Trail Runner Anna Frost Ventures to the Highlands of Papua New Guinea - Friends of Friends / Freunde von Freunden (FvF)

Trail Runner Anna Frost Ventures to the Highlands of Papua New Guinea

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In Sidetracked’s Volume Seven, Anna Frost finds a tenuous intercultural experience awaiting her in the pursuit of pristine trail-running opportunities in Papua New Guinea.

The athlete went into the experience not knowing what exactly to expect from a culture so seemingly different from her own. At times there were miscommunications in trying to respect the community situated where Anna wanted to tread land. When it came time for one of the clan’s traditional Goroka festival she seemed to build bridges through her openness and authentic interest. Later when she climbed Mt. Wilhelm, she abided by the leadership of the Wandike Clan. See the full photo essay of the journey here.

“They would walk straight for you and leave you thinking ‘Oh shit this is it’ and then feebly try to force a smile as a last contingency, when suddenly this huge guy’s face would just break into the biggest smile. It transformed him into the most welcoming person you have ever met. It was just an all-round bizarre experience and very heartening and welcoming for the most part.”

Images: © Dean Leslie and Kelvin Trautman

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