The cliff
Above the harbour.
Zykasaa — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Uhooep — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zykasaa — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zykasaa — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zykasaa — CC BY-SA 4.0
Sokehs Rock is a towering cliff on the north coast of Pohnpei in Micronesia. A sheer rock face crowns a forested ridge above the turquoise water of the harbour near Kolonia, and it is one of the best-known natural landmarks in Micronesia. The rock stands on the Sokehs Peninsula, once an island and now joined to the main island by a causeway and a field of mangroves. The 1,570 m Dau Mwoakote Channel cuts through the mangroves. Small villages line the peninsula's shore. You see it from Kolonia and the harbour, best in the morning when the sun lights its face. If you hike the trail to the top, you look down on the harbour, the reefs and Kolonia below. The trail is steep and can be overgrown. The rock is about 2.5 km in a straight line northwest of Kolonia across the water. The trail starts beside a private house; there is no set fee, but ask the family's permission before climbing. Bring water, as there are no facilities on the trail, avoid it after rain when the ground is slippery, and a local guide helps.
Above the harbour.
Reefs and Kolonia.
And Dau Mwoakote.
Sokehs Peninsula, Sokehs municipality, northern Pohnpei
Not required, but helpful as the trail can be overgrown.
On a dry day, early in the morning before the heat.