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Advice For Hiking the Summit of Mauna Kea – Hawaii’s Highest Peak

Hiking to the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii is becoming increasingly popular among visitors to Hawaii. Its appeal is understandable, at 13,796 feet above sea level, the summit of Mauna Kea is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. Since its base lies 19,000 feet below sea level, it has a height from base to summit of 33,000 feet, making it the tallest mountain on Earth. The views from the top are indescribably beautiful, the idea of ​​being in an alpine setting in the tropics is unique enough and quite simply, it is also one of my favorite places on earth.

Mauna Kea began to form on the sea floor about a million years ago. Its name means “White Mountain” in Hawaiian, and it is snow-covered most of the winter, with the summit covered in permafrost to a depth of 35 feet. During the Ice Age, the summit of Mauna Kea was glaciated three times, starting about 200,000 years ago and ending only 11,000 years ago. U-shaped valleys and cairns, striated bedrock, glacial ridges covering the summit area, and remnants of ice-damned lava flows from that era can be seen. There are even remnants of extinct rock glaciers near the summit.

The visitor center and summit are reached by a road that turns off Saddle Road at about 6,600 feet near the 28 mile marker and zigzags up the south side of Mauna Kea to the visitor information station at about 9,300 feet. The path, although steep, is paved to the Visitor Center. Above that, the road is dirt for about 5 miles, returning to asphalt pavement for the final sprint to the rim of the summit crater. Road conditions for the summit trail are available at 808.935.6263.

The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. 365 days a year. Information multimedia presentations, souvenirs and some food, clean toilets and drinking water are available. Each evening after dark, the center allows visitors to observe the stars through several telescopes, and occasional informational talks by visiting scientists are scheduled. Center staff lead guided trips to the summit on Saturdays and Sundays, but visitors must provide their own vehicle. For information, call 808.961.2180. It is recommended that visitors heading to the summit stop at the Visitor Center for at least half an hour before heading to the summit to acclimatize.

There are no public accommodations, no water or food or gas stations above the visitor information station; observatory buildings are closed to the public and usually locked. There are no public telephones or toilets, only potties. The emergency phone is located at the entrance to the UH 2.2 m telescope building.

Driving the summit road to the very top of Mauna Kea is neither as dangerous as the rental car companies would have you believe, nor as casual as many Big Islanders will tell you. True, the summit road is unpaved most of the way, steep and winding with limited views; the road is extremely dangerous when wet or icy, which it often is, and is subject to frequent thick clouds, snow, rain and fog that obscure all visibility. Even balmy summer conditions can turn into a deadly winter fury in minutes with little or no warning.

However, the road is generously wide, normally graded and poses no real threat to the careful driver. A safe driver can expect to reach the summit in about ½ hour after leaving the visitor information station. Remember, it’s not the roughness of the road that will hinder your car; it’s the altitude that will starve him of oxygen. To be safe, take as much time on the way back down the mountain as you did on the way up, and use the lowest gear to save wear on the brakes. Check your rental car agreement – many prohibit you from driving on this road. If you do get married, your insurance is void and you do so at considerable financial risk. Remember that people sometimes create craters on their cars.

If the weather turns scary, simply head down immediately. Relax, keep calm and drive carefully; you can be sure that even if you have to slow down to 10 mph in places, you will be safely at the Visitor Center in just 40 minutes.

The summit of Mauna Kea, home to the largest array of astronomical instruments and telescopes in the world, is truly an amazing place; the seductive juxtaposition of icy heights rising from steaming tropical jungle; ancient altars of sacred Hawaiian gods next to buildings of the most modern sciences; of frigid landscapes carved during ancient ice ages along fiery volcanic terrains; all wrapped up around a fabulous trip with a little rumor of danger just for spice! Beautiful, awe-inspiring, 360-degree views of the entire Big Island, including the islands of Maui, Kaho’olawe and Lana’i on clear days. On clear nights, the glow of Kilauea Volcano can be seen. Although daytime temperatures during the summer can top out in the 60s, it is generally cold to freezing, often wet, and very windy at the top. Plan and dress accordingly.

The summit area is also culturally and religiously important to Native Hawaiians, hosting many religious Heiau, an obsidian adze quarry, and numerous other archaeological sites. Remember that these landscapes and the archaeological sites on them are sacred; don’t take pictures but take pictures, leave no trace.

Parking is limited, but the hike from the top of the road to the actual summit is a must for anyone who has ventured that far and is in good shape. A stone altar and USGS survey point mark the actual summit of the mountain, about a 15-minute walk on a cinder trail from the top of the road. The route around the summit crater takes about 30 minutes and goes through very wild country with amazing views. Remember to take plenty of drinking water and hydrate often to prevent altitude sickness. Do not leave the safety of the car park if you feel ill or the weather is at all random – in fact, if the weather is deteriorating or bad, or if nausea sets in, the summit should be left immediately and descended.

Alternatively, for those in excellent physical condition, it is possible to hike to the top from the Visitor Centre. With unique views, wild landscapes, archeological sites and more, the hike is about 6 miles long, with about 4,500 feet of elevation gain and takes 6 to 10 hours to get up, depending on the hiker. There is no water available anywhere above the visitor center, so take enough to get you up and down again. To be honest, many people choose to hitchhike after climbing the mountain. In fact, for people who are short on time, or for whom the scenery is the main goal rather than the summit, a ride to the top and a hike is a great alternative and only takes about 3 1/2 hours.

Another absolutely stunning hike in the summit area that is accessible to almost anyone in reasonable condition is to Lake Wai’au. Park at either the lot at about 12,000 feet, near the 5 mile marker, or the lot at about 13,000 feet, near the 7 mile mark. Needless to say, one hike is uphill and the other is uphill; but both are less than a mile long and have similar changes in elevation. I prefer the upper trail because the view of the summit astronomical complex on the way up is phenomenal. An absolute gem of an alpine lake in its own right, at 13,020 feet, Lake Wai’au is one of the highest permanent lakes in the world…permafrost seals the lake floor in the loose tephra and glacial drift it sits on. Is it about 300? by 150? 8 feet deep and yes, I can personally vouch for it being snorkeled. But there is not much to see.

Visiting the summit of Mauna Kea also has several health concerns. In short: children under 16, pregnant women and people with respiratory, heart or severe overweight are not recommended to walk higher than the visitor information station. Divers must wait at least 24 hours after their last dive before going to the top.

Acute mountain sickness, which results from exposure to high altitude, includes nausea, headaches, drowsiness, shortness of breath, and poor judgment. Aspirin and plenty of water are palliatives for altitude sickness, but the cure is immediate and rapid descent. Sufferers notice an almost complete resolution of symptoms after regaining the saddle. Altitude sickness can be dangerous, even life-threatening, and the rapid onset of coma or even death can be unexpectedly rapid.

Finally, there is a serious risk of severe sunburn and eye damage, especially when there is snow on the ground. Make sure you wear sunglasses rated at least 90% IR and 100% UV (both UVA and UVB); use sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 30. Long sleeves and pants help reduce the risk of sunburn.

Most visits to the summit of Mauna Kea are an extremely enjoyable experience, involving easy adventures that can be characterized by mild altitude euphoria, fabulous views, and a great sense of relief upon reaching the paved road and public restrooms at the visitor information station after leaving the summit.

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