Extreme Hiking Hawaii

Lanihuli and reaching it from the Pali Lookout has captivated my imagination and only that for a long time. It was off limits and as far as I was concerned way too dangerous to attempt. I had heard the stories of Kalanikupule and his wife escaping Kamehameha's forces using this route, the 1915 article in the Mid-Pacific Magazine, Lost on Lanihuli By R.H. Lambert , the scouting trip of Al Miller and more recently stories of a "father and son team" that was working on this very route around 2000 - 2001 and they made it! And then Pete Clines did it in April of 2010 ! There are plenty of accounts of people who have not made it and even for those who have, it usually takes multiple attempts. Before continuing on I would like too say thank you to everyone (especially Pete and Stanley) who has put in work and put up ropes, cables etc. to make this a more "manageable route." Without your help this would have been a lot more time consuming and difficult! Afte

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.

Scott Villiger and Dayle Turner completed the ascent on August 13, 2003. They described the climb as "easier than anticipated." Initially, they showed up at the end of Manoa Road at 9 to do some exploratory hiking in Manoa. However the others were no-shows so they decided to go elsewhere to hike. Turner bounced several hike venue options off of Villiger and the one they decided on was an exploratory of the ridge they had spotted a week ago after they had climbed Hahaione's middle ridge. The spotted ridge Turner christened Mauna o Ahi Windward (MOAW) because it crests out very near the topping out point of the ridge of this name. So from Manoa, they drove over to the windward side, leaving Villigers's car at the HTMC clubhouse. They then jumped in Turner's vehicle and drove over to the Waimanalo District Park, where they set off hiking along the 'Nalo backroads, destination the starting point of Bear Claw Ridge. Ten minutes later, they got to the Bear Cla

Lake Waianapanapa -- Photo by B. Gagne With a layover day at Paliku (lit. "vertical cliff") came a leisurely morning. Although Paliku was still engulfed in shadow, the early morning sunshine lit up the massive ridge containing Haleakala Peak, the lava fields of the crater floor, Pu'u Maile, and Oilipu'u beautifully. At 9 a.m. Arnold, Chris and myself set out to explore the territory above Paliku along Kalapawili Ridge (part of the crater rim) in hopes of locating (and swimming in!) Lake Waianapanapa. We were blessed with another perfect day weatherwise (a light breeze, clear blue skies with the exception of a few cirrus clouds, an abundance of sunshine). A sign stating "unmaintained trail" behind the campground denoted the Lau'ulu trailhead and we headed north on the footpath. I brought ribbon to mark potentially confusing junctions for Inger and Laura who would be hiking Lau'ulu later that morning. We gained elevation gradually and passed t

  Last summer I made several trips to upper Kalihi Valley to explore the Koolau saddle between Lanihuli (to the east) and the peak next to the Bowman Trail terminus (to the west.) I found a ridgeline that is narrow and crumbly, making for an exciting walk. Anyone who has ever looked up at this area over the Wilson Tunnels has noticed a number of sharp ups and downs which add difficulty to this walk. In order to reference them, I have given silly names to these menacing pinnacles: Witch’s Hat, Shark Fin, The Bunny Ears, Doorstop, Pimple, and Can Opener. (From west to east) This shot was taken from a scout trip last year from a spot partway down the west ridgeline of Lanihuli. The red and blue dots mark the two routes I put together to climb or descend the saddle. The orange “flags” mark the extent of how far I have gone in either direction. The left flag is the “Witch’s Hat” and the right is the “Doorstop.” Last Sunday, we went up the blue (look closely) and down the re

    In April 2011, Kaleo Lancaster and friends completed a successful ascent of Mount Ohulehule's southeast ridge, the same ridge that two Danish female hikers were stranded on years ago. OSE has not been hiked much if at all in recent years. But now that Lancaster and crew have done it, perhaps more intrepid ones will follow ala Piliwale Ridge

Not many people have done the traverse of Mauna Loa and descended the Southwest Rift. Before I did it for the first time, I talked to all the old-timers I could find, and couldn't locate anyone who had done it or knew of anyone who had, with the possible exception of one of the geologists at the Volcano laboratory. It is not easy to explain the challenge of this trip to the average layman, or even to most experienced hikers. Craig Chisholm, in his book " Hawaiian Hiking Trails " characterizes the climb of Mauna Loa from the Strip Road to the summit cabin as "one of the hardest hikes in the Hawaiian Islands". This is entirely justified, yet the end of the trail at the summit cabin represents the final departure from civilization and the doorway to the truly untouched wilderness for those who attempt the still more challenging trek down the Southwest Rift. As one leaves the summit cabin and travels around the rim of the caldera to South Pit,

Finally got to do the crossover between Kawiwi and Kamaileunu! I have been interested in this route since hearing that Al Miller did it years (and years) ago. I was supposed to take some of the gang up there back in January, but I got sick and spent that weekend in bed. Then the weather was just uncooperative all the recent Sundays. But this past weekend we had the trades back and the forecast was for less rain, so we (Kevin, Duc, August, and I) went for it. Below is the route starting from the usual trailhead in Waianae Valley. The blue arrow marks the notch which is where it gets particularly exciting. After leaving my car near the Kamaileunu trailhead, we rode in Duc’s car to our starting point, and set off up the paved road at 8:30ish. The road was wet and slick - not a good sign as we would prefer dry conditions for a safe climb up and across. From the curve in the road we ducked into the forest on the path to the base of Kawiwi. Most of my ribbons from last ye

Partway down Mauna o Ahi Windward, looking back to the summit ridge   Hike date : August 2003 I've thought about doing Bear Claw again lately, but wanted to descend via a different route. Since I usually hike alone, traverse options can be difficult to arrange as far as transportation. Dayle and Scott's adventure on Mauna o Ahi Windward gave me a good solution. Since I climbed the right claw last year I decided to try the left one this time. It turned out to be less exciting, fairly dense in places, but a good workout due to the angle of ascent. I rested on the mushroom rock to have a snack and ponder which car I will buy this week since my Civic has seen better days. (Anyone want a steal on a '90 wagon?) Reached Puu O Kona in the clouds, with some light rain and stiff wind. Continued along the KST, reaching MOAW summit in less time than expected. Coming down, I took time to clear the ridge some more in places where I could safely swing a machete. Good job to Sco

For years, Mount Waialeale on Kauai has been the undisputed wettest spot in the Hawaiian Islands. A recent report , however, made it clear that the Kauai high point (or almost-high point) is now # 2. Where is # 1? It's on Maui, at a location called "Big Bog." According to one source , access to Big Bog "is nonetheless difficult, requiring either a helicopter or two days each way on foot, partly through dense montane rain forest. As a result of this remoteness and the lack of trails into this area, these bogs have until recently received little disturbance to native biota compared to most Hawaiian habitats. Feral pigs arrived into the area in the early 1970s and their heightened activity through the 1980s has caused the loss of native plant cover and subsequent invasion by of alien plant species." A two-day hike in and two days out? Sounds like an extreme hike. Pic above is of MidCamp Bog by B. Gagne. From an info-gathering quest, hiking access from

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