Koko Head Crater

Koko Head Crater rises 1368 feet above the eastern side of Oahu. During the second world war, American forces installed bunkers atop the hill and a steep inclined railway to transport supplies to them. Today, the military installations are abandoned but the railway ties are used as stairs for adventurous (stupid) tourists to climb to the summit.

Brenda had mentioned she might like to make the hike up, but I was initially a little apprehensive as the photos of the trail I had seen made it seem as though it may not be the safest tourist attraction out there. There are a total of 1050 ties to climb before you reach the top. With the thousand of visitors the site attracts, many of the ties are rounded and others have rotted with age. Although repairs have been made by the Parks Department, hardly any of the steps up the climb seemed of equal distance and often the ties are covered with a thin layer of dirt. With the frequent showers we've been having this week, I was fearful the climb and descent could be slippery and treacherous. However, at the recommendation of Brenda's niece, Zenna, we decided to take the hike on Thursday morning.

If Zenna can do it, I can do it.

And so we set out Thursday morning and found our way to the entrance to the park. After a short walk we arrived at the base of the railway track that rose in a straight line to the top of the crater. It appeared from that vantage point to rise almost vertically as it neared the summit. If you zoom in on the left side of the mountain in the picture above, you can see the line cut into the vegetation where the railway runs.

Off we went. The first couple of hundred steps were relatively easy with only a 5% or 6% gradient. Nonetheless, I was carrying all our beach supplies and water on my back and I quickly began huffing and puffing as Brenda sped up the hillside. Not one of the steps is the usual seven inch rise you have on standard staircases. Some were only three or four inches while others felt like they were eighteen.

By the time I was halfway up, I had a pretty good sweat going and I could feel the lactic acid starting to build in my quads. From that point on I was taking a break every hundred steps or so, which allowed me to catch my breath and to take a look at the already magnificent view. By this time, Brenda was so far ahead of me she was out of sight. The gradient now was up to about 10% and the fun was about to begin.

Just before the railway really goes vertical, there is about a 100 foot long section that is suspended 40 feet above a ravine, with nothing between the ties but air. One wants to simply get across those hundred feet as quickly as possible, but the ties are uneven, some rotted and some rounded, so you have no choice but to tread very carefully. Much to my surprise, I caught up to Brenda here as she had gingerly crab-walked her way across the opening.

But alas, once she was over the ravine, she once again scooted away from me. The last third of the climb was the most difficult with the gradient ranging, i would guess, between 20% and 40%. I was stopping every twenty five steps to wipe my brow, drink some water and catch my breath. During one of my rest breaks, I met up with a man who was descending with a walking stick. He told me he found the descent just as difficult as the ascent. He then surprised me when he informed me he had climbed to the top to celebrate his 85th birthday! "It doesn't matter how old you are, if you want it bad enough and are determined, you can do anything." Well, that was all the incentive I needed to get my sorry ass in gear. I wished him a very happy birthday and many more to come and went back to my attack on the summit.

The climb was so steep here that I had to carry my backpack on my chest to help maintain my balance. But, after a couple more stops along the way, I finally reached the top and was rewarded with a 360 degree view of the southern and eastern shores of Oahu. Truly breathtaking views and a cool breeze made every step up worthwhile. Brenda and I stayed up there for about half an hour, had a little snack and then set out on our way back down the hill.

With a lightened load on my back and gravity working in my favour, I found the descent much easier than the climb up, although it was a little jarring on the knees from time to time. Traversing the ravine was also a challenge since the ties naturally slope downwards causing you to accelerate unless you're careful. I had to adopt a semi-squat position and tread very carefully over the half rotted ties to ensure I didn't make a misstep. I was very glad to arrive at the part of the track where the gradient became more horizontal as I could feel a slight quivering in my legs from the constant battle to maintain balance on the upper portion. By the time I stepped off the last tie, my legs were like jello.

As I write this blog two days later, my legs are still killing me. Those long bike rides and runs couldn't prepare me for the intense Stairmaster workout I went through on Wednesday, although I don't regret for one minute having made the climb.

But Zenna, I owe you one.Read more