I had a lot of great moments in the mountains in 2019 but if I had to pick just one, it would be the climb to the top of the Island of Oahu in January. There is a government electronics installation on the summit of Mount Kaala but the road is closed to the public. The standard route climbs 3,500 vertical feet up through the tropical rain forest and narrow ridges to the summit plateau. The route then crosses a summit swamp on a boardwalk to reach the highest point.
If you read trip reports, you will find that vandalism at the trailhead is an issue that will concern anyone planning to make this climb. While I am not sure how many cars are actually broken into at this trailhead, I do know that it happens frequently on Oahu. In fact, at one trailhead, the car next to our rental car was broken into while we were climbing.
The ridge route climbs several steep pitches.
The local Hawaiian climbers I met are, for the most part, fearless. Instead of carrying ropes and gear, they often add sections of rope to exposed or slippery areas. In this case, steps were bolted into a short cliff.
The boardwalk through the summit swamp.
I hired a local guide, Nandor Szotak. Nandor drove us to the trailhead, which mitigated my worries about damage to the rental car. More importantly, it gave me a chance to learn about Oahu climbing opportunities and challenges.
On the summit with local guide Nandor Szotak.
The view down to Oahu’s northwest coast.
Next: Eastern Oregon
Return to ARTICLE INDEX