Road Ride Report Maui - Mt Haleakala Epic Climb

Discussion in 'The Roadie Hangout' started by SDstumpy, Sep 6, 2009.

  1. SDstumpy

    SDstumpy New Member

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    My wife and I were in Maui for a week to attend a good friends wedding. I started researching and found that there wasn't too much good mtn biking but I stumbled upon a roadie site that said Maui was home to the longest paved climb in the world. Sea Level to 10,000 feet in 36 miles. Sounded like a challenge I couldn't pass up. I rented a Cannondale Synapse at West Maui Cycles and after talking to a guy at the shop found a personal tour guide to ride up with! (He offered to ride up with me for $75 which was cheaper than the $180 a tour group was charging) We headed out from the town of Paia (just above sea level) at about 6:30 am.

    Here's the route:
    http://www.geoladders.com/show_route.php?sport=7&route=27507

    First stop at about after about 3400' at the Kula Lodge to refill our bottles.

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    Chris Warrren my tour guide.

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    This at about 4000' lots of grazing pastures along the way. I feel pretty good at this point. Nothing too steep since its a fairly gradual grade (5-7%) the whole way. I'm spinnning 1-2, 1-3 and there isn't too much wind.

    [​IMG]
    After about 3 hrs (7000') we make it to the entrance to Haleakala National Park. Its an old dormant volcano.

    [​IMG]
    Second water break at the visitor center. (7500')
    The wind is now howling at 20-30 mph and the temp has dropped from about 80 degrees to about 60. My knee is starting to bother me but its way to late to turn back. Its the start of the longer switchbacks and each leg is over a mile long. The wind switches from tailwind to headwind at every turn. I struggle to push between 6 and 8 mph on the headwind legs and gain about 2 mph on the tailwind sections. Needless to say the headwinds sections were excruciatingly long the the tailwind sections were over to quickly.

    [​IMG]
    We're now above the clouds and barely above the treeline.

    [​IMG]
    At about 9000' there are no more trees and barely any vegetation. Temps have dropped to about 50 degrees and the wind is relentless. Nothing but lava rock for miles. I've been on the road for over 4.5 hrs and I think the elevation is starting to get to me. The last mile kicks up a couple percent and I am going so slow I'm about to fall over. The only thing keeping me going is the astonished looks by all the people passing me in their cars. I finally reach the observatory parking lot and I can see the finish. All the tourists are congratulating me as I slowly climb the last stretch of sidewalk to the observatory. I start to feel like I just won the Tour De France and I couldn't be happier.

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    Victory! One of the best feelings I've achieved on two wheels. Everyone is astonished by our accomplishment which makes the trip worth every minute. It took us about 5 hrs total time (4:21 ride time) to make it to this point. The million dollar question all the tourists asked us...How long did it take you? We told everyone 4:21 :?: (hey breaks don't count).

    [​IMG]
    A view of the crater.

    The descent took 1:10 and it wasn't a cakewalk. Its not very steep so you still have to pedal to keep speed. We did about 30-35 mph the whole way down the mountain. I had to stop to strip off some clothing as the temperature rose at every switch back. We celebrated with a burrito and beers in Paia at a place called Milagro's. One of my toughest rides ever and my first ride with 5 digit elevation gain. Final Garmin Stats: 72.7 miles and 10,214' of elevation! A must do for anyone visiting Maui!
     
  2. Chewyeti

    Chewyeti Circus Bear

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    Wow! Dude, i'm stewing in jealousy here. Awesome job buddy.... absolutely awesome.


    6 digits??? wow! :lol::lol:

    Definitely on the list of things to do....
     
  3. SDstumpy

    SDstumpy New Member

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    For sure man...very cool and very doable. More mentally tough than anything because there are no flats or downhills.
     
  4. duke777

    duke777 Active Member

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    That's fantastic! Congrats!!!!!

    Guess I won't be needing a tour guide with your geo ladders route.:lol:

    Now I just need to plan a trip there.
     
  5. SDstumpy

    SDstumpy New Member

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    haha, yeah but it was nice to have someone to ride with!
     
  6. davidB

    davidB Active Member

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    [​IMG]



    *adds route to my to do list*

    lol yeah right maybe one day
     
  7. solo_rider

    solo_rider New Member

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    Wow you can see the curvature of the earth from up there--must have been great to feel like you're on top of the world!

    Maui is on my hit-list now...
     
  8. crispy

    crispy Wannabe

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    Wait, i am confused


    6 digist? over 100,000ft of climbing? That's what, over 17 miles of going straight up.
     
  9. Innes

    Innes Member

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    Actually, there's some fantastic mountain biking on the back side of Haleakala. It's a pretty awful fireroad climb, but the single track coming down is incredible! I'm surprised the guys at the shop didn't fill you in.

    Anyway, awesome ride and pics. For me, it's bad enough driving up. I can't imagine riding up the paved road.
     
  10. dirtmistress

    dirtmistress AKA Roadiemistress

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    Excellent shots and report!! Thanks! :clap:
     
  11. Pain Freak

    Pain Freak Dead or Alive

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    I did the Maui downhil when I was there and thought it would be better to climb it. So the next day when the family went surfing (no real waves, that day). I went to South Maui Cyclery and rented a Fuji road bike. I started in the dark and it took me over 5 hours to climb this beast but I was fortunate the winds were mild that day. I must have been passed by over 100 tour vans. I never stopped all the way up but there were some times I was at 3 mph. The next day I went with my inlaws and some guys from the bike shop and we did a great singletrack through some ranchlands and into the forest. I found the slipperyest substance known to man....Hawaiian tree roots that are wet. If your tires even see these roots you immediately fall from your bike. Even if you're 30 feet away! My inlaws told me there is some really great mountain biking on the big island but you have to be with a native to ride the good stuff as it passes over many different peoples property.
     
  12. Impy

    Impy Active Member

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    Thanks for posting this! Al and I have beem thinking of doing just this.

    My brother did it once as a reverse shuttle - his wife picked him up at the top. LOTS of confused looks from people. I rode the trails in the forest there with some friends, yes those roots are slippery!
     
  13. mtnkitty

    mtnkitty Guest

    Wow, that is awesome! Great RR and photos. I'm tired from just reading about it.
     
  14. shudder

    shudder no big deal

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    Great RR, SD! Great pics, too!! I investigated this same ride a few years ago when I thought the fam might end up on Maui for a week. I found an RR by a kid who rode up from Paia on his MTB, then took the Skyline dirt trail down! I was all about that (though I would prolly have been way too exhausted to go down the dirt after climbing the road...). Skyline is about a mile and quarter down from the parking lot apparently. Just for fun, here's an RR on the Skyline trail (website is pretty crap, but you get the idea...):

    Maui Skyline Trail

    Cheers!

    - shud
     
  15. Trizz

    Trizz The In Crowd

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    When I was in Maui, i pondered this ride, but decide not too because i was told the tour vans drive like maniacs up the mountain.

    How was the traffic on the way up? was it sketchy?
     
  16. Dizle

    Dizle Gear Masher

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    Damn 10000 feet in 36 miles! Crazy. Cool pics, your gunna kill us on the road now!
    Were riding from angels thursday at 530 if you wanna join
     
  17. SDstumpy

    SDstumpy New Member

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    oops can't count 5 digits 10,000 ft
     
  18. SDstumpy

    SDstumpy New Member

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    The traffic wasn't bad at all. I think September is a slow vacation month though. I noticed that all the hotels were hardly full. Not sketchy at all.

    Thre is actually a race that goes up there every year.
    http://www.cycletothesun.com. Looks like the winner climbed the exact route in just under 3 hrs! My tour guide did the climb in 3:25...wow!
     

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