A question we get asked a lot is ‘Should I hire a personal guide?‘ It is best to define ‘a personal guide’.
A Personal Guide will carry all your gear on the Track in a backpack provided by us for a fee of AUD $640.
We strongly recommend this service if you are unsure of your ability to carry a heavy 15kg backpack over steep and uneven terrain in uncertain weather conditions.
By hiring a personal guide you are providing good-paying work to a villager and you will only have to carry a small day pack with your water and daily needs. Your day pack will only weigh 3-5kgs max.
Remember, this is a holiday as well as a physical and mental challenge. Putting too much pressure on yourself by attempting to carry a heavy pack without pack carrying fitness or experience may seriously detract from your enjoyment.
Reasons you might not hire a guide:
- To do it tough like the Diggers;
- To increase your level of fitness by the end of the Track.
Consider the following scenario: The trek is well underway, your pack is too heavy; you’re not enjoying it. You begin to even hate it. Your Kokoda experience has turned decidedly sour.
Reasons to hire a guide:
- You will be training to be fit enough to do the Track, but you will need to train with the weight of your pack if you intend to carry your own pack;
- The trek isn’t easy. But it’s a hell of a lot easier with a personal guide;
- You’ll have a great trekking companion;
- Guides do more than just carry your bag; they are there to support you.
Please note, most of our trekkers & Trek Leaders hire a guide.