Hiking the Tallest Peak on Kauai: Kawaikini | Hawaii 100 Highest Peaks
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Hiking the Tallest Peak on Kauai: Kawaikini is the toughest high peak in Hawaii no doubt. Most people do it as an overnighter, but the Kauai Gods gave us the chance and beautiful weather to do it in one day.
23 miles, 13h of constant push through beautiful rain forests, and muddy swamps, but our 6-person crew made it!
What an experience!
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Hiking the Tallest Peak on Kauai: Kawaikini | Hawaii 100 Highest Peaks
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#hungaroexplorer #hawaii100highestpeaks #kawaikini
how many endangered plants did yall step on?
We stayed on the trail most of the time to avoid stepping on any natives. We didn’t use any microspikes either which helped not disturbing the ground as much.
What’s the deal with the fence? What’s on the other side of that fence?!
The fence is to keep pigs out of native vegetatioin areas. Sometimes they lock just a small specific area, but on some places there are some long sections of fence lining.
I just wanted to thank you for the video. I watched it a few times before I actually hiked it yesterday. I wanted to get it done in a day and started from the trailhead at 6:30am. I had to turn back after crossing sincocks bog. That was between 11:30 and 12:00. I wanted to be back at the car before dark. I didn’t want to get caught alone out there after dark. Nothing could have prepared me for that hike. It is so overgrown in spots. The worst was descending down to Koaie stream and back up the other side. No trail I could see at all after the rope. Had to bushwhack through those nasty ferns and thorny bushes! Was that your experience too?
That hike was one of the most physically exhausting hikes I’ve ever done. While on the way back out I told myself I didn’t think I could do it again to try and make it to the rim with enough time to get back by dark. I got back to the trailhead at 4:30. But now I really want to try it again. I noticed it was dark at the end of your video. What time did you complete the hike?
First of all good job on attempting this serious route!
Let me say that the best way to prepare for this is to get used to with hiking in Hawaii. Getting used to some bushwhacking, wet weather and ton of mud will help you a lot climbing Kawaikini.
There are mountain climbers with hundreds of peaks climbed and they called this route a demoralizing s*it show, they had a hard time, some camped overnight because couldn’t finish in a day. So turning back for you was the right choice.
It takes some route finding skills to successfully and efficiently complete this trail. We used Gaia GPS which is an offline topo map app with a good track. We had to use it couple times to get back to the right way mostly between Koaie stream and the fence line. It sounds like you might lost a bit the trail since the bushwhacking shouldn’t of been that bad, but the uluhe feen grows back fast so who knows. With the fence line the rest of the route got much easier.
We did finish the whole route in 13 hours. Started around sunrise and finished just passed sunset.
18 months after my first attempt, that included getting lost AND tearing three ligaments in my left ankle, I returned to Kaua'i and beat the mountain that beat me. Read the story, posted as a reply to my original comment. Good luck on your next attempt.
@MrAnthonyAvila Great achievement!💪
Update: August 22nd 2023. I went back and made it all the way this time! Only thing is, is that again doing this hike is a race against daylight. I started again at 6:17 am and made it out in 13 hours. Wish I could have spent more time at the summit. But there’s always the 3rd time.
@theplatinumtakeoff6215 Congrats! 13 hours is a good time, you made it out in one day. Nicely done!
Nagyszeru!
Koszi 😀
I attempted this hike on March 16-17, 2022 without a GPS. I followed the fence line for a long time before I gave up and turned around to head back to the Mōhihi Trail/Camp 10 Road and back to Koke’e campground. On my way back, after the creek crossing at the hunter’s shack, and back up the other side, I somehow missed the main path on the Mōhihi Trail and ended up following hunter’s/trapper’s tape further and further into the jungle. I wasn’t terribly worried until I came off a log wrong late into March 17th and tore multiple ligaments in my left ankle. I ended up setting up camp in the dark, and on one really messed up ankle.
The next day (March 18) I walked a total of 21.59 miles (according to my Fitbit) to get back to the Koke’e campground. At first I was going further into the jungle, but then turned around and backtracked out of the jungle following the blue marker tape. Eventually I found the Mōhihi Trail and followed it back out to Camp 10 Road. It took fourteen hours of beating brush and backtracking to get back to the campground meadow on March 18.
I am going to attempt to summit Wai’aleale again in March 2023.
Fingers crossed that I make it next time!
Wow! That is some crazy story Anthony!
Thanks for sharing it.
The mountains in Hawaii are no joke. The weather can change any time, you can get lost, injured, so many things can go wrong.
We were super lucky. We had a great crew, had a topo map and track to keep ourselves on the trail and I guess the Hawaii Gods gave us the way to go!
Good luck on your next outing and let me know if I can help you with any info or even gps track, I would be glad to.
Aloha
I’m positive that I made it to/through the gate at the top of Kapoki Hill (4:25), that is, if to the immediate right of that gate there’s a pile of fencing and the trail ends.
I’ll probably take you up on some GPS waypoints for my March 2023 trip. My friends are insisting on me hiking with a tracker/communicator like an InReach Explorer Plus on all my future solo adventures.
If you went all the way to Kapoki gate from there is just a bit more straight to the crater rim.
Yeah, happy to help you with what I can!
Wow! How you got so far without using a gps is amazing. I attempted this hike yesterday and heavily relied on the blue line on my downloaded gps. As you know that trail is heavily overgrown in places from lack of use. I had to turn around after crossing sincocks bog due to not wanting to be on the trail after dark. So happy for you that you made it out with an ankle injury. I was lucky that didn’t happen to me since falling and tripping out there is so common and easy to do. Good luck on your next attempt.
18 months after my first (failed) attempt at the Wai'aleale summit on Mar 16th/17th, 2022, I returned to Kaua'i on Sep 07th 2023 to try again.
I never rent a car, or get a hotel, so everything I have for my trips rides on my back. On Sept 07th I walked 3.7 miles up Hi-550 and set up my tent in a wide bend in the road that I've nicknamed Cliffside Campsite.
The next morning, Sep 08th, I hitchhiked up into Koke'e, and when the lodge opened I ate a fat Loco Moco (My FAVORITE pre-hike breakfast!). Soon after I walked 6 miles down Camp 10 Road. It was HOT and dusty, and it took about 3 hours with a HEAVY Arc'teryx Bora 80L loaded with camping gear, food and water. It took me 4 hours to get from the start of the Mōhihi Waiʻalae trail to the 3.75 mile marker and get ready for my climb down into Koai'e Creek. I had a few good slips coming down with the ropes, and my creek crossing was less than graceful. Once I reached the other side of the creek, I discovered that somewhere along the way, I'd lost one of my Kahtoola MICROspikes. I was running out of daylight, so I needed to abandon my search of the creek for my lost MICROspike. I stayed the night in the hunters' cabin and was VERY respectful of the rules that have been written on the plywood table found within.
The next morning, Sep 09th, I left my Bora 80L and most of my gear in the cabin, with a note explaining that I'd be returning for all of it. I had a very late start (10:30am?), and with a day pack, poncho, and as much water as I could carry, I started climbing up out of the Koai'e Creek canyon. I used the memory of my previous attempt to guide me up and out of the canyon (through some really thick brush and thorny vines). When I hit the fence, I turned right and followed the guidance of a certain "Ultimate Guidebook" and took off like a shot with the idea to "follow the fence line to its end". The book calls those that attempt this hike "'Hopeless idiots". I was an idiot for only using their guidance back in Mar 2022.
At about two miles from when I first hit the fence line, I had a choice to make: go through the gate in front of me, or "follow the fence to its end" and turn right with the fence. 18 months ago, I turned right and (unknown to me at the time) started down the Kawai'iki Ridge, towards Waimea Canyon. This is where I got lost the last time I tried this hike.
My Garmin inReach Explorer+ is an emergency communicator, and not really designed to navigate with, but I could locate my pre-programmed Wai'aleale way point and it was at about 120 degrees east/southeast. Turning right would put me on 270 degrees, DUE WEST. Just for confirmation, I turned right and followed the path I'd followed a year and half ago. Almost immediately I ran into a deep, swampy, creek crossing that was so significant that I'd taken a picture of it 18 months ago. This was enough confirmation that this was NOT where I was going to go this time. I returned to the gate and went through it. From there, at every opportunity to turn left/right or go through a gate, I'd check my Wai'aleale way point and choose whatever option kept me closest to 120 degrees, east/southeast. When I got to Kapoki Hill, I immediately recognized it from this video (that I've watched DOZENS of times). It started POURING rain at Kapoki Hill, and everything got really hard from that point on.
Hill climbs were like a Japanese game show. Soggy ground would sometimes give way to my leg disappearing up to my thigh. The suction the mud created would have been impossible to get out of without the fence to grab hold of to pull myself out with. With 0.1 miles to the summit, I fell and broke the handle off of my one gallon water bottle.
I reached the summit TWO HOURS after reaching Kapoki hill. My best guess (GPS-assisted) is that it's about two miles from Kapoki Hill to the summit.
The wind was fierce and piercing! The rain was screaming UP from the 3000 foot/1000 meter face of Wai'aleale!!! I wear glasses and had a difficult time seeing my tiny inReach screen to find the rain gauge. I wandered for about 30/60 minutes, from hill to hill, looking for the rain gauge. I could only see about 20 yards/meters with the rain, and GPS was less than helpful at this point. At some point I needed to get out of there. I started back with only 2.5 hours of daylight left, to cover the same distance that it took 5 hours to cover on my way in. I ran when I could, and controlled-skidded down any hill with gloved hands grasping at the fence on my way down. I reached the Kawai'iki Ridge fence line/gate right after sunset. I broke out the headlamp and put it on its brightest spotlight setting because I needed to see the dozen or so pig/deer/goat snares blocking the path, that I'd passed on my way in earlier in the day. The headlamp only lasted long enough to quit partway down my descent down into Koai'e Canyon.
My best friend goofs on me for how MANY socks and underwear I bring on my backpacking trips, but with only a sliver of waning moon behind thick, jungle foliage, I was sure glad I had my spare 800 lumen flashlight on my hip.
I made it to the Koai'e cabin four and a half hours after leaving the summit. Somewhere between the summit and the cabin, I'd washed out/flooded my Fitbit, and the thick mud had taken my other Kahtoola MICROspike. The next morning, Sep 10th, I found my first lost MICROspike as I climbed the ropes out of the canyon, headed towards the Mōhihi Waiʻalae Trail.
Luckily, as I finished the Mōhihi Waiʻalae Trail and came out of the Sugi trees near the picnic tables, I could hear the unmistakable sound of a rattly Toyota approaching from Camp 10 Road. The ride into Koke'e saved me 6 miles of walking and got me back before the kitchen at the lodge closed.
I celebrated my victory with Kalua pulled-pork, rice, coleslaw and (purple) sweet potato.
I can't wait to go back and do it again!
Wow, you hit the jackpot with that weather! Beautiful.
Yepp, great weather!
Nice first songs! I need to make some more for you 😆🙌🏼🤙🏼 - Awesome video!! I want to go next time!
Thanks mate for those songs, they always find their place somewhere in my videos 🤙🏻
@@HungaroExplorer haha no worries! I really do want to make more, so gimme like a few days notice, theme or something, and I’ll knock something up.
@@BenHinders Will do!
Did you know that mount wailele is the highest peak on Kauai and also which island is your favortite
Yes, Mt. Wai’ale’ale is the biggest extinct shield volcano on Kauai, Kawaikini being the highest point on the mountain.
Kauai is my favorite island!🤙🏻
I'm not seeing the hike to the highest peak on Molokai. Did you not do that one?
Yes, that is still on the list. With all the events happening lately, Kamakou has to wait until next year.
Great. I'll keep an eye out. The interior of Molokai has always been intriguing to me. @@HungaroExplorer
@@wthomas5697 It is a very interesting island! We did hike across the island from South to North in the “Backpacking Wild Hawaii” video. Check it out, it was quite an adventure.
This is awesome! Congrats on your feat!
Thank You Tom!🤙🏻
Where did you start your hike? Is there a route you used that you can share?
Here is my route from Strava:
strava.app.link/UcyTmO3hSub
I hope this helps.
@@HungaroExplorer Thank you, yes it does. I’m going to Kauai for my first time soon this looks awesome.
@@coscbiking898 This might not be the best first hike on Kauai. There are plenty other more scenic ones. Winter time in Kauai is super wet, which means up there even more wet.
@@HungaroExplorer Thank you for the advice. I’m not sure yet, just planning in advance.
@@coscbiking898 Do not make this your first hike in Kauai. You don’t know what you’re in for. You need to be really prepared.
Your a savage. I love it. Keep up the videos
Haha, mahalo man! Sometimes you have to be a “savage” to make things happen 🤙🏻
Holy shit there and back same day that’s wild. U never did weeping wall yet?
Haha, thanks Melody. We decided on a long day hike, and we got it :D Next day we went to the Weeping Wall too! That is going to be another short video in the following weeks. So many adventures in such a short time...I already miss Kauai...
Good one, Nandor! Congratulations.
Mahalo🤙🏻
let's do molokai 13 mi!
I am always up for an adventure!