Extreme Hiking Hawaii

I did this as part of family vacation- they stayed on Oahu. I dayhiked Kawaikini. I drove to Mohihi Trailhead in fading light - gravel road all in the dark and an adventure. It was odd to have this marginal road with the fancy bridges and yield signs. I slept in truck and started hiking at 5:19 AM. It was cool to have so much ridgetop hiking in early section. The river crossing involved a skip across boulders. I would have went later in trip but weather looked good now. I had never bothered with using a GPS track before - this time I tried but data truncated. I have an old GPS. I only had data to near the creek crossing. I never had used Tracbac before except a neighborhood try 2 days before - that was interesting. The trail was overgrown in places but still could be followed. I only lost it twice momentarily on the way back. I hadn't memorized all the old trip reports I looked at as good as I thought so the fenceline was confusing. Ribbons ran out after cone so bac...

View of Poipu from Kawaikini Hikers : Greg Slayden, Laura Newman, Shannon Dilmore, Peter Barr Ascent Trip Report Useful Info: As recently as 2006, the trek to Kawaikini’s summit took up to five tough days of intense jungle bushwhacking through soggy swamps and impenetrable brush. However, over the past decade the access situation here has improved dramatically, mainly due to the construction of pig-control fences. At this point, the trip to this peak no longer involves any bushwhacking and is mainly a trail hike. To be sure, it remains a very rough, rugged, and difficult hike of 23 miles round-trip, and the rainy climate can cause issues with stream crossings and deep mud. But a dry-weather climb by hikers with a 4x4 for trailhead access can be a relatively easy two-day backpack trip. From the Kokee State Park lodge and museum area, a dirt road across Route 550 signed “YWCA Camp” leads east towards the Alakai swamp. This road leads 6 miles to its end, and in most cond...

In 2008, hike guide and Kauai extreme hiker, Eric Rohlffs, descended into Milolii Valley along the steep-cliffed Na Pali Coast on Kauai. The pic above is the mouth of Milolii taken from a vantage point on the ocean. Rohlffs descended the ridge on the righthand side of the valley mouth. He posted the pics below. Others have likely descended this route, including volcantrek8 , who issued the following warning: The bushwhack descent into Milolii is hazardous with fatal drops aplenty. Noted Kauai photographer, author and Kauai Natural History Expert David Boynton was killed on the decent to Milolii in 2007. The descent is not recommended and these photos are only intended to show the variety of wilderness experiences and magnificent views off the established routes. There is no trail. Goats get weak kneed. Much KKKK (crumbly cliffs of Kauai clay). Bring your own handholds.

Kahili Ridge route -- B. Burd photo After a successful foray two days earlier that led to the discovery of a trail leading to the ridgeline south of the peak, I was favorably impressed that I might actually be able to reach the summit of Kahili, a 3,000-foot peak on the flanks of the main mountain massif on the island of Kauai. Often shrouded in clouds, the peak is an impressive sight from Poipu Beach and the town of Koloa on the SE side of the island - when it is visible. On this second visit, I once again returned to Kahili Mountain Park, a private park/school on the SE side of the peak from where the Kahili Ridge Trail commences. This time there was another car in the small turnout when I started off shortly before noon. Read more...

e Haupu viewed from the SE Ridge -- Photo by B. Burd Haupu is the highpoint of a long E-W ridge that separates the Poipu area from Lihue on the southeast side of the island of Kauai. It is a very rugged area with steep cliffs and dense vegetation, with no public trails at all that I know of. Much of the surrounding areas lie on private land, and it appears impossible to reach the ridge without crossing at least some private ranchlands. From either Poipu or Lihue, Haupu looks impressive. At first glance, vertical walls appear to surround the 2,297-foot summit, and even after a good deal of close examination, it is not at all evident that the peak can be climbed. And so I made it the goal of my first week in Kauai to both get a taste for Kauaian cross-country, and to explore the possibility of a route to the summit of Haupu. Route to the summit of Haupu -- B. Burd photo Starting from our condo at Poipu Beach, I naturally focused on getting to the peak from the south side. Utilizing s...

Photo by http://great-hikes.com/blog/ Bob Burd calls Namolokama (4421 feet) "possibly the most difficult peak on Kauai to summit." Based on research I've done, I could find no one who has climbed to the summit of Namolokama, pictured to the right. Has anyone done this or know of anyone who has?

Kalalea aka King Kong Photo by Ryan Ray Stranded in Paradise is not a high quality Rock route by most standards, but it was a blast and alot of fun to summit this awesome peak. This route if my memory serves me correct (its been 7 or 8 years or so now) follows the East or southeastern ridge which would be the face of king kong . Read more... Kalalea from the highway

Bob Burd -- photo by climber.org When one thinks of high-priced mountain adventures, one typically has images of the $7,000 Denali expedition or the $50,000 Everest attempt. Kawaikini, barely making it over 5,000ft in elevation, would be my most expensive climb yet, coming in at over $10,000. Of course that included a two week vacation for the whole family with an oceanfront condo in Poipu Beach - the price I had to pay to entice them to let me climb once more in Kauai - and worth every cent, I might add. The climb itself cost little more than $5 for food and maybe $50 for gas plus the wear on my clothes - I'd spent more on day trips in the Sierra Nevada. Read more...

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....

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 .