Kamaileunu Ridge in Waianae is probably one of the hardest hikes we have done to date and an experience I do not wish to duplicate anytime soon! It’s only seven miles round trip, but it will be one of the longest and toughest seven miles you will hike.
Trailhead
Our hike started on Maiuu Road which is off Farrington Highway and right across Waianae High School. The trailhead is at the end of the road before it turns left. We pushed through the grass to find the trail marked with pink ribbons and climbed over an old metal irrigation ditch and continued our hike up the rocky hill.
Kamaile heiau
The trail continues to the left of the Kamaile Heiau and contours around it until the ridge is regained . The peak on the coastline, is Mauna Lahilahi which used to be part of the Kamaileune ridge. We somehow missed Kuka’au’au cave which is supposed to be at the foot of the ridge. This cave was once fed by Keko’o Springs and used to irrigate large patches of taro back in the day.
Rolling hills
After the initial steep rocky climb, the trail turned into a grassy trail over several rolling hills that were populated by heavy goat droppings.
Panoramic view of Waianae and Makaha Valleys
Looking back from the ridge, we had superb views of Waianae and Makaha Valleys. I think that Kamaileunu Ridge boasts the best views of Leeward Oahu, hands down. Click here to see the original and much larger panoramic image.
Still going up
About a mile later, the trail became steeper marked with narrow dike rock formations.
Water break
We took a much needed water break at one of the false peaks after hiking for about 2 1/2 hours. The first part of the hike we hiked on the Makaha side of the mountain which gave us partial shade from the hot sun. From this point on, there was no place no hide from the heat. Except for a few meager patches scattered on the top parts of the ridge and the saddle of ironwood trees, there are no trees or substantial foliage to offer shelter and shade.
Goat kids
We came across two black goat kids on the trail that looked like they just dropped from a nannie goat, as they were still covered in placenta goo and were bleating and unable to even stand yet. Lucky for them, we were hikers and not hunters.
Waianae Valley
We stopped and admired the view of Waianae Valley while sucking more water. It was a beautiful day on the Leeward side, but unfortunately the beauty also came with scorching heat.
Goat lookouts
As we made our way up the ridge, we spotted numerous flocks of goats running full speed down the side ridges. I wonder how many goats met their end when they just ran off the ridge? We also spotted a couple of goats checking us out from a ridge above us. At this point on the trail, there is a goat fence on the ridge, we had decided it was easier to contour the trail on the Waianae Valley side.
False peaks
There are so many false peaks that I lost count of them, just when we thought we had gained the summit, we had to tackle another false peak. This really played with our heads when we went back, as just when we thought we were almost at the trailhead, another false peak after another would pop into view.
Mount Ka'ala
We finally made it to the end of the trail with superb views of Mount Ka’ala and the Waianae coast and valleys. I believe we had passed the actual summit at 3,270 feet a little earlier, which is the third highest mountain after Mt. Ka’ala and Pu’u Kalena.
Going back down
Going back down was hot and hard on the knees as the entire trail is brittle rock which just pounded our joints. Also water became an issue. All our prior hikes, I would bring three 16 oz water bottles and would never drink all of them. This time I brought five bottles and shared one with my friend and ran out about halfway down the ridge. All I could think of while trudging down the ridge was grabbing an ice cold coke-strawberry slurpee from 7-11, which is what we did immediately once our eight hour hike was over. When we finally got back down to the road, I was drained, sore and tired. Kamaileunu Ridge certainly lives up to it’s reputation as challenging to say the least.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I wanna do this hike. Is there a puka there?
Where would you park? I drove to that street but wasn’t sure if it’s safe to park on that street after Waianae Harbor.
Aloha Anites,
Yes, there is a puka up there. I’m sure you saw Dale’s photo of it from this past weekend. As far as parking, when we did it, had a friend drop and pick us up. Maybe you can ask somebody from HTMC how they handled the parking.
Mahalo
Thank you. I need to check Dale’s pic.
We’re doing this tomorrow. Seeing YOU say this is one of the hardest hikes you’ve done isn’t comforting. Maybe I missed it, but what was your time on this one, Kenji?
Aloha Brandon,
Haha, well this hike was over four years ago when I first started hiking, so my perception has changed. I think it took us around eight hours. It was super hot that day, so we took a lot of breaks. If you’re lucky, you’ll get blessed with overcast and tradewinds, which will greatly help!
Mahalo
Yeah, so…. I agree, one of the hardest hikes on the island. Almost every hiking blog says that, too. It took us 7 hours total. It was hot, but we did get some clouds and wind. Pizza and beer afterwards was well worth it.
Aloha Brandon,
Well glad you had some cover and winds on your hike. That goes a long way. We had none on our hike that day. It was such a scorcher. Felt like we were eggs in the Waianae skillet. Yes, a post hike meal always makes everything right. Hey, was that you at the OSAR meeting a couple Mondays ago?
Mahalo
Yup, that was me! I’m going to try and get more involved in the next few weeks. Too many hobbies and interests to balance at the same time!