Start by trekking into Moanalua Valley (on the West side of the Koolaus).

Obtain the summit.

Traverse the Koolau summit ridgeline and ascend the back set of stairs.

Descend the East side of the Koolaus via the Haiku Stairs (a.k.a. Stairway to Heaven).

What a hike.

We had the good fortune last weekend to be invited to hike the Moanalua Saddle to Haiku Stairs. The hike was lead by Marcus, an avid Oahu extreme hiker. He does this trail frequently and offered to lead us on it. Had he not been available to show us the way, I’m certain that I would not have attempted this trail. It’s very risky. One slip up and you would be tumbling down the mountain.

Now, I’ve said that about many hikes before but on this trail the possibility of slipping is greater than on any trail I’ve been on. Certain sections require you to push yourself up a steep incline with only dirt, grass or moss to hold on to. The more experienced hikers in our group placed metal spikes over their shoes to allow them to dig into the mountainside. With the wind whipping against you and only wet turf beneath each of your extremities to keep you from falling a couple thousand feet, it would be very easy to let panic set in. Panic makes you second guess your movements and freeze up. But linger too long on these precarious foot and hand holds and they may no longer support you. So what I’m saying is, confidence for this hike is key.

But, in the company of seasoned hikers (I was one of the most inexperienced in the group) and with Marcus as our guide, I felt confident and capable throughout the extreme sections and all was well. This hike was intense but very beautiful.

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There’s another new bouldering spot people have been developing.

It’s in a forest near Downtown Honolulu.

And it’s called Nuuanu.

There’s only a few boulder problems to climb at this spot so far. But, it’s super easy to access and according to Justin Ridgely (Volcanic Rock Gym), it has one of the best problems on the island. People are exploring the area too, so new problems could be found at any time.

We cruised out here recently to check out the rock and get a look at this crazy overhanging boulder problem called “Rise of the Night Marchers.”

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Pele’s Chair is the prominent rock formation that you can see while driving to the Windward side of Oahu. It overlooks a small beach called Alan Davis (named after a guy that owned a ton of land back in the day).

Alan Davis is a very popular beach with Windward side locals because of this pole. The kids here do crazy tricks off it. You’ve probably seen a bunch of pics on Facebook of your friends jumping off it. I know I have, and I’ve been wanting to go.

The chair and beach are easy to get to. You park in the same lot that takes you to the Makapu’u Lighthouse and tide pools and after a 10 minute walk, you’re at the beach. Last weekend, we wanted to go do something outdoorsy but we didn’t have all day. Coming out here fit the bill nicely.

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