Makapuu Crag is a nice chunk of basalt situated in a beautiful setting 500 feet above the Pacific Ocean with a lighthouse around the corner, Para gliders above, and surfers below.

The rock quality is very unique. It iprovides alot grippy but changes characteristics as you climb because of the different volcanic layers. The lower ten feet contain huge air pockets and is very light, which creates very large pocket holds. The top 30 feet is gray basalt that is very solid with smaller air pockets but larger cracks. There are seven routes with top rope and sport lead anchors however you must sill bring some webbing and locking carabiners to sling the top rope anchors. Generally 20 feet of webbing is enough.

It is possible to climb a few alternate routes off of the already fixed top rope anchors bring the total climbable routes to about 11. Although Makapuu offers some solid climbing, the area is more for the casual route seeker then the hardcore climber. Most of the routes here range from 5.5 to 5.8 with the hardest route being a 5.10a and a maximum height of about 40 feet. Makapuu is however, an excellent place to learn or teach sport climbing because the bolts are spaced about three feet apart. If you are looking for a more serious climbing destination that offers more advanced sport routes check out Mokuleia.

Thank you for stoping by the Makapuu Crag section and we hope you enjoy your time in Hawaii!

Lastly, if you have any questions or need a climbing partner, contact the Hawaii routes administrator.