Weeping Wall / Blue Hole Kauai Hike Guide

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

www.thevirtualsherpa.com/weeping-wall-blue-hole-kauai-hike-guide/

[@karyleianawildernesscapes]

7:07 YES, WE ABSOLUTELY WANT PPL TO BRUSH THEIR SHOES BEFORE ENTERING that area. There are extremely rare & critically endangered flora in that site. Brushing off invasive seeds, spores, etc is necessary to help keep that area native & uncontaminated. & it IS a sacred Hawaiian site. Being as LNT as possible in there is a must.

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

Appreciate this comment and this was not meant as a shot to NOT brush your shoes off, there is just literally half a brush there to do said brushing.

[@phildureza5917]

I dig your hiking vids bro and glad you made it back to HI again. Love Kauai but Oahu (where I live) has the best hikes in HI. I recommend doing as much of Koolau Summit Trail as you can if you ever visit.

[@JesusIsKing51]

Yep! Kauai sucks. 😂😉 Oahu is the greatest island of all time yo!

[@karyleianawildernesscapes]

4x4 is absolutely necessary, especially for wet conditions. Our dirt becomes clay/slippery & the mud acts like quicksand. Then youll need 4x4 to do the river crossing to have maximum traction without getting swept down (which has happened even with jeeps). The road is "decent" bc after the 2018 massive "flood bomb," DLNR did maintenance on the road(s). Previous to this, it was DEEPLY rutted & bouldered out in multiple sections that would require high(er) clearance. Fun for off-roading, not so fun if you dont know what you're doing.

[@sagradaintegration]

Devastating to see a sacred place be exploited by a colonizers benefit. @thevirtualsherpa no one cares you’re an experienced hiker - it does not give you any right to expose these lands that you are privileged to walk upon. What did you give back to this community? Nothing. Exploitation for your own benefit.

[@jzoop1]

At least the water was warm. Looks like an epic hike. Put it on my list.

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

Water was quite lovely to be honest, super warm and besides the one big dip, not too deep ever.

[@jzoop1]

Looks like a fun trail, not too hard when the water isn't high. The weeping wall was impressive.

[@awasoa7176]

The roads up to that hike are closed for the foreseeable future. A bit sad. Glad we got to hike it a few times at least, before they got officially closed.

[@LoveBird0709]

This is so awesome! The views are so beautiful. Do you know if there are places or companies there that offer guided tours? I'm really interested but I'm scared to go alone and know none of my friends and family would be interested. I'm also not a very experienced hiker. 😞

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

Hey - I believe there are as I had read some trip reports about them before I hiked but unfortunately I don't know the names of them off the top of my head.

[@deborahgreen4890]

Hello, how long is the hike to the first water fall you come to? How far would you say it was if you drive to the start of the trail? Thank you!

[@livinginchicocalifornia]

Thanks for the video! My son and I are going to attempt this in a few weeks (weather permitting). Experienced backpackers and day hikers. We're looking forward to the challenge and the reward at the end.

[@jodypatrizio3044]

Major bummer to see people making this and other special places more known to the public. One popular video like this can completely expose a mostly hidden spot. This is a very special place and we outsiders are lucky to even be allowed to go back there. This is a dangerous hike and if you are attempting it, you should have relevant skills and knowledge of the land out here and should not need a KZbin tour guide to show you where to go. Watching a 13 minute video does not make a novice into an expert. It was a good thing that people had a hard time finding detailed info on this hike in the past. More people attempting it will create more incidents, more impact on the land and eventually lead to either strict regulations or have a negative impact on the land and culture. This is a place that should be respected and protected by everyone that knows about it. I watch tourists abuse this beautiful island every day (seriously every day) and its devastating to watch. How did you go about deciding whether or not it was morally correct to expose this location?

[@tjplaceholder8183]

it's no secret. random tourists couldnt even attempt the hike without a lot of preparation. this video is exactly what you said is needed - safety info. everyone lives on the same sacred earth and needs spiritual experiences. what makes you so sure it will be 'ruined! its ruined forever waaah' just because other people will enjoy it too? maybe youre the one that needs to reassess whats morally correct.

[@jodypatrizio3044]

@@tjplaceholder8183it’s not that people shouldn’t be able to enjoy it but this is not an official or maintained trail and too many people walking on the rocks and through the rivers and river banks can have a negative impact on the environment. I’m speaking from professional experience in working in the outdoor conservation industry. There is a reason why it’s important to stay on the trail when hiking because simply walking on rocks or vegetation could impact and even destroy various species of plants, wildlife, organisms, etc. Some of those things can even be endangered. I think proper education is important when using the outdoors because if we don’t take care of it then people might not be able to have those spiritual experiences. Also cultural stuff plays a big part in respecting the land you use for outdoor recreation. Yes we all share the planet but you wouldn’t just go unnecessarily stomping around on graves, places of worship, historical sites and other places of importance. This land in Hawaii is special and means a lot to the Hawaiian people and should also be respected. Something that looks like a pile of rocks to you could be a sacred site for the Hawaiians and they would be upset if outsiders were climbing on them. So I just feel like sacred places like this waterfall should be very much respected by anyone to make the journey. If you see trash, pick it up. Even if it’s not yours. More people does mean more impact. Just please be respectful to the land regardless of where you are in the world, especially if you are a visitor. I cleaned up trash this morning out of an illegal beach fire. We see people disrespecting the land here all the time…

[@tjplaceholder8183]

@@jodypatrizio3044 Yes, I know. I live Kaua'i too. What's quite disappointing here is how little effort is made to mitigate any of the things you mentioned. Clear signage, a maintained & minimally impactful trail, basic safety measures. We have plenty money to provide jobs to do these things, but we refuse. Well we can expect more people to visit and not know what the heiaus are, nowhere to scrub their shoes, no way to stay safe on the trails. If locals want to keep it kapu, fine, but expect arguments because Kamehameha II ended kapu so following a DISCONTINUED system behind the guise of a living culture just reeks of selfishness and foolish disdain for visitors. If we make visiting miserable, the island economy will die and poverty will only get worse

[@afeist82]

Thanks for sharing this hike. It's one of my favorites I've ever done, and I didn't even make it to the end. I attempted to do it a year ago in March, but only made it slightly past where you shot the footage of the rope before the gate (ran out of time, ambition, etc.). Just out of curiosity, do you remember how far it was between those two points? My GPS recorder started going wacky as I got close to the steep canyon walls, so I'm not even sure how much farther I had to go. :(

[@ervinslens]

This looks spectacular! Shots are just amazing my friend! Absolutely stunning!

[@jamiebetker4137]

Yesssss! So glad finally a good guide on this. We did this last year, and it was unforgettable. Also crazy how much harder this felt for us who do 10+ 14ers a year.

[@jamiebetker4137]

Also FWIW all the guides use and trust those ropes also 😅

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

It was so awesome but damn, so tedious. Similar to how I feel when elevation really starts getting me when I’m tired above 13k. Those ropes are 🥶 but glad they held up for me.

[@nimrahkhan6674]

How do you prepare for a hike like this?

[@willmcdono]

All due respect to you. I hope you’re living your dream. I also kinda wish you weren’t sharing this hike on YT. There’s a lot of good hikes on the island after all. It’s like the helicopter that interrupts the sound. More people, more access, more tourism. It’s tough bc I certainly want folks that earn it to enjoy it. I dunno, can you see what I mean? Like maybe this one could be protected from heavy traffic, right?

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

100% get where you are coming from and truly appreciate the way you went about commenting this. I suppose I look at it like this: this hike is very publicly on the internet and if I can help one person attempt it in a safe and respectful manner, that is my goal (really the channel in general).

[@baileypuggle]

Do you wear socks when you do this and cross water etc?

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

Sure do!

[@richardlowe968]

Now to get to the top of those falls, the highpoint of the island Kawaikini from the west inside the Canyon.

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

I did think about it but with the rainy season at hand, never would have had a good weather window.

[@richardlowe968]

True, best time is April-May. I was stationed there for a couple of years, so I had time to get around to many of the most epic climbs on all the islands.

[@eddy0083]

See any crazy jungle bugs or spiders?

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

On this hike, surprisingly nothing. But Jackie did get a rather weird worm her on another hike that was pretty gross haha

[@SeanTheEvans]

Thanks for sharing such an awesome hike!

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

Glad you enjoyed it 🤘🏽

[@Homefreeliving]

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@MichaelRaithaus]

Yeah it’s online already the more people sharing it the more likely it’s going to be regulated. Keep it Kauait. Secret is sacred. Sacred is secret. Take this down sellout.

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

Talk to your government about regulations, not people trying to make the hiking world a better place.

[@waywardhumahn5543]

So you are encouraging folks to break their rental car agreements? nice. Hope you get sued.

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

😂 Absolutely WILD leap to go from me talking about the roads to breaking a rental car agreement.