Pohnpei Eco-Adventure Guide

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Dolen Uh & Other Treeless Hills

Treeless Hills & Fern Meadows

One of the most visually distinctive features of the area between Pehleng and Pwudoi involves the fern meadows that crown the tops of several treeless hills on both sides of the main road. These features exist where shallow bedrock and repeated burnings inhibit tree growth.

Dolen Uh

One rounded hill, called Dolen Uh (“standing hill”), lies immediately west of the road in Pwudoi and offers a nice hike that anyone can manage. Begin next to the road 0.22 km (0.14 mi) after the Pilen Seleur eel pools and follow the footpath through the woods and past three utility poles to the FSM Telecom tower at the 94 m summit. The roof of a small concrete hut is a nice spot for a picnic or for enjoying the sunset. Panoramic views are found in all directions. This hike can be done without a guide and without any special permission. With the exception of one small, scrubby tree next to the concrete hut, the rest of the hill is covered with low spreading plants with tiny flowers, called “yellow grass,” and a variety of Lycopodiella fern routinely found in meadows of this type.

Tents can be pitched in many places around the gentle slopes, though there is no water on the hill and it’s exposed to off-shore winds (pack out ALL garbage — leave nothing behind).

No access fee is charged.

  • Plan for 45 to 90 min with some leisure time at the top.

Mallen Loange Peidak

Another interesting fern-topped hill is located northeast of Dolen Uh and is easily accessible from the same road taken to reach the Dolmweir / Pekenuht / Nahnalaud trailhead in Pehleng. The turn-off for this road is 3.2 km (2 mi) north of the Dolen Uh trailhead just before a basketball court. The meadow, or savannah, on the hill’s crest is known as Mallen Loange Peidak (mal means “meadow”) and offers commanding views of the western coasts, Nan Lapahu Stream valley and Woun Oapoaro — another valley. Drive to the end of the access road (1.72 km / 1.1 mi) and walk about 0.42 km (0.26 mi) up the footpath until coming to a clearing on the south side of the path, where a second footpath leads southwest to the hill (0.22 km / 0.14 mi). Anyone living nearby can point you in the right direction, and children in the neighborhood will act as guides for a couple of bucks.

  • Plan for 45 min to 1 hour for this hike.

Pohn Dollap

A third hill, called Pohn Dollap (“on the big hill”), is found between the Circle Island Road and Mallen Loange Peidak. To find a guide (offer $12.00) and obtain permission to cross private land around the hill, ask at the houses along the inland side of the road 1.8 km (1.1 mi) south of the Mallen Loange Peidak / Nahnalaud access road.

  • Plan for 2 to 2 1/2 hours round-trip.

Map Guides >> Western Kitti >> Dolen Uh & Other Hills with Fern Meadows

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Pilen Seleur Eel Pools

A man lifts a live river eel from the water in Pwudoi, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)

Waterfalls and mountains can be visited in many places, but the experience to be had at Pilen Seleur in Pwudoi is uniquely Pohnpeian. River pools on either side of the road are home to scores of huge Marbled Eels — also called Giant Mottled Eels (Anguilla marmorata). The eels are sacred on Pohnpei and figure prominently in local mythology. Members of the Lasialap (Great Eel Clan) consider the mottled beasts to be their extended family, protecting and feeding them (Pohnpeians have a taboo on eating freshwater eels, though they are eaten in nearby Kosrae). Visitors can walk down to either pool and watch local men and boys stroke the eels, pick them up, or entice them with cans of mackerel to slither entirely out of the water. Some of the creatures are more than a meter long. You can even try handling one yourself; don’t worry — the eels are quite docile and rarely bite.

The pool on the west side of the road is large, deep, and picturesque. It’s a popular swimming spot for the young members of the family living there. There tend to be larger eels at this spot, but because the water gets waist-deep pretty quick, you can’t easily wade in. The pool on the east side is small and rarely more than a foot deep — it’s the best place if you’re interested in trying to pick up an eel yourself. Treat the beasts with respect and care.

A boy lifts a live river eel from the water in Pwudoi, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)

  • Plan for 30 min to 1 hour at the location. The families living next to each of the two pools charge $3.00 per person. You’ll also want to purchase a can or two of mackerel at a nearby store to feed the sinuous creatures.

More About the Giant Mottled Eel

The species of eel found on Pohnpei has a wide distribution and exists in tropical environments ranging from East Africa to French Polynesia. It’s also found in southern Japan and Taiwan (where it is endangered). Young eels usually have yellowish or light brown backs and become darker as they age. The largest eels are dark brown mottled with black with cream-colored bellies. They have tiny rows of teeth and protruding lower jaws. Mature females have been known to grow up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) in length.

Mottled eels have two distinct phases to their life-cycle. After spending as long as 20 years in freshwater streams or estuaries, the eels leave their homes and migrate westward across the Pacific to an area in the open ocean west of the Mariana Islands (in the case of Pohnpei’s eels, this is a distance of more than 1,600 kilometers / 990 miles). There they breed, lay eggs, and die. After hatching, juveniles journey to find land, where they swim up rivers and streams and establish themselves in deep pools.

Map Guides >> Western Kitti >> Pilen Seleur Eel Pools

By pni-surfclubPosted on Posted in cultural sites, western kitti, wildlifeTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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