Mount Olympus (Awa'awaloa) via Wa'ahila Ridge Trail
Mount Olympus (Awa'awaloa) via Wa'ahila Ridge Trail - June 4, 2011
Mount Olympus is the highest peak in Manoa. Its Hawaiian name is Awa'awaloa, but some years ago, students at Punahou renamed it Olympus. The name stuck and its also on listed as Olympus on Hawaii maps.
I wanted to do this hike yesterday, but with a flash flood in effect for Oahu, that was out of the question. So I decided to do it today, which after much reflection was still a mistake. Lets just say climbing a steep mountain one day after a downpour isn't the right thing to do because you know, slippery mud.
I headed towards St. Louis Heights Drive at 8:30 am. After turning on a couple of side streets, I ended up at Wa'ahila Ridge State Park. I remember doing the first 30 minutes of this hike with the kids a couple of years ago and they had trouble, so we turned around. The lower Wa'ahila Ridge Trail claims to be a novice hike because there is little elevation gain. However, there is rock climbing and scrambling, which takes effort. Its not a walk in the park.
In about 45 minutes, I ended up at the grassy area. There are beautiful views of Manoa Valley, Waikiki, and Honolulu. A few minutes later is a signed junction. The left sign is the end of the more difficult Kolowalu Trail and the straight sign is the end of the Wa'ahila Ridge Trail. It is also the starting point for the Mount Olympus Trail. The sign says end of trail, just ignore the sign and go. This is where the true intermediate hike begins. I immediately notice the trail was overgrown with uluhe ferns. The ferns started to scratch the hell out of me. It was like my legs were getting constantly assaulted by uluhe ferns. Next time I should wear pants. Also, next time I should wait for the HTMC to clear the trail. Going up and down the mountain was pretty taxing. The final push to Mount Olympus was difficult for me. The ascent up the mountain is a combination of indented foot steps and upward scrambling. Ropes are placed, but not in the appropriate areas. There are multiple routes up the hill, I tried to take a route that was less steep. There weren't too many branches or roots to hold on to at the base of the lower section, so it became all scrambling. I fell a few times and couldn't get proper footing because of the slippery mud. I was stuck in the middle of the mountain pondering if I should turn around.
I eventually gathered enough confidence and with my nails dug into the dirt and squeezed any piece of mud that would aid my climb. I scrambled until I seen a root, I pounced on that root and push forward until I reached some other roots.
I got to the top of a cloud covered Mount Olympus and to a grassy area. I stayed there for a few minutes to drink water and headed towards a false peak. Not sure if this peak is a continuation of Olympus or Olympus's second peak. I don't think its as high as the first peak, but I wanted to try it anyway. I ended up at the end of the trail. By this time, the clouds were covering the entire Ko'olaus and I couldn't see anything. It was a disappointment, because I wanted to see Ka'au Crater in Palolo Valley on the right side of the ridge.
Going back was easier especially going down the mountain. I did what Jared did last week on the Ualaka'a Trail, I slid on my ass down the entire steep mountain. I was laughing in my head. My ass was dirty, but I didn't care, it was the easiest and safest way to get down the mountain.
I ate a snack on one of the grassy areas and took a much needed break. The trail was empty on this day. I only seen 3 people while going back to my car. After the hike, I felt some sort of accomplishment. This is not the most difficult solo hike I did, but it was a complete hike. I do have to admit that I can consider myself an Intermediate hiker now. I think the next steps is to join the Hawaiian Trail & Mountain Club (HTMC) on some hikes, obtain membership, and work my way towards becoming an advance hiker.
On the way back home with my shorts packed with mud, I stopped at Leo's Taverna Express located in the Don Quijote food court. I ate a Gyros. Delicious!
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