Trekking in the Baliem Valley - Papua, Indonesia

My wife and I just got back from a 6-day unguided hike in the Baliem Valley of Papua. Amazing time. All deets and info, including a map is posted here: https://trekkinginthebaliemvalley.blogspot.com/

So cool - great information - thank you. Very interesting write up!

I agree about the guide thing there in Wamena . It's unpleasantly aggressive and expensive but they are only trying to make some money and there are not many other options available.

I did a walkabout up there a few years ago and it was pretty cool also. I lost most of my gear in Sorong on the Pelin after leaving Ambon in a hurry the night before. Had to resupply in Manokwari - and decided to go to Jayapura which I kinda liked. Bought a tarp, a small rucksack, new shirt and headed over to Wamena for some adventure. I didn't have a gps but there was a sketch of the area made by a missionary years before that had the basic layout of the area with the names of villages and the rivers and ridges. If still available be sure to get one.

With my two water bottles and a small bit of food and tarp I set out - travel light. As you mentioned - the mosquitoes were not an issue. For me the main thing was the water supply - the locals were really cool and showed me where to get water from springs coming out of the hillside. I noticed that they traveled very light when on the move. Very steep hillsides and it was difficult to keep up with them - they had a very close bond with everyone we saw on the way - it was very touching to witness the close bond. Occasionally an older woman would be carrying a huge load of sweet potatoes on their head - they extended their greetings and did not stop walking (some of these trails were very steep)

At night I slept on the ground in places with a slight incline with the tarp underneath and folded over with the open side on the down hill. In the heavy rain the water would flow under and over - and it really rained relentlessly a couple of nights. I had a blast - they found me to be a bit eccentric but it was so cool - like stepping back in time a couple of thousand years.

I am a super minimalist and basically bartered for or paid for sweet potatoes which were cooked on an open fire. Very kind people. They travel as light as possible and move almost at a run

thanks @robgdeon for posting your info ! great memories

note - I think this was in year 1999

Hello Rob, thanks for linking your blog here, very interesting! Is there no comment or discussion area in it?

The one thing that I did not get from it is - why did you go there? Was it mostly for hiking? At high altitude? For the milder climate? Or to meet "true" Papuans and see how they live?

Many of the pictures in your blog look like the area is rather deforested. Shouldn't there be dense (highland) rain forest in these mountains? Did you see any wildlife? Do the locals go hunting, or are they purely vegetarian? Don't they have animals, like chicken/hens, or pigs?

Hi WUS, thanks for the note. And thanks for bringing the comments issue to my attention. I have since added comments capability to the blog posts. Feel free to add a comment. In answer to your questions: We went there for the combination of those 2 things: hiking in the mountains, and experiencing the local culture. It's that combo that is really fascinating. As for the vegetation, yes, it's mostly deforested, or at least "modified" in the lower elevations of the valley. They are an agricultural society, so most slopes have been converted to sweet potatoes. If you are looking for pristine jungle, the main Baliem Valley where the villages are, will disappoint you. There is obviously jungle in the region, but you have to go beyond the main valley bottom where the villages are. They do have animals, specifically pigs. But, from all accounts, they only slaughter them for big occasions like weddings. They definitely do not eat meat on a daily basis. OK, cheers, Rob.

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