Koko Crater Rim and Cave

Shaking off the jet lag, I decided to do an easy stroll around the fringed vulva and look for another hole. Met up with Kenny, Marilyn, and Scott at the botanical garden to kick off our hike.

We all scrambled up our own path to reach the top.

Kenny and Marilyn continuing the theme of the day.

The group crossing over one of many puka (hole) found on the rim.

Kenny passing the point of no return. Small steps.

The views are better up here!

Simulation of cracking the whip to help Kenny overcome his acrophobia.

Watching the rest of the group contour their way back to the rim.

Somebody was missing from the table rock selfies. Next time.

Climbing our way to the summit.

Group photo at the 1,028′ top of the rim or trail.

We descended from the summit and met up with Edgar and his two grandkids and we then collectively made our way down to the arch.

Edgar training them young.

Marilyn rolled off this section and banged into the cliff. Luckily just a bruised ego. Maybe Edgar should train her as well.

Scrambling our way down the somewhat steep arch.

Group photo. Don’t step too close to the edge. We do have a fireman with us. Retired.

We scrambled down the arch as three other hikers came up the arch. Turned out later that I was chatting with one of the guys online about possibly hiking together at a later date. Small world.

The terrain was uneven, loose rocks underfoot and annoying and irritating dry bushes blockading the way. Edgar and grandkids and Marilyn decided to turn around and call it a day. We traversed up and down multiple ridges before descending down to the cave.

Yay. Somebody told me about this cave almost ten years ago and thanks to Kenny spotting it earlier, I found myself standing in this natural void in the volcanic tuff. The elusive inhabitant was not at home. Perhaps it’s no longer occupied anymore.

Deja vu. Nobody else wanted to come and share the moment with me as it started raining. Upon rejoining the other two, I discovered my car key was missing. Back to the cave and nowhere to be found. Scrambled back up the ridge and Kenny found it amongst the bushes as we made our way back. A needle in the haystack. Mahalo! Scotty suggested I should air tag my keys like he does. Filed under procrastination. One day.

We climbed our way down from the arch to the highway and walked back to Scotty’s car to get a ride back to our cars. Thanks to everybody for a fun day.

Photos taken by Edgar Gamiao, Kenny Lui, Marilyn Bermudez, Scott Dea, and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Addendum – October 29, 2025

Met up with Chico and Kenny to check on progression and occupancy as we returned to the volcanic crater whose age has ranged from 7,000 to 67,000 years old.

One has to crawl before they can walk.

Climbing instead of contouring. Leaps and bounds.

Relaxing in the puka (hole).

Chico bridging the gap.

Kenny trying to shake off the acrophobia one step at a time.

Perched on the pedestal.

Climbing to the summit of Pu’u Mai.

Same spot, different faces.

Going down the makai (ocean) side of the rim.

Chico fighting his flashbacks.

The gap between empty space and solid ground has ended. Safe and sound.

Contouring and scrambling our way around the crater.

Making our way across the uneven and crumbling terrain.

The guys pantomiming what we hoped to find in the cave.

Hello? Anybody home? Seeking a nocturnal and solitary bird of prey.

The floor of the cave was carpeted with the bleached bones of past dinners.

Somebody had put a blanket deep in the recesses of the cave. For themselves or the bird?

Individual photos.

Group photo.

Leaving the cave, empty-handed again.

We spotted a set of stairs hiking down and went to check it out.

Going up the stairs to a shrine that has long been ransacked and wrecked, leaving only trinkets and scattered cow and goat bones.

Walking down what looked like the remnants of a lava tube as we made our way back to our cars. Another fun day with good company.

Photos taken by Chico Cantu, Kenny Lui, and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.

Tagged as: kohelepelepe, koko crater, koko crater arch, puu mai