Preparation guide · 2 of 8

Health and medical

Your own health, malaria, food, water and what happens if something goes wrong.

Your health

Get checked, take it seriously

Expedition guides are trained in remote-area first aid and carry a satellite phone, but they are not doctors, and help is not close. Treat the medical side of preparation as seriously as the fitness side.

See your doctor as early as possible, ideally before you start training. Talk through your fitness for prolonged exercise in tropical heat, any pre-existing conditions, immunisations and anti-malarials. Tell your expedition guide about any allergy, injury or medical condition early. It stays confidential and lets the team plan for you.

  • Ask for a check-up that includes blood pressure and heart health if you are over 40 or have any history of concern.
  • Bring up knees, ankles, back and feet. The descents are hard on joints.
  • Discuss every medicine you take, including over-the-counter and supplements, and carry enough for the entire trip plus a little extra.
  • Routine dental care before you leave is wise, because a dental emergency on the Track could mean evacuation.
  • Vaccinations are not required to enter PNG, but consider cholera, typhoid and hepatitis A and B, and make sure tetanus is current. Plan 4-6 weeks ahead, as some need boosters.
Consulting a doctor before the trek
Biggest risk

Malaria and mosquitoes

Malaria is one of the most serious health risks in PNG. Most cases involve people who didn't take their medication as prescribed, and most deaths follow a delayed diagnosis. Tell your doctor you are going to PNG, trekking the Owen Stanley Range, and follow the prescription exactly, including the days before and after the trip.

A guest house sign asking trekkers to help stop malaria spreading
A guest house sign asking trekkers to help stop malaria spreading
Mosquito nets in a village guest house
Mosquito nets in a village guest house
Food

Meals and snacks on the Track

Camp meals are cooked fresh by the guide team, with local produce where it is available: curries, pastas, damper, fried rice and more, with porridge or cereal for breakfast. Dietary needs and allergies can usually be catered for if you tell the office in advance.

You will also receive a snack pack of soups, muesli bars, lollies and electrolyte powder for the days between meals. Repack it into daily portions at the hotel, keep the original packaging for customs, and watch the weight of any extras (chocolate melts).

Appetite can change in heat and fatigue. Eat even when you don't feel like it, and keep sugary snacks handy for the long climbs.

Daily snack bags laid out
Dinner in camp
Dinner in camp.
Camp dining table
The camp dining table.
Soups and sachets
Soups and sachets.
Fresh fruit
Local fruit when available.
Lollies and snacks
Lollies for energy.
Cooking in the camp kitchen
Cooking in the camp kitchen
Fresh camp food
Fresh camp food
A hot camp meal
A hot camp meal
The local cooks and guide team
The local cooks and guide team
Water and hygiene

Water quality

Many creeks run clear, but always treat your drinking water, whether with purification tablets or a UV pen, even if the water looks clean and locals are drinking it. Carry tablets as a backup for any device. Use a bladder with a bite-valve cover, and avoid letting the mouthpiece touch the ground.

Stomach bugs are the biggest day-to-day health risk. Use hand sanitiser at every toilet stop and before eating, and don't share food or sweets. Avoid fruit that isn't in its original skin unless the guides have prepared it.

Purifying water at a stream
UV water purifier pen
UV pen.
Water purification tablets
Purification tablets as backup.
A clear creek on the Track
Clear does not mean safe.
Collecting water from a spring
Collecting water from a spring
If something goes wrong

Emergency evacuations

Evacuation from the Track is not like evacuating from a well-roaded national park. Landing zones are limited, aircraft come from Port Moresby, and cloud or rain can ground them. The guide calls your insurer first, and the insurer has the final say. Meanwhile the local team build stretchers and carry the patient to the nearest suitable landing point or village.

Minor injuries such as blisters and scratches are managed by trekkers with their own first-aid kits. Tiredness is not an evacuation reason: you will finish. This is exactly why the right insurance, an honest medical declaration and good preparation matter so much. See travel insurance.

A village on the Track
A village on the Track
A helicopter on a landing zone
A helicopter on a landing zone
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