Hawaii Travel｜Hiking to the Summit of Mount Olympus on Oahu
by: Ctrip Local Guide Hawaii - Zhao Youli
Mount Olympus is located in the Koolau Range in eastern Oahu, Hawaii, and is the highest peak of the Waahila Ridge. You can reach the summit by following the Waahila Ridge Trail, which starts at Waahila Ridge State Recreation Area; I hiked this route in 2015. Alternatively, you can take the Kolowalu Trail, starting in Manoa Valley, to join the Waahila Ridge Trail, then follow the latter half of the ridge to the summit. This time I took the latter route, which I last hiked in 2013. The entrance to the Kolowalu Trail is at the end of Alani Drive in Manoa Valley. It was rare for me to wake up at 5:30 a.m.; usually I go to bed around that time. Instead of lying in bed, I immediately started packing my hiking gear and making breakfast. I also boiled three eggs to bring as lunch and filled two thermos bottles with ice water. By 7 a.m., I arrived at Alani Drive, parked the car along the road, and officially began today's long trek.
The round trip to the summit of Mount Olympus via the Kolowalu Trail + Waahila Ridge Trail is about 8 kilometers. Normally it takes around 5 hours, but I took 9.5 hours and didn't return to the parking spot until 4:30 p.m. The main reasons are three: 1) I kept stopping to take photos and videos, which wasted a lot of time; 2) I stayed at the summit for about two hours; 3) I got lost in the valley section of the Kolowalu Trail, which also cost me some time. Additionally, I made three mistakes during this hike: 1) When I felt I was on the wrong path, I hesitated for a long time about whether to turn back, wanting to just go forward anyway; 2) Near the top, on the final slope, I was carrying a heavy backpack, had a camera hanging from my neck, and held a tripod in my left hand. I actually started running, trying to rush to the summit. Because of my unstable center of gravity and the slippery trail, I indeed slipped and fell, hitting my left shin on a small tree stump, and the camera lens got buried in the mud. Luckily the injury was not serious and tolerable, and the camera lens was fine; 3) A few days ago I shaved my head at home, leaving very short hair for the first time. As a result, my scalp got sunburned for the first time, burning painfully for two days. Next time I hike, I must not repeat these mistakes.
Please do not steal images, articles, or rewrite the content. Reprinting must be authorized and credited! I am not a botany expert; I may have misidentified the plants in the pictures. Please forgive and correct me! Thank you!
