Australian explorers Mick Leahy, and his brother Dan Leahy, were the first Westerners to reach the area and to discover and climb Mount Giluwe. However, another explorer Jack Hides also laid claim to be the first to discover Mount Giluwe after viewing the peaks from the west in 1935.

 

The slopes of Mt. Giluwe exhibit a number of different vegetation zones such as  lower montane rainforest with large Pandanus including the climbing bamboo, many gingers, orchids, ferns, herbs and shrubs. Wildlife includes the common dwarf cassowary.

Streams flow in beds once scoured by glaciers, and wet bogs contain frog species found nowhere else on earth. This is also the domain of the woolly ground cuscus, a species of possum. (source: Wikipedia online).

To get to the peak of Mt. Giluwe, the walk is through moss forests. When getting closer to the peak, you encounter tarns and lakes varying from 2m in diameter to hundreds of metres. The climb is magnificent. The easiest route up to the summit is from the east side and there are two nearby villages called Kiripia and Puluwe. To get to Kiripia or Puluwe villages, you travel from Mt. Hagen City via Tambul. The drive to Tambul is also magnificent and gives a spectacular view of the peak. It takes about one and half hours drive from Mt. Hagen to Tambul. You can either choose to take the route beginning at Puluwe village (the locals here are from Kepaka tribe) or you can take the route from Kiripia village (the locals here are from Sipaka tribe). The Kepaka and Sipaka are the biggest tribes in the Lower Kaguel District of Tambul. 

There is no official or well-trodden path to the summits; however the majority of the local people know how to get to the summits. For a visitor, a guide is absolutely necessary. As well as safety hiring guides helps to put money into the poor local economy. Local people use many routes to get to the peak; for harvesting Pandanus, hunting and collecting firewood and other materials from the forest for household use.

If you are interested to climb the highest volcano summit on the Australian continent, it’s a superlative view, magnificent experience and a lifetime trekking experience. We offer you very competitive guide assistance and can tailor our packages to suit your budget. We are here to negotiate and how best we can help you.  Contact us now via email at: pacinter12@gmail.com

 

The south side of Mt. Giluwe, picture taken from Alkena village in 2007.