Extreme Hiking Hawaii

Photo by Nathan Yuen In early December 2010, a group of five which included extreme hikers Pete Clines, August Smith, and Nathan Yuen, hiked up the Papali Ridge extended trail, down the Castle Trail, and then down Kaluanui Stream to down-climb several waterfalls. Nathan Yuen filed this report on his blog.

Photo by volcantrek 8/waialeale.org Hike date : May 2006 I figured it was going to be relatively easy to summit the shortest mountain in Hanalei Valley. The elevation is only about 2400 feet and it took less than an hour to hike the first two miles, even if it was a bit steep at times. I didn't realize how totally crazy the trail to the summit is though. The first indication that only the extremely brave, or insane, should attempt this "hike" was when i came upon a rope descending through dense brush on a knife-edge ridge. Without a second thought i snatched the rope off of the ground and began the precarious descent, facing forward (i.e. down-hill.) The rope was obviously weather worn, but despite the signs that it had seen several rainy seasons it seemed sturdy enough to hold my weight, and did. Even when i tripped and caught myself while walking that first section of densely covered "trail" i didn't have the slightest intention of turning back....

Hike date : 2 April 2003 Definitely one of the more memorable pau hana hikes I've done in recent years.For subscribers of OHE-L who aren't aware, during the past few years some of us on this list have been searching for do-able windward Ko'olau ridges as counterparts to prominent leeward Ko'olau trails. A few of these trans-Ko'olau routes have existed for decades (i.e. Schofield-Waikane, Kawailoa-Laie, and Haiku Stairs Moanalua Valley middle ridge). The late Silver Piliwale pioneered Piliwale Ridge (aka Windward Konahuanui, the narly ridge visible as one drives along the Pali Hwy hairpin turn), which Jason Sunada, Pete Clines and I have climbed recently. Silver also blazed a trail up Kaupo Cliffs (part of the Kaupo Cliffs-Kamiloiki Ridge traverse). The Bear Claws-Pu'u o Kona-Kuliouou Ridge is another example of a trans-Ko'olau route; author unknown. A group of us established a trail on a ridge in Waiahole Valley dubbed Kipapa Windward because it to...

Chris Walker Here is Chris Walker's take on the most dangerous and daunting hikes on the island of Oahu. His top five include the KST, Pu'u Manamana, Pu'u Kalena, Pu'u Ka'aumakua, and Olomana.

Submitted here is a photo of the probable route of Lanihuli Windward. As of 2010, this route has not been traversed in a number of years. Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club veteran John Hall has done this with Chuck Godek. According to Hall, Godek was the lead climber, who would ascend, tie off a rope, then beckon Hall to follow. Using this grind-it-out-to-the-top method, they eventually acquired the summit. Year: unknown but probably in the 1950s or 60s. The access would be from the Likeke Trail, mauka of the Koolau Golf Course.

National Geographic lists the Muliwai Trail as Hawaii's toughest.  What's your choice for Hawaii's toughest hike?

Hike date: January 2000 Today I went hiking in the Waianae range with four other folks, including my buddy Cleve Rich. Also hiking with us were Kawika Bew, Ming Ching, and Ming's friend Jean. We met at 8 at the Kunia Golf Course, then set off on the dirt roads thru the pineapple fields directly across Kunia Road from the golf course driveway. We encountered pine field workers but they did not hassle us and we continued toward the mountain, following new/old jeep roads at times and wading through California grass at others. Eventually we reached a spur ridge that climbed up toward the crest just to the right of Pohakea Pass. At the 1800 foot level (just got a new Casio Pathfinder altimeter watch), we hit the Honouliuli contour trail (HCT). Kawika and Cleve were ahead at this point and they missed the left turn they were supposed to make at the HCT. Instead, they kept climbing the spur ridge and, after some very steep climbing near the top, eventually reached the Waianae ...

Hike date : January 2000 "Winter is for the Wai'anaes" is a saying I have a firm belief in, and I enjoy hiking the Wai'anae Range (Leeward Coast) because of its stark contrast to the Ko'olaus - dry, rocky, open terrain vs. muddy, heavily vegetated territory. Having sat around watching football games on Saturday and Sunday afternoons resting my left knee, I decided to venture out of my humble Waikele abode Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday) to visit one of my favorite locales on O'ahu, the Ohikilolo triangular peak. I've reached the triangular peak in the past via Ohikilolo Ridge (twice), Kea'au Ridge commencing from the region mauka of the former First Hawaiian Bank (FHB) rec center (three times), the entire Kea'au Ridge commencing from the Makaha surfing beach, but never via Kea'au Middle Ridge. Dayle Turner recently posted a very good route description of Kea'au Middle , so I'll skip the specifics unless deemed n...

Awaawapuhi is a trail up in the Koke'e environs on Kauai. David Concepcion contributes this video about a trek out on a wild ridge that is an extension of the main trail. Not for the acrophobic! See David's video here .

This trail/climb/ascent is one of the legendary ones in the annals of Oahu hiking. Named "Bear Claw" because it has a similar appearance to the extended appendage of a huge grizzly, the ridge was climbed by HTMC daredevils of yesteryear and then conquered once again by Stan Yamada and son in the late 1990s. Following the Yamada-ascent, a flurry of activity on Bear Claw ensued by host of intrepid HTMC types of more recent vintage. After that, activity on The Claw dropped to nil. That is until recently. In 2009-2010, assaults on Bear Claw have been numerous, including ones by Andrew Bayang and friends , and Dave Concepcion and company , and Nathan Yuen and friends .

Well, I'm not quite sure just how to tell this story. The trip was the most phenomenal and exciting undertaking that any of us had attempted (at least for hiking/canyoneering). We put a great deal of time, planning and preparation into this activity to ensure it would be done as fail-safe as possible but, sometimes things happen that you're just not quite ready for. Seldomly, it's the unthinkable. Read more...

Photo by Waianae Steve The Star Trek trail starts in Waianae Valley and climbs to crest of the Waianae Range between Kolekole Pass and Pu'u Kalena. The following account is provided by Waianae Steve. "The story of this trail began while Dan and I were hiking on Hobb's ridge . I spotted what looked like a narrow valley cutting the Wai`anae Pali and thought 'Hey we might be able to do that!'" Read more...

Photo by Oahuhiker Hike date : 6 June 2010, Sunday Since I had to work on Saturday (National Trails Day) I figured I would make up for it on Sunday by adding a fourth option to the Aiea trail network: a windward continuation.After months of putting it off, yesterday became the day for a summit attempt of this obscure windward ridge. I had been looking for a new route on that side and spotted a ridge that begins behind Ahuimanu and climbs to a peak north/west of the Aiea Ridge terminus. This ridge is fairly prominent, and is between "Ulupaina Uka" to the south and "Kalahaku Teeth" to the north. A little history : My initial scouting trip began from a poor access point, but subsequent clearing trips began from an access point at the end of Heno Place - ~300 ft elevation where I parked, just down the road. I believe this might be the access for the Ahuimanu trail that the Club uses to get to the waterfall. I have never joined them for this one, but the tr...

There are moments in extreme hiking when participants say to themselves,"Is this more than I can handle? Am I pushing the envelope too far?" On the other hand healthy growth can only take place when an individual's limit is stretched. Such was the case for three men on Sunday, February 22, 1998. After picking up Laredo Murray at his home in Haiku Valley I drove the two of us to a well-known windward Oahu ranch. Dayle Turner and FWH had already arrived and were waiting for us just inside the main entrance. FWH went to confirm that we had permission to do the hike. She returned a few minutes later and we drove our cars to an area not far from the trailhead. It was a high overcast day with nice breezes. At 8:16 a.m. the four of us began bushwacking thru a small forest of mostly haole koa and tall grass working our way toward the foot of the fourth ridge (the first ridge being the one that goes directly to the prominent peak Kanehoalani (elev. 1,900 ft)). We essent...

Have you noticed that in this new age of hiking, trail reports are increasingly presented in pictures and videos more than words?  Of special interest to me are the HD videos being shot which led me to investigate the hardware being used to capture the footage. One particularly thorough review was put out by The Hike Guy , who discussed the pros and cons of the GoPro HD Hero camera.  Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get one of these cameras for Christmas!

On Saturday, Jan. 10, 1998 Laredo Murray (blonde hair) and I took advantage of the incredible weather conditions (light and variable winds resulting in a crystal clear Ko'olau summit crest) and went for an all day hike (aka "Super" hike or Xtreme hike). We met at Anna Miller's in Aiea around 7:40 a.m. It was a chilly (for Oahu) morning but the mountains were completely cloudless and the two of us were psyched. Laredo followed me as we drove to the top of Onikiniki. He left his truck there and I then drove us to Keaiwa Heiau State Rec Area. I parked in the lot near the Aiea Loop trailhead. At 8:12 a.m. we started up the trail. I had to constantly wipe/blow my nose and it didn't take Laredo very long to realize that I was sick. I told him it was only post nasal drip and a minor problem. Although my nose was running I felt fine because Mike Adams recommended I take a certain 24 hour cold medicine the night before. Laredo and I worked our way along the loop ...

With all the recent activity on True Manamana, Piliwale, and Bear Claw Ridge which all require above-average climbing ability, when I saw this clip I thought the climbers among us (and the many of us who are climber-wannabes or climbers-in-training) would love this:

Man Friday in 2008 via this link In honor of Thanksgiving Day 2010, here is the story of an extreme hike completed on Thanksgiving Day, 2001 by R.B. aka Man Friday. Awesome accomplishment. ------ There was talk within the HTMC member ranks about doing a day hike the length of the Pali. So on this beautiful Thanksgiving Day, man-Friday decided to take the leisure stroll on his own. It should be known he attempted to solicit other HTMC members to participate, but alas there were no takers.Arriving at the hunter sign in on Pali highway man-Friday made the final preparations for the hike. At 6:05 am he did not expect to see anyone else there but to his surprise two hunters where signing in at the check in. Five minutes to gear up, lock the doors and say aloha to the hunters and MF was ready to head down the pitch-dark old Pali road towards the Nuuanu Judd trail. On the way MF felt ice cold water dripping down his back on into his board shorts, but shrugged it off figuring i...