Outbound Collective logo

Charlene Johnson

My son and I ventured as tourists to Oahu- all he wanted was to bomb a black diamond MBT and all I wanted was to climb a mountain. This site nailed it. We rented Biki Bikes from our hotel at the beach to The Bike Shop on King Street. He rented a well equipped mountain bike and I picked up scrambling gloves and a couple packs of Clif Blocks. We caught the #1 Bus across town to Dole St and intended to catch the #14 to the Wa'ahila Ridge Recreation Area. The trailheads for the St. Louis MBT and Mt Olypus hikes are both located at this park. Well...we ended up missing the bus and trekked on foot the 2 miles through a neat residential area for a brisk warm up. There is water and restrooms at the trailheads and the paths are well marked. I read many reviews that this was a well traveled trail...but for a Tuesday afternoon in January I passed a grand total of 2 people. The trail was extremely well maintained- as in recently brushed. There are several high points that were well cleared; picnic spot style. There are certainly a few opportunities for short rock scrambling and the ropes are a necessity near the summit- which was why the gloves most definitely came in handy. It had been at least 4 days since it had rained in this area, but there was still some slick spots. The rating on most sites says this trail is "hard" and there are definitely some spots where "moderate" wouldn't be appropriate- but they are short and carefully navigable. 95% of the trail is well maintained, dirt, stable (when dry) and a moderate to steep grade. Pace yourself. Start well hydrated and take at least 32oz. If you plan to do any of the side trails- take more. The last 1/3 of the trail is a bit narrower and not as well brushed out- I had on knee-length ultra lightweight hiking shorts and got lots of little cuts from branches on the narrow trail. I might've been a bit more comfortable with ULW leggings. Also- an agressive hiking shoe. I have Altra hiking shoes. Lightweight with really aggressive tread for the slick clay. The Clif Blocks really saved me. Lightweight and the energy needed. Its challenging (no lie) and because I was on a time clock to meet my son back at the trailhead before sunset- I pushed myself. RT ~ 3.5 hours; but if you're in decent shape with the right gear this is an incredible adventure.