A K LEO T H E
FRIDAY, SEPT. 20 to SUNDAY, SEPT. 22, 2013 VOLUME 109 ISSUE 10
Serving the students of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
V O I C E
www.kaleo.org
Student ‘xplorers’ summit the largest volcano in the world
Mauna Loa is an active volcano. Its last eruption was in 1984. COURTESY OF MICHAEL THOMAS
I EVA B YTAUTAITE Contributing Writer
On Aug. 20, eight students from the Ethnobiology Society on campus became the largest UH student-led expedition to summit Mauna Loa, according to Coral Bielecki, the society’s vice president. “The program’s mission promotes the adventurous scientifi c exploration of land, sea, air and space by supporting research and education in the physical, natural and biological sciences through active pursuit of physical fitness, health and well-being,” said Bielecki, who is also the club’s student expedition leader. Bielecki also noted that the students are also members
of the Xplorer’s Hawai‘i program, which was began by the Ethnobiology Society in spring 2013 with a backpacking service-learning trip through Haleakala. The students spent the summer preparing for the 45mile expedition following the ancient Ainapo Trail. “Mauna Loa was chosen because it is the largest mountain in Hawai‘i, and we chose the most diffi cult, untrodden trail for the challenges it provides,” Bielecki said. The trail, which was used by ancient Hawaiians to make offerings to the goddess Pele during volcanic eruptions, reaches an elevation of more than 13,680 feet and is known for its unpredictable and fast-changing conditions. “We prepared by doing step test, hiking steep local hikes like Koko Head Crater and Peacock Flats with
weighted backpacks. We also ran and had to stay active all summer,” ethnobotany major Daisy Mae Dean said. Dean joined EBS about two years ago because of its diverse group members and the various ethnobotanical activities and projects the club offers. According to Bielecki, some group members logged more than 250 miles of hikes to get ready for the expedition. Ethnobotany major Melissa Walker prepared by “working out three to five times a week and hiking eight to 16 miles ever y week at different hiking trails.” The expedition tested the students’ physical and mental strengths. See Overshooting, page 2