Our porter Rula (left) and guide Jerom, with Mt Balbi lake inside Crater C in the background
“The volcanic stones covered in moss turn out to be as treacherous as soap”
be our mattress, over which Jerom spreads out a blue canvas. My sleeping bag will be well appreciated for at 2000m the night will be cool and humid. This is the time when the cuscus (Phalanger maculatus), a lovely marsupial, will roam around in the trees in search of food. Large flying foxes will come to disturb my sleep by the singular sound of their wings, to which the powerful torch beam of our porter Rula will be added for light effect. Rula (aka Godzilla) will catch one of these creatures for his kaikai (dinner), once back in the village. Luckily it does not rain during the night and the weather looks
ideal. After some scotch finger biscuits and a cold coffee, our wandering continues in the altitude jungle. Carved by the rains, the trail is just wide enough for one foot to be placed in front of the other, under the inquisitive gaze of another pale mountain pigeon. Some noisy Solomons cockatoos manifest themselves as well, flying above the canopy in flocks, and landing on some dead branches to observe us closely. Graceful bamboo outlines an open window to the mountainous landscape above. Before we leave the forest, we come under a collection of giant tree ferns that are close to 10m in height.
Balbi – after four and a half hours of sustained effort. An additional 50 minutes are still
where we shall spend the night. A simple hut of branches, with palm barks in lieu of roofing, will do fine. A carpet of ferns will
required to reach the ‘second camp’,
A simple branch hut for our second camp on Mt Balbi
VOLUME 34 2023
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