CLIMBING THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN, HAWAII & FULL GUIDE

THE HAWAII & ASIA SERIES PT7

O’AHU, HAWAII

After a day learning and exploring Pearl Harbour, it was back on the adventure trail and this time it was the Stairway to Heaven.

GET THE F**K AWAY!

For anyone who has found themselves stuck in the Instagram rabbit hole of Hawaii hashtags will have seen a few things. Surfing, lush mountains, golden beaches and the stairway to heaven.

WHERE IS THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN?

Climbing the stairway to Heaven, Hawaii

WHAT IS THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

Also known as the Haiku Stairs, they were originally built by the U.S. Navy as part of a top secret facility for transmitting radio signals to ships in the Pacific. As time and technology moved on the transmitter was no longer used and the site was opened up to the public in the late 1980s. Unfortunately due to disrepair, the site was closed and the government set out and spend 100,000s on reinstating the stairs however due to pressure from the residents and more safety concerns it was agreed for it to remain closed from 2002.

CAN YOU GET CAUGHT

In all honesty I was going to hike it regardless of the consequences as I knew the worst, I could get was a fine and get told to turn around. I have however heard recently (2020) that they have ramped up security and police are also known to make several appearances, but just not at the top.

There is another hike takes you from the other side of the mountain and is legal. It is slightly longer however but you still reach the same summit and can take those insane photos of the stairs before turning back and descending the same way you got up. I would also suggest getting a guide to help you with this hike and to make sure you don’t run into problems.

Climbing the stairway to Heaven, Hawaii

WHEN TO HIKE

Generally, the weather in Hawaii is good however you want to make sure you do it when the weather is clear. Yes those photos of a little mist and some clouds resting on the ridge do look cool but your view will be restricted at the top. We were lucky to get clear day for it but were sure to check the weather before hand.

Climbing the stairway to Heaven, Hawaii

WHAT TO PACK

Part of this will depend on the time of year and how you are getting their. I wore shorts, trainers and a tshirt but a jacket was essential for my 1:30 drive on the scooter, it was freezing as well as standing around at the summit. Be sure to keep an eye on the weather but I can’t imagine you getting too cold whilst hiking 4000 steps.

MY EXPERIENCE

GETTING THERE

We set off from Honolulu at around 1:30am in our scooters, freezing to death! Our hike didn’t get off to the best of starts as we didn’t realise the hike was such a contentious issue among the locals.

First we made sure to park our bikes as far from the entrance as possible. We didn’t want any of the locals seeing these as they may as well had “we are tourists hiking the stairway to heaven” all over them! We knew we were in the right vicinity at first as you could see the warning signs. These however were not signs warning about the dangers of the hike but rather directed at tourists!

Looking up at the mountain we could see the main flashlights and torches being used by the climbers who were already on the mountain. This really got us in the mood but we knew we had a few issues to overcome first.

Climbing the stairway to Heaven, Hawaii

THE ENTRANCE

Our first entrance was a large double gate held together by a chain and a padlock but as soon we got with 10 metres we knew we were being watch. So new we had to take it slow and crept up to the gate like a pack of burglars looking for a way in. All of a sudden, an outside light comes on in the house beside us. We know we shouldn’t be here but I’ve come this far and didn’t want to give up at the first hurdle so I started to climb the fence.

Then all of a sudden a dog at the same house started to bark meaning we had no option but to retreat if we wanted to remain incognito. Climbing off the fence we got a few calls from the neighbours, “GET THE F*CK OUT OF HERE!” and all of a sudden, the entire dog community are going wild. Some of the others were already thinking about jacking it in but I wasn’t for going anywhere but the summit.

Climbing the stairway to Heaven, Hawaii

ENTRANCE 2

It was time to get risky and use our initiative, options were limited as it was but now we either had to bolt through someone’s garden or find a different way in. After checking out the neighbour hood a little more we found another fence and decided to use plan b, “forget incognito.” After taking a good look at the fence we agreed this was the one and decided after the count of 3 to climb it. We also agreed not to stop or turn back no matter how many lights came on, how many dogs started to bark or how many people shouted at us.

After scaling the fence we bolted through what seemed like a bamboo forest, it was clearly not the right route! However, we ploughed on regardless and decided to take the ‘as the crow flies’ route and if that meant crossing ravens and jumping fences then so be it.

THE FINAL HURDLE

After a few minutes wondering where the hell we were we could see on the map we were close. That was until we reached a fence but it was no ordinary fence at about 12 ft high. On the other side of this fence was the path leading to the beginning of the hike, so close but yet so far. We could see several people walking past who clearly took the correct route, and compared to us looked like they were out for a Sunday morning stroll as opposed to what we had gone through.

We had wasted 1 hour by this stage and I wasn’t going to hang around any longer so we climbed the fence one at a time making sure we got over in once piece. One of the group had a nasty fall but after landing we looked up and noticed the guard so now was no time to sit around.

Climbing the stairway to Heaven, Hawaii

THE GUARD

We made our way up to the start and passed the guard in the car.

“Sorry guys, its closed.”

“Sorry,” we replied

We looked at him, gave out the most genuine sorry but we need to and walked on. He was super nice about it and wasn’t a jobsworth. Being a guard he knew he could only do so much and as he probably sees the best part of 40-50 every morning he knew he wasn’t going to be able to stop them all. Instead he said his bit and allowed us to make the decision.

THE HIKE

The hike was long but not difficult, besides if you’ve made it this far then the hardest part is done. You will likely be making plenty of stops to enjoy the view but remember the best is always at the top. On this hike you should take you time as several of the steps are missing or damaged, used the hand rails as much as you can. As we had spent so much time running from dogs we knew we had to keep up the pace.

The view up is almost as incredible as the view down as the steps and lush forest below make this hike so unique, that’s where the name “stairway to heaven comes from” as it never appears to end.

THE SUMMIT

As you make your way up the trail you will come across several abandoned buildings and stations. The disused satellite building signals the end of the hike, excuse the pun. Here you will be in awe of the views and if you want, can climb the antennae for an even better view! The hike took us 1hr 30 but only because we were in such a rush most of the time, we needed to make sure we didn’t miss the sunset!

You will likely be joined by around 30-50 other hikers who successfully navigated their way passed the locals and the guard so enjoy the views together.

GETTING BACK

After the sunrise people then started to make their descent and we felt it was much better to have safety in numbers. You can fly down in around 30minutes but the descent is not to be rushed due to the countless photo opportunities available.

On our way down we passed a few people making their ascent as well as the guard going after them which we were glad to see as it meant there wouldn’t be any commotion at the bottom. The guard was very understanding and says that he climbs it at least twice a day to ensure everyone is off it.

One of the highlights was for sure walking up in the dark and being completely unaware of your surroundings and then descending in daylight. It almost seemed like two different hikes!

TAKING A DIFFERENT ROUTE

Once as the bottom we made the decision to follow those in front, after all I wasn’t going to head the same direction as I did to get here! We took a left through a fence and walked for a few minutes before coming out into the grounds near a school. We were jacked that we finally made it back after our hellish start

FINAL THOUGHTS

By far the best thing to do on O’ahu and would recommend it to anyone. I would however take additional precautions as securities continues to get tighter.

NEXT UP

My first skydive above Hawaii! Click to read.

SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
85/229

This post is part of The Hawaii & Asia Series, click to explore or for episode 1 click here.