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Climbing Diamond Head

By Cynthia Ward Cooper

Of all the places I've lived (and, being an Army brat, there were quite a few), Hawaii really stood out.  The drama of the volcanoes and beaches, the technicolor sunsets, the friendliness of the people, were memories I'd carried with me for years.  So I was delighted when my mother suggested that we go back for a visit.  In April 2003, my parents, my brother Jonathan, and our friend Shonda did just that.

Sometime during the planning of the trip, I had developed the desire to climb Diamond Head, the famous volcano overlooking Waikiki that symbolizes Hawaii. Each year, thousands of tourists (ourselves included) take their pictures in front of it.  It’s O’ahu’s most famous landmark, and symbolizes Hawaii to people the world over.  Of course I wanted to climb it!
It seemed nothing less than synchronicity when Jonathan mentioned that he, too, wanted to make the climb again. He warned me that it wasn't easy. We'd have to leave very early in the morning, and should take water and a flashlight. A flashlight? Yep; it turns out that the trail goes through batteries that had been secretly built into the side of the volcano a century ago as part of the defense of Honolulu harbor. Much of the second half of the climb takes place inside dark tunnels. But he promised that it was worth it just for the view at the top.

We woke early on Monday, and were on the road by 7:30 AM. (I'd invited Shonda to join us, but she shuddered and declined, saying it sounded suspiciously like exercise. My mom agreed, and they decided to stay at the beach.) After posing for the requisite photograph (above), we set off. (You can see a map of the trail, with highlights of the various parts, here.)  My father accompanied us through the first part, but decided to wait for us at the bottom of the steps. Smart man, my dad. I was already feeling the climb by the time we got to the stairs. I think Jonathan was too, but he was bursting with testosterone, and actually began running up the long flight of steps. I passed a couple who was on their way down, and heard the woman ask, "Who was that crazy person?" "Just my little brother, " I panted, trying to catch up to him.

I took a lot of pictures along the way; the trek was beautiful, and it allowed me to take small rest stops without losing too much face. Jonathan refused to drink any water during the climb; I don't know how he made it without. We climbed higher and higher, occasionally passing people on their way down. As we approached the tunnel, I heard a woman tell her friend that she was glad she'd remembered her flashlight on this climb. "I forgot it last time, and had nightmares for days," she said. Hmmm, I thought, realizing that we'd forgotten to pack ours. I'm not given to phobias, but I could see why the woman had been disturbed; without any light, the tunnel was very disorienting, and the spiral staircases were incredibly difficult to climb. There was no rest at the top of the stairs--instead, we had to climb through a narrow opening, then up another 50 stairs. But finally, we were at the top! The vistas were spectacular--Waikiki to the west, Manoa to the north, and the Pacific everywhere else.

After only a few minutes, we were ready to make the trek down. We passed quite a few people on their way up, including many Japanese tourists of all ages, most of whom weren't dressed for climbing. "They don't know what they're in for," I thought to myself. I was glad we'd started when we did; it was already getting hot. My brother's reaction was just to shake his head when he saw children and elderly people on the trail, but he didn't actually say anything until he passed a woman in flip-flops. "You'll never make it in those," he warned her. She glanced at her feet, then shrugged and continued to climb. The further down we went, the more animated and jovial the up-climbers became. By the time we reached the car, I was feeling exhilarated. It had been a wonderful day--and it was only 9:30 AM!

FOR FURTHER REFERENCE

Diamond Head State Monument – Official Information
http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/pdf/diamond.pdf
Diamond Head Brochure (scanned copy)
http://www.originalcyndesigns.com/oahu/diamondheadmap.htm
 
by Cynthia Ward Cooper

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