You will need to start the hike by parking in the nearby neighborhood, which you are not supposed to do. By following the route highlighted here you will be able to find easy parking. Just be sure to park away from the end of the road.
You will walk to the end of the road where you should be able to walk around the fence. Since no one wants you to park here, walk here, hike here or do the stairway to heaven you will encounter obstacles and no guidance.
Once you have passed the first gate you will be on a paved access road and walking toward freeway above.
Follow the road as shown here. You will not be able to see the buildings on the picture. If you do you have gone too far. You will need to take a side trail off of the road which will lead you toward the freeway. This trail is well trodden and does not require you to go through the fence at first. Once you are on this well trodden path you will encounter the fence. The trail goes through a big hole in the fence. You need only duck and pass through. The trail will parallel the freeway and the access road you need to be on. The trail ends at the access road where you need to turn left and continue. The start of the Stairway to Heaven is not far now and you will find it well marked. After passing all of the trees and branches that have been layed across the trail (another attempt to let you know you are unwelcome) you will begin the climb.Here are some of the spectacular views you will see.
I started the climb up the Stairway to Heaven at 4:45am. It took my 1/2 hour to get to the first platform. by the time you stop here you will have gained enough altitude that the freeway will be far below. You will still be able to see the trailhead from here. I saw the guards on the way down though they were tiny specs smaller than ants.
The stairway is steep and challenging. This picture was taken on the way down looking down at the first stop.
Be prepared for never ending, unrelenting stairs. Just when you think wow it couldnt get any steeper than that...wham, you feel like you are climbing a vertical ladder thousands of feet above the ground.
I did the stairway in the dark and wind, alone. It is a bit disorienting to feel the wind buffeting you and knowing that there is nothing but empty space for at least 1000 feet on either side of you.
You can expect to climb up into the clouds. The Koolaus are often cloud covered. The clouds will chill the air and make everything wet and slippery. Take heart for the railings will keep you solid and the stairs are in good shape. You will feel the height less on the way up than on the way down. I found the stairs easier to manage in the light on the way down then in the dark on the way up.
There are two buildings on the way. The first one is the sign that you are close. Take heart you are near the top.
When you see the antennae you will know you are near the top. There is an abandoned building that must have been used to house the electronic radio equipment (now empty). I could not see anything because it was dark, cloudy and windy at the top.Once I dropped below the clouds I could see on the other side of the island. I could also see the lights on the way up in the dark.
The view from below the clouds was like seeing the windward side of the island with the top of my head in the clouds. Such a feeling of height and freedom.
As I mentioned by the time I reached the first platform I could see the guards at the trailhead. The landscape at the trailhead does not lend itself to alternate routes around the guards who were parked comfortably for the day. I decided to bushwack around them. I am not sure that was a smart decision. They vegetation is so thick it is nearly impassible.
This picture was taken inside of the bushwacking route I took to the left after nearing the bottom and treking to the left thought the brush.
As you can see the vegetation is so dense that it is nearly impassable. I got tired of bushwacking through it and decided to walk on top of it for awhile.
Perseverance is a tough master but I made it through and around the guards. Scracthed up, tired and dirty but rewarded with a great Hawaiian adventure.
