There are a few hikes on Oahu that I had on my “not going to attempt” list. Up until a week ago the Pali Notches was one of them as it has a reputation for being very dangerous. If you’re driving up the Pali Highway from town you can see two notches cut in the narrow ridgeline. The notches are man-made. They were created by warriors of ancient Oahu to house cannons when defending attacks from Nu’uanu Valley. In 1795, King Kamehameha’s warriors disabled these cannons in the Battle of Nu’uanu which helped him conquer Oahu.

So, if the ancient Hawaiian warriors were able to hike the notches then at least it’s possible. But, a Hawaiian warrior I am not. Nevertheless, some friends were hiking this trail last weekend and I decided to give it a shot. The trail is short yet intense. It’s known as one of the most dangerous trails on the island because of the descent down the second notch. It’s a vertical down-climb and there’s no rope to assist you. And, even if you bring your own rope, there’s nothing to attach it to.

It was a difficult hike indeed yet we made it.

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