Forbidden "stairway to heaven" 14 tourists arrested on Hawaii's deadly aberration
Illegal hikers are regularly arrested on a forbidden stairway in Hawaii. As is so often the case, social media is responsible for the unwanted tourists.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The Haiku Steps in Hawaii keep attracting tourists despite the ban.
- The problem: influencers on social media rave about the breathtaking view from the top of the mountain path.
- The local population suffers from the illegal hikers and now wants to put an end to the Haiku Stairs.
It's not just Swiss SAC huts that have to contend with rude tourists - in Hawaii, thousands of kilometers away, holidaymakers are also incurring the wrath of the local population because they don't follow the rules.
According to local authorities, 14 people were recently arrested after entering the forbidden Haiku Steps on the island of Oahu.
"Disrespectful and self-centered"
The so-called "stairway to heaven" consists of around 4,000 metal steps and leads through particularly rough terrain in a remote area of Kaneohe. It was built by the US military during the Second World War and abandoned shortly after the end of the war. The staircase has been closed to the public since 1987. The reason: it can only be reached via a dangerous and unauthorized hike.
"It is incredibly disrespectful and self-centered for anyone to be on the Haiku Staircase or the Middle Ridge Trail when it is clearly understood that these areas are off limits for safety and natural resource protection," said Jason Redulla, head of the Hawaii Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE), in a statement with the ominous message that "someone is going to die soon."
Despite this, tourists have been spotted on the "stairway to heaven" time and again. Since the beginning of September alone, the police have arrested 14 people for entering the stairs, according to CNN. They were charged with trespassing, an offense punishable by up to 30 days in jail in Hawaii.
"Difficult for first responders to reach this place"
"It's dangerous for people to enter the zone, and dangerous for them if they try to descend the ridge," Redulla knows - and explains: "It's difficult for first responders to reach this place, which can delay medical care."
As with many Swiss tourist hotspots, interest in the Haiku Staircase is fueled by social media. Irreverent Youtubers and Instagrammers rave about the magnificent view from the top of the approximately 850-metre-high mountain path, which seems to disappear into the sky when the fog rolls in. According to DOCARE, the illegal hikers use climbing ropes to reach the stairs.
The notoriety of the path has been a headache for the local community for years. Due in part to the added safety costs and risky rescues for tourists who injure themselves in the remote area, the Honolulu City Council decided in 2021 to dismantle the Haiku Stairs.
Parts of the stairs were cut off the side of the mountain and removed by helicopter. However, a local group called "Friends of the Haiku Stairs" opposed the removal and persuaded the Hawaii Court of Appeals earlier this year to issue a temporary restraining order that halted the deconstruction work for the time being.
