Date: Sun, 25 Apr 1999 17:51:28 -1000 From: Wing C Ng (wing@lava.net> Subject: Konahuanui from Pali Lookout
10 months ago, I discovered this route starting 10 minutes down Old Pali Road from the Lookout. Today I do it again.
BTW after the hike I saw a blue Jeep resembling the Daylemobile parking on the side of Pali Hwy in a grassy clearing near the endpoint of Moole Ridge.
I cleared the trail last year and it's still good. In one hour I got to the point where I last stopped, and I pressed on. The trail becomes more overgrown, and it took another hour to get to a steep section.
It's not that steep, but the footing is atrocious. It consists of what looks like sand compacted into rock. The ground just crumbles when I step on it. There seems to be a way to avoid this by slabbing on the right, but then it's a big fall on the right too if I slip. So I call it quits and tied a ribbon to a rock. There is no vegetation of any kind on the ridge top, as the ground apparently does not support any plants.
I retraced my steps and then found a predecessor also tying an old ribbon to a rock. Looks like she quits there too!
Actually, with companion(s), I can do 3 more humps. At that point there looks to be a sheer cliff-face. But then things can be deceptive from a distance, and it may be doable after all, certainly looks easier than Piliwale.
Right now the route is wide open to the sandy rocks. Some people might want to check it out pau hana.
Let me add that the crumbly sandy rock section closely resembles the crux of Ohulehule S.E. ridge. There is a big fall-off on the left, less steep fall-off on the right, and a steep crumbly slope to ascend. A mini-S.E. ridge.
Wing