Haleakala Volcano- one of the worlds epic rides.

From Sea Level to the summit of Maui’s Haleakala Volcano: 36 miles, 10,000 Feet.

On the island of Maui, 3000 miles west of the US Mainland, there exists a legendary ride which starts in a beach side town called Pa’ia and climbs 36 miles to the summit of Haleakala Volcano, Hawaii’s sacred House of the Sun, at over 10,000 feet altitude. The ride starts a block from hot, windy Baldwin Beach, climbs through the cool, grassy meadows and pastures of an area known as Upcountry, and finishes in chilly temperatures amongst a moonscape of volcanic rock in a section of Haleakala National Park known as Sliding Sands. If the weather at the summit is clear, riders can see 5 other Hawaiian islands as they finish: Moloka’i, Lana’i, Kaho’olawe, Molokini, and Hawaii Island.

Team Monavie-Cannondale rider, Bart Gillespie was recently in Hawaii for a wedding and used the opportunity to ride the worlds longest paved climb from sea level.

We would be staying in Maui for 4 days before going  over to Ohau which gave me a nice weather window for attempting the big climb. The first couple days were pretty windy and the Volcano was covered in thick clouds so I found some other rides including the West Maui Loop and the Road to Hauna, both world class road rides with tons of climbing, twisty smooth roads, and amazing views. Friday looked to be the best day, and although still windy had much less cloud cover on the mountain.

So Friday morning I dipped my feet in the Pacific ocean at Baldwin Beach at roughly 8:30 am and set off to the top of Haleakala. West Maui Cycles in Lahaina set me up with a Hawaiian colored Cannondale Six13 that with my own pedals, seat, and stem felt very familiar to my SuperSix at home. I would highly recommend renting a bike as it simplifies the travel and is much less expensive than flying with one.  Most people recommend starting the ride much earlier but I was staying on the other side of the Island and was ultimately on vacation and not wanting to rise to early. I also figured I could still get through the lower elevation heat and onto the upper slopes before things really got cooking.

I anticipated the climb taking me about 3 hours at a steady pace. The record is 2:38  and was set in February of this year by Ryder Hesjedal of the Garmin-Slipstream road team. I did not plan to even come close to this time as he rode during a cooler time of year, had vehical support for water and food, was out to beat Johnathon Vaughters record, and is one of the premier road racers in the world and faster than me.

The key to such a long climb is setting a sustainable rhythm early and never straying from it. I had to stop 2 times, once to check the map just outside of a village and the other to refill bottles at the Haleakala Visitor Center at about 7000 feet. Both times I also relieved myself as I was trying to stay hydrated in the Hawaiian sun.  It’s amazing how in the course of this one ride you go through so much varied terrain all dependent on the elevation. Lush sugar cane fields,  jungle, grass meadow’s, evergreen forests, and finally the barren lava fields leading you above treeline to the summit.

I felt pretty good  and once I got out of the very windy lowlands was able to move at a good pace. At about 2 hours I started to feel the effects of the climbing  and used an Emv to get me up the last 3000 feet. From about 7500 ft to 9000 ft I passed through a thick band of clouds and moisture that cooled me off and provided a fun diversion to the endless climbing. I was fortunate to encounter clear skies at the top and only needed a wind jacket while descending. I hear the weather can be crazy on top with winter like conditions when least expected. I passed about 5-6 other riders on the way up and was cheered by numerous tour groups riding down on cruiser bikes. The last pitch at the top got steep and I put in a good effort to cross the 10,000 ft sign. It took me a couple minutes over 3 hours which I was pleased with considering the wind, heat, and a couple stops. I generally felt strong the entire time and think such a long sustained effort may give me a little fitness boost going into the next group of races.

The descent is unmatched by anything I have done on a road bike. A solid hour of fast smooth pavement with minimal traffic and amazing banked turns, I felt like a moto GP. This amazing  downhill was only made better by the fact that at the bottom I met my wife and friends for some of the best sushi I have ever had!!!

If you are a cyclist and plan to visit Hawaii I would strongly recommend Maui for it’s amazing roads, good weather, and spectacular views. Also at some point in your life you should climb the Haleakala Volcano as it now ranks as one of the the coolest experiences I have ever had on a bike.