NEED TO KNOW
LOCATION Mount Wilhelm is in the Bismarck Mountains of Papua New Guinea
HIGHEST POINT 14,793 ft (4,509 m)
FIRST CLIMBED In 1938 by Australian Leigh Vial, who became a World War II patrol watcher in Papua New Guinea
CLIMBERS PER YEAR Fewer than 1,000
The jagged granite summit of Mount Wilhelm, the highest peak in Papua New Guinea, is quite a departure from the highland route that leads you there, which ascends through dense rain forest, temperate mountain forest, and open grassland before breaking out into rugged alpine terrain.
The trek to the top of the mountain takes three to four days and although it isn’t technical, it involves some steep scrambling near the top. The snowfields that used to carpet the mountain no longer exist, but the air in the higher elevations is still cool and crisp. From the summit on a clear day there are spectacular views north to the Pacific Ocean and small coastal islands.
Practical Information
Getting There and Around Fly into Goroka, which is in the center of Papua New Guinea. Here you can join an organized trekking group and travel by shuttle bus to a base camp on Mount Wilhelm.
When to Go The best climbing conditions are from May to November.