The islands of Hawai'i are home to some of the most beautiful elevations on the planet. Technically considered, Mauna Kea on Moku Nui is actually the tallest mountain on the planet, dwarfing Mount Everest by nearly 1500 meters. The fact that roughly 6000 of its meters are below sea level, though, puts it much further down the list of tallest mountains above sea level.
The summit of Mauna Kea is covered in snow during the winter months, which made it virtually uninhabitable to early Hawaiians. Although Hawaii's other islands do not boast snow-capped mountaintops, most of them possess elevations that would not have been suitable for human life.
The lower elevations where people lived were called the wao kanaka ("wao" meaning zone, and "kanaka" meaning people), while the higher elevations, where the life that existed was not a product of any man's work, were known as wao akua ("akua" meaning "gods").
The summit of the islands' highest peaks were known as "piko." Piko were considered wao akua, sacred places where humans should not go. Any place where clouds touched was considered a cover so the akua could walk on the land without being seen.
Let's take a look at the piko of each of the islands:
Moku Nui - Mauna Kea (13,796 feet)
(Image via Downtown Hilo)
Maui - Haleakalā (10,023 feet)
(Image via Hostelling International USA)
Kaho'olawe - Lua Makika (1,483 feet)
Lana'i - Lānaʻihale (3,366 feet)
Moloka'i - Kamakou (4,970 feet)
(Image via Portland Hikers)
O'ahu - Mount Ka'ala (4,003 feet)
Kaua'i - Kawaikini (5,240 feet)
(Image via Canyons of Kauai)
Ni'ihau - Mt. Pānīʻau (1,250 feet)
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