The Jurassic Trek - Hawaii

That 'true adventure' feeling is something I had been missing for quite some time now. In the age where many things are documented so well, that it's hard to find something so untouched and raw as the trek to Mount Waialeale.

Mt Waialeale is located on the island of Kauai (Hawaii), and is considered the second wettest place on earth (average rainfall of a whopping 460 inches a year). Covered proudly with overgrown thick forest with leaves the size of a grown human, lush green cliffs and countless waterfalls cascading 5000 feet into the valley, Mt Waialeale dominates the island. A trek through its wilderness is nothing less than a Jurassic Park movie experience. The base of Mt. Waialeale is known as the “Blue Hole” or the “Weeping Wall.” The cliffs appear to be weeping as hundreds of waterfalls pour into the canyon. Interestingly, the other side of the island is completely dry giving a Grand Canyon like feel as the clouds are blocked by Mt. Waialeale.

East side of the mountain- above photo not by me

West side of the mountain

When me and Kyle trekked into the Mount Waialeale valley seeking the Weeping Wall in all its majesty, we had NO IDEA how to actually get there. Craving one morning to experience the most challenging treks in Hawaii, I quickly did a google search and glanced at a blog about this trek. Piecing very little information, I deduced roughly where to start and where the Weeping Wall was. That's literally all we knew, the start and end points. Everything between those two points was unknown. No trails, no guides, no signs, no idea what lied between us and our destination. We were in for a real adventure.

WARNING: Before you read my blog and decide to do this trek, know that this is not an official hike and does not have any marked trails. It is very dangerous and chances of getting killed are high. You will need a strong sense of direction and will mostly need to rely on your instincts. It takes planning, preparation, and at times just luck. To give you a little insight about the trek itself, you will be mostly hiking in knee/waist deep rivers. The weather cannot be predicted here and it rains 360/365 days a year, which makes flash flooding very common here. There have been instances where hikers have been swept away or trapped in the jungles for days without food and had to wait till the water levels had subsided. Waterfalls sometimes carry rocks and branches with fatal consequences and the nearby cliffs are unstable. So, exercise great caution and trek at your own risk.

Now, since I’ve cleared the air, we had no clue what we had gotten ourselves into. With one packet of peanuts and no planning at all, we headed into the heart of Hawaii. This is where a 4x4 comes in handy, especially a jeep. Luckily, we had one! We drove through mud, crossed several streams, an overflowing weir, thick bushes and on a washed-out dirt road which ended near a stream from where you begin your trek. There is only one man-made structure (a small concrete platform/weir) by the stream, so it’s important you keep an eye out for this on your way back. If you miss it, you’re in serious trouble and can get lost in the mountains.

Within minutes, we found ourselves hiking in ankle deep mud and through overgrown bamboo groves. Not knowing the intensity and length of the trek, we were relying on luck and timing. To me, it felt like true exploration. We continued hiking alongside an idyllic stream until we were forced to boulder hop across rushing waters and wade into the stream, navigating our way to the next section of boulders.

The landscape changed dramatically the deeper we got into the jungle. What you think you are hiking towards shifts and hides from view and you experience a completely new landscape. The destination remains hidden until near the very end which makes you even more curious and determined to reach the end point. After a third of the way, we reached a two-tiered waterfall. I later googled it, and it’s called Guardian Falls. Many people attempt this trek to get to Guardian Falls and turn back because it gets insanely difficult after that. Once you climb Guardian Falls, the stream becomes the trail for much of the way, and if you are past "Guardian Falls" when it starts flooding, then it will be impossible to get back until the water subsides.

Kyle and I got lost MANY times on our quest to the Weeping Wall, back-tracked probably eight times, and more than once found ourselves climbing extremely dangerous cliffs with nothing but digging our hands into dirt and shrubs to prevent us from falling into the depths of raging waterfalls below.

As we got two thirds of the way in, dark clouds climbed down the cliffs and swallowed the jungle. Knowing we had to make it back out of the jungle before dark and before the rivers flooded, we were racing against time, BIG TIME. Burdened with the weight of my camera gear and not able to match Kyle’s pace, we got split from each other. At that moment, I just wanted to throw away my camera in the river, turn around and get out of there. But I had no clue how to even get back. I just had a faint picture in my head of what the Weeping Wall would look like, and I nervously decided to keep going towards it, hoping I would find Kyle at the wall, merely eating the last few peanuts that we had left.

After about an hour of pushing through pure jungle alone, I climbed to the top of a hill to reassure myself that I was heading the right way. Every direction looked the same. I found myself stuck at the bottom of a bowl surrounded with green cliffs. I was experiencing being lost and helpless in all its entirety. I started yelling frantically for Kyle with no hope of getting a response. I faintly heard my name a few times from the hills beyond. I almost convinced myself that it was just my mind playing games, when I spotted Kyle waving at me from two hills ahead. I have never been so relieved in my life. I raced as fast as I could to catch up with him and swore I’d never lose sight of him again.

After another hour of trekking through foot-deep mud, climbing waterfalls, plowing through rivers, holding on to vines to ascend cliffs, we made it to the Weeping Wall. I have never felt so mesmerized before. I stood at the base of the wall looking straight up to see hundreds of waterfalls flowing down the endless cliffs which seemed to disappear into the clouds. We literally spent four minutes at the wall fearing we would not be able to make it back before dark.

As our tummies growled with hunger, and promising a feast for dinner that night to each other if we make it out alive, we raced downstream along the river valley, sliding down river banks and hopping boulders like ninjas. We barely had enough light to see where we were going. Just about two minutes before the light went completely out, Kyle spotted the concrete platform. With a huge sigh of relief, we got back in our Jeep, and made our way to civilization.

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