DESCRIPTION OF THE CLIMB

Every climber finds an individual reality ascending the Haiku Stairs. Some face dark, enveloping clouds and a gale of rain; others enjoy a crystal clear sky and sweeping views of Kaneohe Bay and the ocean beyond. The fortunate find both realities and more. Unlike the tropic birds which are often seen soaring along the airy and exposed route, hikers must rely on legs, lungs, and heart to take them to the summit at 2820 feet. And during that climb, there is plenty of time to see and experience, much for the mind to contemplate.

There are 3,922 steps on the journey to Puu Keahiakahoe, a Hawaiian place name that means "the fire of Kahoe hill." Comprising nearly 500 sections, the Stairs to the Koolau summit in Haiku Valley resemble a series of ship's ladders, a metal treadway complete with handrails, assembled end-to-end and attached to the cliffs and ridge tops with long metal spikes. Physically unimpressive in detail, the Haiku Stairs are truly remarkable in their entirety. When installed more than 50 years ago to provide access to a top secret U.S. Naval radio facility, the Stairs represented an historical achievement in construction.

The men who made the first ascent up Keahiakahoe in 1942 required 21 days to pioneer the route up the south wall of Haiku Valley. They considered it a "sissy's climb" when the way was made easier by laying wooden ladders along the trail, held in place by four-foot metal posts pounded into the lava cliffs. The ladders were later replaced by a wooden stairway. When the wooden stairs were done, the trip to the summit could be made in 3 1/2 hours. Ten years later, the wooden stairs were replaced by the galvanized steel stairway that was used until its closure in 1987. In spite of corrosion, shifting, and missing sections, a fit climber can now reach the top in two hours or less, passing remnants of the original wooden stairway cast off to the side.

The Haiku Stairs, however, are more than an artifact of World War II history. Climbers can experience a variety of micro-climates and ecological communities on the way up. Progressing from a disturbed area of mostly alien plants at the base, the Stairs ascend into a relatively undisturbed plant community, where more than 50 native plant species can be observed. On a clear day, the panorama of Windward Oahu opens to view, with glimpses to leeward through the mountain gaps. On a typical trade wind day, a full range of weather can set clouds swirling in motion, bringing sunshine and pouring rain, sometimes both at once.

While the way is often slippery and treacherous in wet weather, the views and airy exposure on descent are ample reward for the climb. And, though most climbers simply turn around and carefully retrace their steps to the bottom, intrepid hikers bent on a longer trek can brave the narrow footpaths that continue over the summit and down the leeward ridgelines into Kalihi and Moanalua Valleys.