Extreme Hiking Hawaii

The 2010 HTMC calendar is really a thing of beauty, but there is outdated information that I would like to see corrected. On the last page (bottom flap of Club Facts & Trivia) it reads, "Pete Clines has also attempted this climb to True Manamana but fell short of the summit. As far as we know, no one has conquered the summit of True Manamana." I am pleased to report that these statements are no longer accurate, as two HTMC members had lunch there this past Saturday! With an EARLY 6:30am meeting time, Laredo (Rainbowman) Murray, Nathan Yuen, Chris Cheng, and I prepared for a long day of adventure. By 6:50am we were leaving the cars (by Kahana Bay) and were heading for the "Cemetery Route" up the Manamana club hike. Clouds and on-and-off rain throughout the day meant the ground would be muddy and slick for the duration. A little before 9am we reached Turnover at about 2000ft and had a short break. The club route would reverse direction here, a

I found out yesterday that my friend (and hiking buddy) Brian was going to be deployed to Iraq in the next week or so with his Marine division. We decided to get in one last hike, and I thought we should make it a worthwhile one. He's gone with me on Kalena, Olomana, and Manamana, so I proposed one that would top them all. We arrived at the Pali lookout at 11:00, and were glad to see the high cloud cover, but with Konahuanui cloud-free(which it remained all day). I've been up to the notches to the right of the lookout 3-4 times before, but never beyond. Today we got to them in short time, then proceeded to work past them taking the direct up-and-over route. Coming off the second notch required a steep downhill climb followed by a careful jump. (We had missed the more gradual descent option on the windward facing side) Next was a brief level stretch, prior to arriving at the "test your courage" spot. We spotted an old rope hanging at the top of v

This morning, Pat Rorie, Laredo Murray, Pete Caldwell, and I met at the summit of Konahuanui, the high point of the Koolau Range. We did this as a tribute for Don Fox, a friend and fellow hiker who recently lost his life in an auto accident on the mainland. We reached Konahuanui via three different routes: Pat and Laredo by way of Lulumahu Ridge, Pete via Tantalus/Kalawahine/Pauoa Flats, and me from Manoa via Aihualama/Pauoa Flats. In the 2.5 hours spent at the summit, we each drank, courtesy of Pete, a couple of swallows of 151 proof Hana Bay rum, a favorite celebratory inbibement of Don's, and, courtesy of Laredo, set off a rackety pyrotechnics display (on occasion, Don enjoyed firing off a bottle rocket or two from high mountain ridges). All the while, we were in the clouds with no views, but the whiteout didn't phase us nor dampen our spirits. And we probably would have stayed an hour longer if it hadn't started raining. In clouds all the way, we all descended toge

21 November 2001 My son Adam and I finally completed our Lanihuli East Tramp today. Sunny and clear to start the day, but very muggy and no breeze. As I've written of the trail several times already, I won't go into detail. We left the Pali Lookout parking lot at 9:00 a.m. and reached the Puka twenty minutes later after a nice scramble. Thanks to the ropes and cables previously laid, we reached the top of the second bypass by 10:00.The fun really starts when you reach the first set of pinnacles. The tough rock climbing come, not at the large pyramid, but at the little rocky knobs in-between. The climbing opportunities on this trail are many. It tested the limits of my meager abilities.We brought one 25 ft. cable and one 35 ft. rope. We used the rope to drop down from one peak to a narrow ledge trail served by an Al Miller telephone cable laid perhaps 10 years ago but still in perfect shape. We followed the Miller Cable to the anvil rock at the washou

Have you ever wondered if that $8.00 coil of rope you bought from the hardware store could save you in a fall? If I'm not a spirit right now, the answer is yes. Since scoping out the Lanihuli trail a few days ago I have been manic, wanting to get up there and see some more. For many reasons: it's beautiful, it's easy to get to, it's deserted, and it's very difficult. I got done early with what I had to do today so I could re-visit the world of the great Professor. I was dropped off around 1:00 and hoofed it up to the puka. Spotted some semi-fresh pig dung on the trail near the parking lot. I took off my pack and laid on my back to study the overhang. Sure looks doable if the rock was good. Started to feel sick from the moving clouds above the mountain and had to take a break. So I stared at the Pali notch area on the other side of the gap and wondered why on earth I ever thought I could climb that thing. Must be a flashback from my urb

From:Stanley Yamada Reply-To: ohe-l@hawaii.edu Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 23:54:02 -1000 Finally got up to the Lookout for an exploratory of the Pali Notches on one side and Lanihuli prayer on the other. Couldn't persuade No. 1 son to join me so he just dropped me off near the trailhead around 3:30. I sped up the trail next to a sign warning me not to rappel. OK I won't. At a junction I took a narrow trail left toward the ridge. The trail continues straight up for those not wanting to look over the edge at the highway below. To me, it's way more dangerous the "safe" way as I'll explain later. I kept to the ridge line despite contouring routes which appeared every so often. The rock is amazingly good and the lee side is well protected with lush vegetation for safety. This is a great climb to try if you want the thrill of ridge climbing without the danger. Powerful wind gusts pushing you alee also helps in the confidence department. J

Remind me never to do this climb again. The benefits do not outweigh the burdens. A lot of the problems were self-created. We got off to a late start, didn't fuel up properly beforehand, and underestimated the difficult trail conditions. Normally not a problem with the usual trail. With this trail, they combined to kick my ass. Piliwale is the ridge connecting Maunawili Valley on the Windward side with the summit of Konahuanui (3150 ft.), apex of the Koolau range. There was not much beta available for this climb. Jason Sunada's account of his trip up and down the trail last year was sketchy on details, and I now understand why. This is a long and difficult trip up and the numerous outcroppings and meanderings get confusing fast for anyone intent on trying to memorize a path to the top. We parked at the hairpin turn lot, the bad luck car now stripped of anything of value. Passed three women intent on doing the entire Maunawili trail with one one-lit