A Hawaiian Kaleidoscope - Paliku to Haleakala Summit Trail Guide and Supplemental Images - February 2012

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Becoming gradually wider and more populated with day-hikers as you ascend, the sandy path cuts across the loose cinder slopes with nicely-graded switchbacks. From up here, you can clearly see both of the major 'gaps' in the main crater - Koolau on the left and Kaupo on the right.

Brian the steady climber

The whole crater

Towards Kaupo Gap

Crater Panorama

Koolau Gap

Lower Sliding Sands

Brian on upper Sliding Sands

Brian rises above clouds

Hardy Alpine Bushes

Hanakauhi Peak

Clouds below Haleakala

The final slope

Final ascent on Sliding Sands

At about 9,800 feet, you reach the crater rim. A short walk cross a flat section brings you to the nicely-paved park road (If you so choose, you can climb the last 250 feet or so of elevation along the park road to the true summit of Haleakala). The Sliding Sands trail makes a right-hand turn here, and in a hundred feet or so, arrives at the large parking lot of the upper Visitor Center.

courtesy JInnes

Andrew at SS Overlook

Brian at SS Overlook

Reaching the park road

Arriving at Visitor Center

Upper Visitor Center

Historic Upper Visitor Center

Note 1: If you want to return to the main narrative at the point where we reached the crater rim on Haleakala and continued on to the summit (and onwards on our trip in general), then please click here.

Note 2: If you'd like to see a video of our hike from Paliku to the Crater Rim (and summit), please go to the video index page and click on the video for the Haleakala Sea-to-summit climb. The part from Paliku to the summit is covered during the second half of the video.

Interactive Trackmap with photo points - Paliku to Sliding Sands TH - double-click to expand

Interactive Trackmap with photo points - Paliku to Sliding Sands TH - click to expand

Paliku to Sliding Sands TH - Hike Data

Start Time: 4:41a.m.

End Time: 12:39p.m.

Duration: 7h57m

Distance: 15.41 km (9.58 mi)

Average Speed: 1.9 km/hr (1.2 mph)

Start Elevation: 6376ft (1943m) *

Max Elevation: 9865ft (3007m) *

Min Elevation: 6376ft (1943m) *

End Elevation: 9850ft (3002m) *