GUNUNG · Amerika Serikat (Hawaii)

Mount Waiʻaleʻale

Waiʻaleʻale (bahasa Hawaii: 'air beriak' atau 'air meluap')

Mount Waiʻaleʻale, Kauaʻi — salah satu tempat terbasah di Bumi. Photo: source

Information

Elevation: 1.569 m
Country: Amerika Serikat (Hawaii) (US)
Location / Range: Pusat Pulau Kauaʻi, dekat Alakaʻi Swamp / Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve, Hawaii
Mountain type: Gunung berapi perisai (shield volcano); titik tertinggi kedua di Pulau Kauaʻi dan salah satu tempat terbasah di Bumi
Volcanic?: Yes — volcano
Coordinates: 22.0739, -159.4986
Difficulty: Puncaknya praktis tak terjangkau dengan berjalan kaki biasa; sisi timur dinding curam nyaris tegak dan puncaknya adalah rawa berkabut. Pengalaman berjalan populer adalah pendekatan lembah — jalur Blue Hole / Weeping Wall — yang meski jaraknya sedang tergolong salah satu day-hike tersulit karena lumpur dalam, banyak penyeberangan sungai, dan risiko banjir bandang.
Best Season: Musim kemarau relatif (kira-kira Mei–September) untuk risiko banjir bandang lebih rendah; kapan pun tetap sangat basah. Batalkan bila ada hujan di hulu karena Sungai Wailua bisa naik cepat.
Permits & Rules: Kawasan hulu termasuk cagar alam (Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve) dan sebagian tanah adat/negara bagian; jalur Blue Hole tidak resmi dan tidak bertanda. Hormati penutupan, jangan menyeberang sungai saat deras.
Hazards: Banjir bandang di Sungai Wailua, lumpur dalam dan licin, jejak tak bertanda yang mudah membuat tersesat, kabut tebal nyaris permanen di puncak, serta hujan deras mendadak. Puncaknya sendiri berbahaya karena tebing timur nyaris vertikal.

Description

Mount Waiʻaleʻale (1,569 m / 5,148 ft) is a shield volcano and the second highest point on the island of Kauaʻi, Hawaii. Its name means 'rippling water' or 'overflowing water' — fittingly, since its summit is one of the wettest spots on Earth: since 1912 it has averaged more than 9,500 mm (373 in) of rain a year, with a record of about 17,300 mm (683 in) in 1982 (recent reports name Big Bog on Maui as Hawaii's wettest spot for 1978–2007). Near-constant rain and thick mist feed the surrounding Alakaʻi high-altitude swamp and the 'Weeping Wall' — an eastern cliff face streaked by dozens of waterfalls at once. The summit itself is nearly impossible to reach on foot because its eastern wall is almost vertical and shrouded in permanent cloud; most visitors only see it from the air or approach through the valleys. The best-known walk is the Blue Hole / Weeping Wall route from the Keahua Arboretum area up the headwaters of the Wailua River — though not extreme in distance, many call it one of the hardest day-hikes because of deep mud, repeated river crossings, an unmarked trail, and flash-flood danger.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Jalur Blue Hole / Weeping Wall (via Keahua, hulu Sungai Wailua)

Sangat sulit — jejak tak bertanda, lumpur dalam, penyeberangan sungai berulang, risiko banjir bandang

±6–9 jam pulang-pergi (sangat bergantung kondisi)

A valley approach from the Keahua Arboretum area up the headwaters of the Wailua River toward the 'Blue Hole' and 'Weeping Wall' beneath the summit cliffs. Although not extreme in distance, it is often called one of the hardest day-hikes in the world because of deep mud, repeated river crossings, a faint and confusing trail, and flash-flood danger when it rains upstream. Cancel in bad weather; wear footwear ready to be soaked and muddy.

Source

Puncak Waiʻaleʻale (boardwalk keramat) — praktis hanya lewat udara

Tidak untuk pendakian umum

Tidak dapat ditempuh berjalan kaki dari lembah

Waiʻaleʻale's true summit is nearly unreachable on foot because its eastern wall is almost vertical and shrouded in near-constant cloud and rain; the summit holds a boardwalk and a sacred Hawaiian site. In practice it is reached only by helicopter, so most visitors simply enjoy it from the air or from the valley approach at its foot.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Walking experiences at the foot of Waiʻaleʻale almost always center on the Blue Hole / Weeping Wall route — a valley approach toward the waterfall-streaked cliffs beneath the perpetually clouded summit. Hikers agree on one thing: although not extreme in distance, it is one of the hardest day-hikes because of deep mud, repeated Wailua River crossings, an unmarked and confusing trail, and flash-flood danger when it rains upstream. The reward is the 'Weeping Wall', a cliff laced with dozens of waterfalls at once. Other recurring themes: firm warnings to cancel in bad weather, the need for footwear you can soak and muddy, and the reality that Waiʻaleʻale's true summit is essentially unreachable on foot, so many only see it from the air.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.