Our Spirit Blog - 2026 - Aidan Grimes

One of the defining features of people stepping onto Kokoda isn’t weakness or lack of fitness it’s anticipatory load. Most arrive carrying stress or anxiety about what they’re about to face. Biologically, that shows up as elevated cortisol.

The Kokoda Track is not just a walk — it is a sustained physiological and psychological stress test.

Heat. Humidity. Elevation. Continuous load. Limited recovery.

And under those conditions, electrolyte balance becomes mission-critical

Since our earliest expeditions (30 years ago), we have quietly and consistently tracked participants before, during, and after their Kokoda experience.