ALOHA!

The Ha’iku Stairs aka “The Stairway to Heaven” is a treacherous 4 hour hike on Oahu, which requires extreme endurance and patience! My buddy who was visiting from Tahiti wanted to go out on the Stairway to Heaven, and because I’ve gone before and completed it, I was more than up for the challenge again. The Ha’iku Stairs is something even most Locals have not attempted because it is decommissioned and illegal.

The first time I went, there was a guard at the base of the trailhead at 5:30 AM that we were able to sneak by. This time, my buddies and I met up at 4:00 AM and started at around 4:15 AM. Through brush, mud and a couple of fences, we finally made it to the trailhead, but not without injury. I gashed my finger open on some barbed wire, but was able to stop the bleeding before we started the trail.

Once up the trail, it was smooth sailing, except for the fact we passed a Motorcycle at the Mouth of the Trailhead… At about 5:00 AM we were surprised to see a security guard at about the half way point who hassled us about being there…but only as a joke. He had us going for a little bit, but then allowed us to sit at the first look out point and catch our breath – even allowed us to stay for sunrise. He would not allow us to continue onward, but did give us some good advice: “Start earlier and bring no flash lights”. Next time, we’re planning on going around midnight and camp up at the top.

I do have to say, that I’ve run a Marathon, and this was right up there in terms of difficulty. Make sure you bring plenty of water, a flashlight, a smart phone with GPS, and energy snacks. The first time I did it, we were able to finish the hike completely in under 5 hours (round trip), but that was with 5-10 minute breaks at a couple spots.

Do a google search and there are a couple sites highlighting how to get there etc, but most of them are outdated, and those guides will lead you to the wrong area, so be careful. It’s easy to get lost, especially at night. The guard told us to be quiet in the neighborhoods, and make sure you park your car far away from the trail, as you’ll have your car towed by the locals in the area. Just be respectful to the land.

Safe & Happy Hiking
Mahalos!
Mash

Haiku Ladder History

The hiking trail actually started off as a wooden ladder on one side of Ha’iku Valley in 1943. The reason it was put up was because antenna cables needed to be set up to allow for communication between Wahiawa and Hai’ku Valley Navy Radio Station.

In 1950, the Naval base decommissioned the site. Later in the 1950’s the old wooden stairs were replaced by metal steps…3,922 to be exact. In the year 1987 the trail was closed but despite warnings to hikers it was still hiked.

In 2003, the Haiku Ladder was repaired at a cost to the city of $875,000. Yet the authorities state that there is no intent to reopen the trail to the public.

Steps: 3,922
Trail Length: 2,120 feet
Time it takes to complete: 4-5 hours (Depending on athletic ability)

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