We hiked the Waianae Range in West Oahu a week ago. It was my first time ever seeing the views from up there and I was not disappointed. Recent storms had turned the valley into a bright green pasture. It was nice to look at.

See also:

• Photos of our hike: Pu’u Kawiwi, No Name, Tiki Ridge.

Last weekend I finally got a chance to hike a trail on the Waianae Range on the west side of Oahu. We followed a loop that takes you through Waianae Kai Forest Reserve, up to Pu’u Kawiwi, over to No Name peak and down Tiki Ridge back into the forest. The trail took almost 8 and a half hours and was the most intense hiking experience I’ve had so far.

The hike starts by making your way through the forest on an unmarked trail. You just have to find your way to the base of Pu’u Kawiwi. From there the climbs are steep and strenuous. Once you get towards the top of the first peak, you have to scramble and climb rocks that crumble upon being touched (at an elevation close to 3,000 ft). The ridge to the second peak, No Name, is the craziest and most knife-edged ridge I’ve hiked so far. There were several moments that I feared for my safety or the safety of my companions. Once you make it to the second peak, you’re not yet out of the woods. Literally. You still have to make your way out of the woods. And if you start in the late-morning like we did, you’ll have to do this in the pitch-dark. On a trail that’s not marked.

If this sounds fun to you then you’re probably an experienced hiker so read on. If this sounds horrible, you might not like this one. For us, it was exhilarating and completely rewarding.

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It’s not always there. In fact, in the several times I’ve been to the Mokule’ia crag, it was nowhere to be found. But, there does exist a map of all the rock climbing routes on the Mokule’ia Main Wall and I finally got to see it. 26 routes ranging from 5.8 (beginner) to 5.13 (advanced). Check the supply box if you go and hopefully it’ll be there. We took in a climbing session here over the weekend and it was so much fun.

See also:

• Mokule’ia Crag – Details on this rock climbing spot and how to get there.
• About Terry Kerby – The man that drew up the map and helped established the climbs on this wall.

It’s Thursday and I’m still stoked on last weekend’s hike. It was just so fun. The hike had exposed knife-edge ridges, rock climbing, expansive views, a mini-waterfall and … I ripped my shorts half way through the trail. (Tip: One section of the trail is heavily overgrown so wear sturdy pants. And sexy underwear, just in case.)

The hike we did was the Kahekili-Manamana loop on the East coast of Oahu. It’s about 25 minutes north of Kaneohe. You go up Kahekili ridge and come down Pu’u Manamana. For much of the hike you’re on a narrow ridgeline trail with views of the Eastern coastline of Oahu and Kahana Valley. I was joined by Reanne, Sheri, Cory, Vuthy, Sam, Dan and Kris. On a 5 hour hike, it’s nice to have a good size group.

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