Day 11 (and 12) - Farewell to the Daga Mountains

After coming down from Gwirot, I couldn't imagine tackling another full-day hike—my body felt completely drained. So, we decided to take it easy and split the final stretch over two days. I spent the extra time at Gray’s home, resting, chatting with locals, and letting my body recharge.

Since we arrived, the rain stopped and the weather has been consistently hot—over 30°C with high humidity and sunshine. But surprisingly, it’s not unbearable. The houses are built to allow airflow in all directions, and there's nothing around to trap heat, making it more comfortable than you'd expect.

Meanwhile, some of the coffee bags we brought from Gwirot continued their journey down to Sirisiri with other carriers from Gray's village. The guys who carried them down immediately headed back up for the next load, keeping things on schedule. Gray and Leroy also met with another cooperative in a neighboring village that had coffee in storage—we’re hoping to add some of their bags to our shipment. A reason to be cautiously optimistic.

Around 2 PM, we set off again. When we reached the midway point where I had rested for two hours on the first hike, I suddenly realized why the second part had gone relatively easy on this first crazy hiking day (now it was the first part as we were going back towards Sirisiri). Actually, this midway point was 50m higher than the Gray's village. So, when we came, we had been descending from here. Anyways, after all that we had experienced, this small 50m climb wasn’t too bad. With some energy still left in the tank, we pushed on, making our way downhill to the lowlands, where we camped for the night.

This was also where the mobile signal disappeared. Initially, I thought there was no reception at all in Daga, but I was wrong. There’s actually a solar-powered tower on top of one of the mountains, covering a surprisingly large area. The connection isn’t perfect—other mountains occasionally block the signal—but it was strong enough to make calls and use the internet in certain spots. However, the lower plains are out of reach.

After spending the night in a small village along the trail, we started early the next morning and reached Sirisiri by 10 AM. It was time to say goodbye to the Daga mountains—both breathtaking and brutal in equal measure. Whether this was my first of many treks here or my only encounter with these trails, I know one thing for sure: I will never forget this place!

A short rest, breakfast, and then our small boat (or “dinghy,” as they call it here) was ready. After the sunburns I got on the first ride, I wasn’t taking any chances—I slathered on sunscreen, covered my still-sensitive hands with a towel, and fashioned a makeshift hat from a t-shirt. As we glided along the coastline, I had a chance to really take in the scenery—stunning black sand beaches, rows of coconut trees, and crystal-clear waters. And yet, only a handful of local children were there to enjoy it. In one of these villages, Leroy’s uncle came to greet us. I later joked that next time, I’d skip the mountain hikes and just stay here, lounging on the beach and drinking fresh coconut water instead.

After an uneventful boat ride, a quick two-hour car trip brought me back to Alotau. And finally—my first proper shower in a week. Mmm… pure bliss. 

Hannes