Angel inspects the holds. (They are small.)

Nancy starts the Northern Whale boulder problem at the Green Boulders.

Matt hits the lip on the Norther Whale boulder problem.

Last week, Matt, Joe and Nancy organized a nighttime bouldering session at the Green Boulders. The Green Boulders is a secluded bouldering spot tucked away in a valley on the Oahu’s North Shore. You get here by hiking up a short yet sweat inducing trail for 45 minutes or so. The forest opens up and you see some of the largest free standing boulders on the island. (See how how the Green Boulders look during the day.)

We spent the night climbing and unwinding. It was a different type of pau hana.

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The Lanikai Pillboxes trail overlooks the Lanikai neighborhood and the “Moks”.

On the trail there’s a small crag that some people climb.(On Reanne’s back is a bouldering crash pad.)

The Lanikai Pillboxes hike (a.k.a, Ka’iwa Ridge Trail) is well known for being one of the easiest hikes on the island and one of the most scenic. That’s a rare combination. You can complete the hike in an hour or less if you wanted to. But once you see the sweeping views of Kailua and Lanikai from the ridge, you may want to spend more time on the trail.

Come at dawn or dusk for the best views.

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On our third day of the backpacking trip we said goodbye to Waimanu Valley.

We made our way back to Waipio Valley on the Muliwai Trail.

The return hike, in my opinion is much harder than the hike in. The section of the Muliwai Trail that takes you out of the valley is steeper and more rugged than the Z-Trail. It’s a serious thigh burner and cardio killer. By the time you get to the top of it you’re pretty tired and you still have 8 more miles to go.

But, that might just be me. Now that I think of it, most of the group powered through the hike and looked pretty fresh-faced afterwards. So, your experience may be much different than mine.

Getting out of Waimanu Valley involved a bit more effort than just the hike though. First, we had to cross a stream that had grown significantly from heavy rain the night before.

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By David,
Unreal Hawaii

By Kaleo,
Island Trails

By Justin,
Justin U. on Vimeo

By Ryan,
Ryan Chang on Vimeo

* * *

We came back from Waimanu with a lot of footage. For a couple of weeks after the trip, you would see videos come out one by one. Each person captured the trip in a different way.

We produced four videos in total, all with a different vibe.

The Waimanu Series

This is the final post in a five-part series on Waimanu. See more:

• PART 1: Waimanu Valley via the Muliwai Trail
• PART 2: Waimanu Valley Waterfalls
• PART 3: Waimanu Valley Camping
  
• PART 4: Waimanu Valley to Waipio Valley
  

Mahalo to Prudential Locations for supporting Unreal Hawaii this week.

Prudential Locations invites you to search for homes in Kailua and Lanikai.

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Shelter.

The beach.

Fishing.

Eating.

There are 9 campsites in Waimanu Valley. They sit just off a beautiful black sand beach that spans the opening of the valley. Rock walls (about a couple feet high) outline each site.

Camping in Waimanu Valley is different for everyone. Your experience all depends on what you bring. Those that kayak over will have much more luxuries than backpackers. But even if you backpack to Waimanu Valley like we did, I’d encourage you to bring some treats for yourself. It’s well worth the extra weight in your pack.

In this post I’ll show you what you can see and do around the campsites in Waimanu Valley.

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