Hawaii - The Big Island

Two photo albums

Here from the first few days

http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2182062&l=f50b7&id=61205739

and here from a two night hike up Mauna Loa, the worlds "most massive" volcano, as measured from the ocean floor.

http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2182077&l=c47ce&id=61205739

Some pictures from the flight to The Big Island:



The island of Mol'okai - a perfect blue sky



Maui and Kahoolawe

So, having had a week on O'ahu I caught this flight out with Aloha Airlines to Kona where I was to pick up what I'd wanted for weeks - my own transport! A very American "compact" that took corners like a tank. Not at all bad for $141.



The good old Dodge that took me around 506 miles of the island in a week.

Drove straight down highway 11 and towards Hawaii Volcanoes National Park............



............taking a slight detour to check out South Point - the southern most point of the USA. The real one! Not Florida Keys!





Along with some extremely huge waves!



An Hawaiian shrine right at the tip. Those waves really did pound that shoreline though. They really did.

As one of the main reasons I wanted to get to the Big Island was to have to chance to climb Mauna Loa - the world's biggest volcano as measured from the ocean floor - I wanted to stay close to the trail head which began from the Volcanoes National Park. Right next door was the FREE (!) Namakani Paio campground. Decided to invest $50 in a tent, stove, sleeping bag and mat etc rather than pay $25 a night for a hostel. Afterall it was warm enough and I even met a Brit! Very rare for that corner of the world...I was beginning to learn!

After a day or so looking around the national park it was possible to see pretty much everything, some the highlights being the road that has been blocked by lava flow!! Fantastic:






But also being there early on a misty morning and seeing some locals perform some really strange ritual at Kilauea Iki Crater in the park. All for a purpose I am sure:





This lady with the long hair would kiss whoever was beside her right up on the forehead then squeeze their head between her hands while whispering something in what I can only imagine was Hawaiian. Certainly interesting, when I went back later in the day (once the mist had lifted), it was tour bus upon tour bus! Far more peaceful in the morning.

Also took a drive down to the base of the volcano, right where any flowing lava meets the ocean. Again, huge, huge waves!



But, as I said, the main point of getting out there was to tackle Mauna Loa, a two night hike up to a first cabin at 10,025 ft (7.5 miles), and then an 11.8 miles hike up to the summit cabin at 11,250 feet. Not strictly at the summit I eventually found out. Setting out through 6000, 7000, 8000 and 9000 feet wasn't too bad, but a volcano being a volcano it wasn't necesserily all that steep - just a long slog. I'd definitely prefer steep and short considering what must have been 15 kilos in my pack. Shelter, stove, sleeping bag, all food for two days, a gallon of water...water sterilsation tablets to treat the water that is collected from the roof of the shelter! Never even been on an overnight hike before, so I guess I didn't really know what to expect in terms of shoulder pain! Not too much problem reaching the first night's stop though - was quite excited about the stargazing potential - certainly being so high up.



Cabin number 1.




And sunrise the next morning from the top of Red Hill, the hill behind the cabin which gives "Red Hill Cabin" its name.



Fairly nippy too! Meant there wasn't really all that much opportunity for star gazing. Had the kit to keep warm for a little bit, but it still got to you!



Mauna Kea at sunrise, way up above the clouds...




Day 2. 11.8 miles up to the summite. That being a 4 mile round trip from what was the junction to the cabin - which was 2 miles away. To cut a long story short. That meant an elevation change of 3000ft, and a total of 17 or so for the day.




Wouldn't really have been too much of an issue if the trails hadn't looked like this!



And yes - this was a trail! Painstakingly slow progress. I can say that I have never felt what I felt that day in a race, or even a hard training session back home! Absolute agony by the end of the day. Clearly, the altitude, up over 13,000 feet played a part. Bar perhaps... RS GCSE, it is surely the hardest thing I've ever done...

Traversing snow up over 13,000 feet I summited just after 1pm, way, way, way above the clouds



The summit cairn






And the crater, way up there - Fantastic.



2 miles down from the top to the junction, then another 2 miles (picking my pack back up after stashing it in a wind break at the junction for the 2 miles to summit) along to the summit cabin at 13,250 ft. Both cabins had log books in, with people's stories of the challenge of getting there, the gruelling last 2 miles over the hardened lava rock to the cabin etc etc...but seeing that sun go down, and breathing in just fresh, but thin air, and being out in the middle of nowhere was quite an experience





Unfortunately, such was the altitude, my camera batteries decided not to work from that point onwards. In fact, the last pictures I could take (til I got down below 9000 feet the next day, and they started to work again) was the view from the compost toilet - check this out!



And the view from that seat - at sunset!! The temp dipping sharply!



The next day, was 21 miles straight down. Wish the camera had been working, as I set off at 4.30 am with just the head torch. Managed to cover 2 miles by the time the sun began to poke out above the clouds. The trail cairns looked like Hawaiian Gods amid the more awesome sunrise I'll ever see. Got down just after noon - after 7000feet of descent and having seen just one other person - a German women in her 40s off doing exactly the same route I had done. Feet aching more than ever, and never wanting to ever see rock like that again - seeing the car was just perfect. Though not the gas gauge. It meant a fairly rapid trip back down to Volcano Village and a sharpish fill up - at about 50p a litre by British prices!! Can't be that bad!


Oh by the way, loved this sign that I saw in Hilo, an hours drive or so down to sea level from the park!





Two photo albums

Here from the first few days

http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2182062&l=f50b7&id=61205739

and here from a two night hike up Mauna Loa, the worlds "most massive" volcano, as measured from the ocean floor.

http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2182077&l=c47ce&id=61205739