I wasn’t sure about climbing Diamond Head Crater Trail. The description says moderately difficult and, let’s face it, I’m no longer a youngster (66) and not in the greatest shape. But I went slow and took several breather breaks. This is opposed to the studs running up and down the trail!

My reservation was for 8 am (https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/oahu/diamond-head-state-monument/) and I made it there on time, despite the Honolulu traffic.

The first part of the trail is a gentle incline on a nicely paved trail. After that, the trail is rocky and uneven, which, honestly, gave my calves and ankles fits. Then come the stairs, about 30, which leads to a flattish tunnel. a few feet after that, you get the choice of 99 steps with no break or, to the left, a gentle incline and then three sets of steps with breaks between.

The views of Waikiki and Honolulu really are amazing, as are the views out toward the sea.

The crater itself was “born” about 300,000 years ago and is also called Le’ahi. The trail itself is less than a mile in length and has an elevation gain of nearly 600 feet, mostly via switchbacks and the stairs.

From the summit, Tahiti is 2381 miles away and Australia 3800 miles.