Running And Hiking Diamond Head Crater

So I've been living here offically over a month now and only got around to exploring the island this past weekend (I did try surfing the week before, but that doesn't count). I had been feeling a bit stir crazy after work this week and came up with a terrible idea to get out and experience my surroundings.I'd go on a run up to Diamond Head State Monument, hike up to the crest, look around, hike down the trail, and then run all the way back to my apartment. I also decided that I would do it carrying a camera, no water, my cell phone (w/ low battery), and sporting minimal sun screen. It already sounds like a bad idea, doesn't it? Well, while I'm still sore two days later, it was a blast and I'd easily do it again. Be for warned, there are quite a few pictures of my journey.

I'll start off by saying that I've been staying at the Illikai Marina off Ala Moana Blvd for about 3 weeks. I'll be moving soon, so the odds of someone actually tracking me down and trying to act out "Misery ala King" with me are pretty slim. The reason where I've been staying is important is simple: distance. As seen in the Google Maps image above, Diamond Head Crater isn't right next door to me. In fact, the main entrance is a ~3.3 mile trip (3.9 miles to the crater's center), with a good portion of it being uphill. Now, I am from southern Texas, and the closest thing we have to hills is the entrance ramp to the freeway. Even when I used to run loops around the Texas A&M campus, there was only one long streach where the road behaved almost sinusoidal. It was the worst part of the run, even with the down hill parts. I knew all this as I had already run a loop around the base of the crater the weekend before, but against my better judgement I thought I'd give it a try. Oh, and I woke up late, so I ended up starting out around 11:00 am. Just throwing that out there.

To be honest though, I've been doing long distance running for years now, so while the incline made it more difficult, it wasn't really that bad. It took be about 28-29 minutes to get over there, and I got to run through Waikiki, by the park, beside the zoo, through a nice enough neighborhood, and around an almost Texan-style area surrounding Diamond Head. Looking around outside the entrance doesn't reveal anything particuarly interesting, just a bunch of dry Shrubbery. Ni.

But if you simply continue up the road a ways, you will come across the entrance to the crater. Rather than make a winding path leading over the rim and into the basin, the military (this used to be a military complex as far back as WWII) decided to simply cut a giant tunnel through the side of the crater. There is some room on the side for people travelling on foot and the tunnel can easily handle two-way traffic.

Up till now I still didn't have a very clear idea of the size of Diamond Head. I knew it was big (duh), but big like a 10 story building, or a high rise, I wasn't sure. Once I reached the other side and wondered down to the basin, I got a much better idea. You may have some trouble seeing it in this photo, but my ultimate destination on the hike is the little pillbox (circled in maroon) at the highest point on the rim.

It seems a far distance to go if the path were simply linear, but that is not the case. The path winds up the ridge in an almost zig-zag pattern. Here's a small portion of the path as seen from below. You might be able to barely make out the path, but if you click on the image you'll be able to see just how back-and-forth-and-back-and-forth it really is.

And here's another portion as seen from above. The path also slopes back down as certain points resulting in you certain areas twice.

Of course, going straight up and over the ridge would be too easy, so they added a tunnel to walk though. The picture below does not do justice to how incredibly dark it is inside (I took it near the well lit entrance). And the traffic is both ways, so after the first 15-20 feet you have to constantly be on your guard for people coming the other way to avoid smacking into them. This problem is not such a big deal if you aren't in the lead though.

Once you exit the tunnel you arrive at one of the old WWII facilities. If you complained earlier (even a little bit) about having to reclimb certain portions of the ridge, then you had best not even consider attempting to hike Diamond Head. You can see a small portion of the nameless horror you'll encounter in the photo below. 

Do you see it? Can you feel the waves of sorrow and hate wash over your mental shoreline and drown out the blissfull horizons of your psyche? If not, then perhaps the next photo will.

OH SNAP! STAIRS! Stairs as far as the eye can see without an end in sight! Seriously though, this is definitely the most troublesome portion of the hike. The rest of the hike is a cake walk if you can make it up these though. If not, then you can go rest with the other failures at a small viewing platform overlooking the crater before your walk of shame back down the ridge. Here's a shot of what things look like from the top of the stairs.

Now, it true that you still have to tackle a rotating stairwell and climb through the pillbox to reach the summit. The view of the basin, the shoreline, and Waikiki make the entire thing worth it. 

Diamond Head Crater 
Shoreline

Waikiki

Fortunately for most of you, you won't have to make this hike after running ~3.3 miles, and then run home after you hike back down to the basin. I might do it again sometime if I'm getting ready for something and get bored with my training schedule, but otherwise, I'll let this fantastic journey stand as a testiment to my resolve, fitness, and overall retardation. Peace out.

- TiH