mauna kea cycling tour

Mauna Kea - Hilo    

68.6 km 4192 m 4191 am 6.1%.

• Ranking world : 2
• Ranking United States: 1

New addition for Myclimbbybike Premium members: login to access Strava data like KOM, QOM and, if you climbed it already and recorded it on Strava, your personal efforts for the Mauna Kea on this spot. Get your membership now for an adfree, full access and Strava integrated Myclimbbybike experience for only 18,99€/year.

Mauna Kea cycling

Climb the most famous mountains in the world : book your cycling tour, climbbybike difficulty score (367.9), ranking united states, mauna kea via hilo popularity rank : 1026.

The Mauna Kea has been climbed by 2 climbbybikers. It is ranked No. 1026 as the most climbed climb in the world. Discover all the most difficult climbs in United States and the most popular climbs in United States .

Mauna Kea via Hilo: 10 reviews

Tom Noord Holland, The Netherlands

Did this amazing climb July 2016, /> Hardest and toughest ride I have ever done! I am over 95kg so it was real struggle to get up there! > After the turn off from Saddle Road to access road the shit hits the van, climbing/crawling up this magnificent volcano. 34/32 for me from Access road to the top of Mauna Kea. The gravel was okay, very tough but if you, like me , want to stick to one bike for the whole climb it can be done. I wrote my normal racer but with 28mm tires. Did have to get off a few times and do a Froomey with bike in hand but rode most of the gravel. However after the gravel part you feel happy,the tarmac is there again for about 5 seconds.... Problem being that the steepness is bad real bad, and no oxygen, ended up going 3 to 4 km per hour ..... Probably never again but overcome with joy when the top was reached! I say do it! Great challenge even greater reward! profile Tom -->

David Jackson Temecula, United States

I rode the beast in 2004. I was 42 years old. I read up on how to prepare. I must have had 20 pounds of water, food and clothes in my Camelback. I started popping Advil before and during the ride. Plenty of sun screen too. Rode up on a hardtail mountain bike because of the gravel. Even with all those gears, I had to tack on some of the steep sections. It was really not that difficult, except for the slow pace. Averaged 3.6 mph on the last 15 miles. I did this ride unsupported, my family had no idea where I was. I do NOT recommend riding alone! I was very stupid. The park ranger checked on me a couple of times and told me if I got in trouble, to stop and he would pick me up later. I was completely fine until 13,000 feet. Then I had trouble with my energy. I was not breathing hard but had a hard time with power. I finally stopped feeling sorry for myself and just looked at my front tire. It was 40 degrees at the top and it was July 4th. Glad I brought clothes. The decsent was awesome. Like flying in an air plane. I had no idea how hard this climb was until I found this website. I would not do it again. profile David Jackson -->

Jaanus Estonia

I rode the Mauna Kea in October 2015. I wanted to get the most amount of climbing meters so I started from the Waikoloa beach from 0m with literally my feet in the sand. It was a 89km ride and took me from 0 to 4205m. 4195meters of it was a continuous climb. Yes, you can fit 4 Alpe d''Huez climbs into one Mauna Kea ride, but what makes this climb the toughest in the world is the sheer altitude. Besides the gradient you also have to battle altitude sickness. It''s quite simply madness. Never attempt to ride it up without a support vehicle. profile Jaanus

Kip Cline Hilo, United States

Wow! This I can see why this is the most difficult rated climb in the world. I started off in Hilo with my feet in the ocean and went up up up. I staged some food and water along the way the previous day to lighten my load, but I couldn''t make it past the visitor center with my car so I had to pack that all with me. The ride to the visitor center isn''t bad, but it gets difficult soon afterwards. The 4.5 mile gravel road section is difficult because your tires spin all the time. After that the road is paved, but it becomes steeper and the air is thinner. It is definitely an all day bike ride, but well worth it! profile Kip Cline

Douglas Pepelko Reston, United States

Rode in August 2013 from the beach at Waikaloa. The hardest ride I have ever done. I have done multiple 100 mile mtb races, and a 230 mile road ride and an Ironman. This was harder. The strange thing is that the first 50 miles (up the the Visitor Information Station) are only the first half. The remaining 8 miles are the second half. It took me 4 hours to do 8 miles. I was riding 2.5 mph but had to stop several times. Incredibly hard. profile Douglas Pepelko -->

jose-Luis Arana San Anselmo, United States

I did Mauna Kea 2 times (2007 and 2009) starting in Waimea on the Kona side at about 2000 feet. Then all the way to the top. My wife drove her car for support: liquids, food, clothes, encouragement, etc. No stops until I got to the 9000 feet. The first time I tried to keep going on the dirt on my road bike, but after half a mile I realized that I was going to walk most of the time. I got the bike in the car and jumped back on the saddle when the dirt ended (about 2 miles of dirt). It gets so steep I have pictures of me zigzagging on the bike. The second time I took a compact crank and it was a bit "easier". Still no possible to ride the dirt. It was sunny at the top and there was snow all around me. I must confess I was crying when I got to the top: no pain anymore, emotions, excitement and the altitude makes you crazy if you don''t have a heart attack. Without my wife''s support I could never have done it! The hardest ever but I need to do it again. profile jose-Luis Arana -->

Luis Areias de Vilar, Portugal

I did this climb on the 20/10/2011 and it was by far the hardest climb I''ve ever done. After having done the Haleakala 2 days before I was sure this one was going to be at least twice as hard. I rented a mountain bike and packed 2 liters of water, 4 liters of energy drinks, some food, clothes and protections for cold and rain and some money to buy stuff on the Visitor Center. After riding Saddle Road, the real climb begins and if you take it easy getting to the Visitors Center is doable. I stopped there, got some additional drinks and set off to the worst part of the climb: the dirt/sand section. This section is simply the hardest thing I''ve ever done as there are very steep sections (15%), no way to stand on the pedals as you lose traction and sometimes I had to ride on the wrong side of the road just to be able to move without falling! When I saw the tarmac again I thought I was in heaven, but no, the road is again so steep, the altitude effects started to affect me so on some parts I was just going at 4-5kph! After 6h30m of riding time I reached the end of the road and all the suffering was rewarded with the feeling of accomplishment! I was lucky with the weather as it was sunny going up and only got a bit of rain coming back. profile Luis -->

David Prague, Czech Republic

I agree with Phil that it is the most difficult climb on Earth. I rode from Waikoloa village. It is 85km long way.My time was 9:40 hod. The hardest part is 4-2 miles before top. Sand on road is deep. I is difficult to ride. I have to push my mt.bike. profile David -->

DanMiller Ewa beach, United States

This was a mean climb. I did it during the annual sea to stars race from sea level to the telescope at 9000. So no, not the top...past 9000, the road turns to gravel and you need mtn bike. So... the first 30 miles are ok...small sections at 18% then 5% and back... it was manageable, then the last 4 miles are average 18%. I was barely able to stay on my bike with a compact crank and a 27 rear cog... the hardest climb I have ever done! profile DanMiller -->

Phil Portland, United States

This is probably the most difficult climb on Earth. Yes, a bold claim, but Ill stand by it. What makes this climb so hard? First, its sheer size. It starts at sea level, and tops out at 4192m, or 13,753. This altitude alone can cause pulmonary and cerebral edema, regardless of how fit you are, and as you’re on an island, acclimating is very difficult. The climb is steeper as it goes along, with numerous sections well over 10% gradient, and very undulating going from 10% to 20% and back, Adding to the difficulty, the road is quite beaten up at the top, some sections old pavement, others little more than oiled dirt. There is almost no water, food or shelter above about 2,000m. Do NOT attempt to ride this without support. Finally, the weather is very changeable, and in the tropic belt. You could leave the parking lot in hot humid weather, and be riding in snow above 3,500m. The first half of the climb is shared with the climb to Mauna Loa, the other big volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, almost as difficult. Only a handful of people in the world have actually ridden Mauna Kea from bottom to top in one push. If youre one of them, chapeau to you. profile Phil -->

Weather on top of the Mauna Kea

Climbbybike power calculator mauna kea, strava segment mauna kea.

New addition for Myclimbbybike Premium members: login to access Strava data like KOM, QOM and, if you climbed it already and recorded it on Strava, your personal efforts for the Mauna Kea. Get your membership now for an adfree, full access and Strava integrated Myclimbbybike experience for only 18,99€/year.

Streetview of the Mauna Kea here? Go for adfree & full PREMIUM ACCESS

interactive world climb map, streetview maps, unlimited bucket list, interactive weather map, ...

gpx-files with elevation of new tours, selected climbs and stages

Ascents selected for you

Mt. Haleakala

Colle San Carlo

Brasstown Bald

Whiteface Mountain

Most popular climbs, climbs in the news.

Venaria Reale - Turijn

Buy climbbybike's new 2021 jersey.

Find your climb - interactive map

Purchase a Premium adfree account to get access to an interactive map with all 15,000 climbs .

Select your plan and register

  free basic registration,   1 year premium adfree: 18,99€/$.

Please fill out all the fields of the form.

Secure your access to Climbbybike with the full and adfree expercience!

Tell us your story or send some pictures.

Prepare yourself to climb the Mauna Kea successfully.

• Route planner

Cycling around Mauna Kea

Bike touring

Cycling around Mauna Kea is one of the most enjoyable ways to explore more of this part of Hawaii County. So you can find your perfect Mauna Kea bike ride, we’ve reviewed our full collection of cycling routes in the region to deliver the best. Just click on each route to see a full breakdown of detailed information including elevation profiles and surface analyses, and browse real tips and photos uploaded by other members of the komoot community.

The best cycling routes around Mauna Kea

Mauna loa observatory from puʻu huluhulu — hawai‘i, mauna kea summit from puʻu huluhulu — hawai‘i.

Let us show you the way with the komoot mobile app

Puʻukoholā via pu'u opelu — samuel m spencer beach park, old mamalahoa hwy to kapuna road loop — waimea, old onomea road via mamalahoa highway loop — hawai‘i, ʻakaka falls via honomū — ʻakaka falls state park, mamalahoa highway to mamane street loop — honoka'a, old jeep road via honokaʻa — hāmākua forest reserve, laupãhoehoe beach park via pa‘auilo — hawai‘i, kawaiku'i beach park loop via umauma falls — waialea bay, onomea bay via pāpaʻikou — hawai‘i, discover more tours around mauna kea, explore these rides on the map.

Our Tour recommendations are based on thousands of activities completed by other people on komoot.

Popular around Mauna Kea

Road Cycling Collection by komoot

Find the perfect Tour

Explore the most popular tours around mauna kea, discover the most popular attractions around mauna kea.

Explore more of Hawaii County : Browse the best Cycling Routes in other regions.

• Kohala Mountains
• Hilo Watershed Forest Reserve
• Hawai'I Volcanoes National Park
• Hawai'I Volcanoes Wilderness
• Waiākea Forest Reserve
• Kohala Forest Reserve
• ʻOlaʻA Forest Reserve
• KahaualeʻA Natural Area Reserve
• Volcano Golf Course
• Kahaluu-Keauhou
• Mauna Loa Estates
• OlaʻA-Kilauea Watershed Partnership
• Hilo Forest Reserve
• Captain Cook
• Royal Hawaiian Estates
• KaʻŪ Preserve
• KaʻŪ Forest Reserve
• PuʻU MakaʻAla Natural Area Reserve
• WaiʻAha Springs Forest Reserve
• Waikoloa Village
• Waikoloa Beach Resort
• PuʻU O ʻUmi Natural Area Reserve
• Hāmākua Forest Reserve
• Honaunau-Napoopoo
• Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park
• HonuaʻUla Forest Reserve

This Cyclist Ended 2023 by Riding One of the Toughest Climbs in the World—to the Top of a Volcano

The 2017 U.S. National Champ Larry Warbasse decided to have a sufferfest to close out the year on top of the world.

The ride traditionally starts with a wheel in the ocean at Waikoloa beach, and then climbs continuously for 55-miles to the summit of Mauna Kea, at 13,803 feet above sea level. Warbasse covered the distance in a blistering 4-hours, 59-minutes, and 9-seconds, averaging nearly 12 mph. But that doesn’t tell the full story.

.css-dd784d:before{width:100%;-webkit-filter:invert(32%) sepia(81%) saturate(5886%) hue-rotate(5deg) brightness(105%) contrast(104%);filter:invert(32%) sepia(81%) saturate(5886%) hue-rotate(5deg) brightness(105%) contrast(104%);height:2.1875rem;margin:0 auto;content:'';display:block;margin-bottom:0.25rem;-webkit-background-size:2.1875rem;background-size:2.1875rem;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-position:center;background-position:center;}.loaded .css-dd784d:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/bicycling/static/images/quote.53198c0.svg);} .css-1hihk6d{font-family:Velo,Velo-fallback,Velo-roboto,Velo-local,Georgia,Serif;font-size:1.625rem;line-height:1.2;margin:0rem;margin-left:0;text-align:center;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1hihk6d{font-size:1.5rem;line-height:1;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1hihk6d{font-size:1.6875rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 61.25rem){.css-1hihk6d{font-size:1.875rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1hihk6d{font-size:2.375rem;line-height:1.2;}}.css-1hihk6d b,.css-1hihk6d strong{font-family:inherit;font-weight:bold;}.css-1hihk6d em,.css-1hihk6d i{font-style:italic;font-family:inherit;} “I personally rode this route in 2021—it took me over 8-hours.”

I personally rode this route in 2021—it took me over 8-hours. The first 40-miles involve 7,000 feet of climbing, and then the final 15-miles, also 7,000 feet of climbing. There can also be extreme headwinds—and it’s not unusual to be smacked with rain showers.

There’s a gnarly section of “gravel,” which rides more like very fine powder. Just staying upright takes incredible watts. Walking is usually required. And when you finally hit pavement again, and think everything will be easier, the gradient is so steep that every meter is a battle.

Warbasse took the King of the Mountain (KOM) from retired pro Phil Gaimon , who had held the crown for exactly 7-years. In fact, Warbasse even titled his ride “Sorry Phil” on Strava , as he beat the cookie man by just 15-seconds.

Gaimon posted on Instagram , “I lost my favorite KOM yesterday: Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was New Years Eve 2016, so technically my last day as a pro and super emotional for me.” He went on to say, “There’s so much to share on bikes that’s not races in Europe. I’ve done all kinds of insane rides and this one I think of every day. Someday I’ll get back to do it right (slower).”

Warbasse summarized the ride on his own Instagram account saying, “I’ve been coming to the Big Island for years, but I never attempted to ride up Mauna Kea, it just seemed too hard. But this trip, I figured it was about time to give it a go.

“Let’s just say it was a bit tougher than I expected…once you pass 3000m, you have a 10km gravel section at an average of 12 percent… it’s pretty loose and not entirely rideable without wider tires…at one point I had to walk for a few minutes…and then magically, the gravel turns to pavement again, for the last few km to the summit.”

He compared the final section after the gravel to the last few kilometers of Tre Cime Lavaredo, in the Dolomites of northeastern Italy. Warbasse closed by saying, “Can’t say I’m in a rush to do that one again, but a cool way to finish off 2023.”

Micah Ling is a freelance writer who lives in the mountains of Colorado. She splits her free time between mountain biking and trail running.

.css-1t6om3g:before{width:1.75rem;height:1.75rem;margin:0 0.625rem -0.125rem 0;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-background-size:1.25rem;background-size:1.25rem;background-color:#F8D811;color:#000;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-position:center;background-position:center;}.loaded .css-1t6om3g:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/bicycling/static/images/chevron-design-element.c42d609.svg);} News

Tour de France 2024 Contender Power Rankings

Demi Vollering Announces Departure from SD Worx

Australia’s $60K Olympic Track Bike

Strava Gives Cyclists More Data to Obsess Over

Laura Kenny Announces Retirement

Reviving the Philly Cycling Classic

Van der Poel Signs Ten-Year Deal with Canyon

UCI Sanctions Lefevere Over Derogatory to Women

Rohan Dennis Headed to Court Next Week

130 Riders Abandon Spanish Amateur Race

Zwift Academy Champs Secure Pro Contracts for 2024

Mauna Kea: Cycling the Hardest Climb in the World

by Sir Guy Litespeed | Jan 6, 2019 | Blog Post

All images by Bruno of Kupau Tours, Hawai’i, unless otherwise stated. Click on any image to view full screen and then use your back button to return to the text. Thank you Bruno for the awesome pics.

Sunset wasn’t much more than an hour away. I was hunched over my bike, resting my forehead on my handlebars. My heart rate was maxed and I was taking breaths in great gasps. I’d been riding up this single climb for over nine hours already, but the summit was still 4km away, within sight, but 600m above me. I wasn’t sure that I could make it.

My hands were going numb, starting with my thumbs and then moving inwards, finger by finger, as I gained altitude. I was yawning repeatedly and my legs moved woodenly. As Bruno, my guide had correctly predicted, things had become tricky around the 3,500m mark and my body was simply telling me, in multiple ways, that it wasn’t getting enough oxygen.

I rode another 50m and then stopped again. I walked the next 100m and then tried riding again, but the road was locked at 15 – 20% and I didn’t get very far before I needed to stop again. It had been a very long day and my self-inflicted torture wasn’t over yet.

I’d booked this trip some ten months earlier, in search of an idyllic family holiday, where Tom (my 18 yr old son) and I could also ride our bikes. Pete Stuart’s article in Cyclist magazine entitled ‘Mauna Kea: The World’s Hardest Climb’ had also been something of a catalyst, confirming that we’d have a genuine challenge to tackle: https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/3962/the-worlds-hardest-climb-mauna-kea-hawaii

By the time we arrived on Hawai’i, aka The Big Island, we’d already sampled the neighbouring Maui, culminating with a successful but very wet and wild ascent of Haleakala (a 60km climb with 3,000m of continuous up). We felt acclimatised and ready. However, one of our key discoveries on Oahu and then Maui, was that Hawaii’s weather was extremely variable: the easterly Trade Winds were almost always blowing – sometimes very hard – and it rained a lot – and by that I mean A LOT! Add into this the occasional thunder storm and in Kea’s and Loa’s cases the risk of snow and ice and it was increasingly evident that finding a day when the conditions offered any chance of success wasn’t going to be easy.

There was a second, even more defining piece of news: as we flew into The Big Island, the access road to Mauna Kea’s summit was closed due to snow and ice. I prayed the sun would melt this problem away – quickly.

Pete Stuart had strongly advised that we’d need vehicular support for Mauna Kea. There was no access to water for long sections of the climb, plus we’d need a way of getting off the mountain quickly in the event of the onset of altitude sickness, or the arrival of an electrical storm. After a bit of searching, we’d found Bruno of Kupau Tours. Bruno got in touch on the Wednesday that we arrived and checked that we were still intending to attempt the climb on Friday, as originally planned? That prompted a detailed conversation about the weather: Friday’s forecast was for thunderstorms on Kea, which would be lethal on a bald mountain with absolutely no cover at all. A cyclist might as well pin a target on their back saying ‘strike here’! Saturday looked wet and windy, but Sunday looked good, so with amazing flexibility from Bruno, we settled on Sunday 30th December as ‘The Day’.

To really understand the nature of the challenge, you need to know something about the history of the Big Island. It’s the youngest island in the Hawaiian chain and is formed of five volcanoes. Some of these are dormant and others are active. The largest two – Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa – are simply huge. In basic terms, Kea forms the north of the island and Loa the south, with the Saddle Road bisecting the two and connecting the west and east coasts. Their peaks are above 40% of the atmosphere and 90% of its water vapour, meaning their summits are often clear, even though they appear shrouded in cloud when viewed from below. They’re large enough to have their own micro-climates, so the general forecast may be nothing like what’s happening on the mountain itself. Even more bizarrely, given they’re opposite each other and their summits are probably only 20km apart, they can be experiencing completely different weather at any given time. There could be a storm raging on one, while the other’s bathed in sunshine and an hour later, this could be completely reversed. Sure enough, the weather forecast that had ruled Kea out for Friday looked good for Loa, so Tom dialled in 290 watts for four hours to take the Strava KoM, riding right around a thunder storm in the process! https://www.strava.com/activities/2041239038

Tom, still in the big ring and about 3.5 hours into the Mauna Loa climb. Note the altitude, written on the road in the foreground (10,000ft). Pic by Jack Townsend.

Mauna Kea may get more airtime, but the Mauna Loa road is equally stunning. This is what happens if you decide to lay a road over successive lava flows! Pic by Jack Townsend.

With this in the bag, he decided not to ride Kea – he’d done his research and didn’t fancy the prospect of loose gravel and walking – so I was on my own.

Tom, well past 3,000m – he’s getting very close to the summit and the air is dramatically thinner. Pic by Jack Townsend.

From my base at Hapuna on the north-west shore of the Big Island, Mauna Kea’s summit was 98.5km away and 4,207m above me. My route would take me from Hapuna Beach, eastwards across the island, via the Saddle Road – a remote mountain highway that crosses the 2,000m col between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.

Less than an hour into the Mauna Kea ride, on the Waikoloa Road, fighting a strong headwind. Mauna Loa looms in the background.

After c.74km of varied but pretty much continuous climbing, I’d arrive at the foot of the Mauna Kea Access Road, where, laughably, the climb would get much harder . The Access Road is 24.5km long and can be broken down into three sections. The first 10km climbs 800m to a small Visitor Centre, via ever steepening slopes and long 12 – 15% ramps. By the end of this section, you’ll have ridden c.84km from the coast and will have climbed 2,800m from sea level.

At this point, the climb would get significantly worse! Ahead lay 7.5km of loose and seriously steep ‘gravel’, although I would later reclassify this as ‘sand and rocks at 10 – 20%’. Bizarrely, 7km short of the summit, the gravel ends and the tarmac recommences, but in long, ever steepening ramps. With 30 – 40% less oxygen than at sea level, these 10 – 20% slopes would form the very worst part of the climb.

I was confident I could make it to the Visitor Centre, but above that, nothing was certain.

I exchanged a final few notes with Bruno, (crucially, the summit road had been cleared of snow and ice and was open again), cleaned the chain on my OPEN U.P. and fitted my 40mm Clement (now Donnelly), gravel tyres. I went to bed on Saturday night nervous and slept badly.

Early in the morning, with a very strong headwind. Note the old lava cone in the background. Amazing scenery surrounds every part of this ride.

7.00am, Sunday morning, 30th December: I was sitting outside the hotel lobby drinking coffee when Bruno arrived and introduced himself with a warm smile and a reassuringly firm handshake. “I feel good about today” he said. I asked him whether he’d ridden the climb himself? “Yes” he said “and I’ve run it as well.” I realised in a blink that my guide was a significantly better athlete than I was and felt a little stab of extra pressure not to let him down! He’d shuffled his plans to support me and I felt that I needed to respect that flexibility with a really strong effort to succeed.

Bruno checked my planned route and then asked me about my expected timing. I explained that I was conservatively thinking five hours to the Visitor Centre (84km and 2,800m) and then five hours from there to the summit (14.5km and 1,400m), plus an hour for stops. I was allowing 11 hours and besides, sunset was in 11 hours.

Heading upwards, with the lower slopes of Mauna Kea straight ahead. Unlike most climbs, you can see the summit of Mauna Kea at almost all times.

4,207m above me, Kea’s summit was crystal clear. Behind me, waves crashed onto the beach. I turned left out of the hotel onto the highway and made good progress to the Waikoloa junction. Turning left, I started the climb proper – and the prevailing easterly trade wind almost stopped me in my tracks. This had become interesting earlier than I’d expected. At 83kg, I’m a big guy, but even I was getting moved around and having to work way harder than I would have liked. Strava would later confirm that for the next six hours, I was working close to 100% intensity, destroying my hopes of conserving energy until the upper portion of the climb.

Nearing the Saddle Road, at around 1,500m.

I’d agreed to see Bruno every 45mins or so, where I’d eat a little food and refill my bottle. I mentioned the wind at our first rendezvous and he simply smiled and said “this is all part of the challenge Guy.” Thankfully, the wind was never worse than on those early slopes and the upside was that I was kept cool, rather than melting in the near 100% humidity and 28 degree heat.

The Saddle Road, at 2,000m. In Europe, we’d call this a col, but we probably wouldn’t be riding through lava flows!

I only had three things showing on my Garmin screen: elevation, power and speed. I was trying to keep my watts between 180 – 230 and largely succeeded, but I was slower than hoped, meaning that I didn’t reach the Visitor Centre until just before 2.00pm, almost two hours behind schedule. I was averaging just 12km/h. I’d kept my stops short, so this was simply the impact of the headwind.

Nearing the Visitor Centre at 2,800m. The road has steepened considerably and I’m now working hard.

Working hard, just below the Visitor Centre.

I’m about to leave the tarmac and life’s going to get ‘interesting’!

I took a quick break at the Visitor Centre and agreed the plan with Bruno – he’d stay behind me for the first few kms of gravel, until we saw how I was coping. I let my tyres down to 40psi and lowered my saddle by 5mm. Most people bring mountain bikes for this part of the climb: big fat tyres and super spinny gears. In contrast, I was on 40mm tyres and my lowest gear of 38×42 might or might not prove to be enough. Bruno had my trainers ready, in case I needed to walk.

I’ll let you into a secret: along with cobbles, gravel/off road is my favourite surface. Sure enough, I cleaned 6.5 out of the 7.5km of gravel, despite the fact that it’s basically sand, mixed with rocks, some of them well embedded and others loose, added to which, the constant 4×4 traffic has churned the surface into a never-ending series of shallow dishes, making forward progress even harder.

Mauna Kea’s 7.5km gravel section. It’s a big wide trail, but it consists of sand and loose rocks. It’s not really ‘gravel’ at all! This shot really shows how steep it is – there are multiple ramps between 10 – 20% and the corners in particular become increasingly steep and difficult to ride.

The clouds were now below me and the scenery was becoming epic, although I was concentrating so hard on finding the best line I barely noticed it. Some 4x4s slowed down and gave me shouts of encouragement, while others sped past, covering me in volcanic dust!

Above the clouds. At this point, I was still riding well and enjoying myself, but things would soon change. Note the dishes in the gravel, created by 4×4 traffic.

The final km of the gravel section was the worst and once I’d lost traction, there was no getting started again. The last gravel corner soared above me at c.20% and I knew I was going to have to walk. Bruno was on hand with my trainers and I trudged up the gravel, pushing my bike. Ever walked up the face of a sand dune? Now imagine doing that pushing your bike, with far less oxygen than you’re used to: that’s the final km of gravel on Mauna Kea.

Cresting one of the numerous gravel ramps. Each ramp seemed to get progressively steeper.

Maintaining traction, but only just. Ramp ahead…

Just out of shot is a 20% ramp and I’m about to switch bike shoes for trainers…

What comes next is even worse. It shouldn’t be – the surface had turned back to asphalt – but it was truly awful. The gradient was locked into an average of 12% for the final 7.5km, although my Garmin never registered anything much under 15 – 20%. I can honestly say it was like attempting to climb the Mortirolo, or the Zoncolan, but at 4,000m. It was fundamentally hideous.

I switched back to cycling shoes when I rejoined the tarmac, with just 7.5km to the summit, but this proved to be optimistic!

My breath came in gasps.

I’d ride for 100m and then stop. I’d changed back into my bike shoes, but quickly reverted to trainers. I could still pedal wearing these and it was clear that I was going to have to walk as much as I rode. My heart rate was maxed, my legs felt wooden and my hands were slowly going numb. I’d already added knee warmers, winter gloves, a hat, a warm jersey and a shell, so this wasn’t really a cold issue. It was an oxygen deficit issue and my heart was simply prioritising which bits of my body would be supplied with oxygen. Clearly my hands were expendable!

Generally, mind over matter works and I’m adept at chimp management, but this was no longer a head game. Yes, I could force myself to keep moving forwards and upwards – and I did – but this was now primarily a physical challenge and altitude was slowly beating me, no question at all. I was acutely aware that at some point, altitude would win.

I was yawning uncontrollably – again, my body’s way of telling me that it simply didn’t have enough oxygen for what I asking it to do.

The question was, could I reach the summit before either altitude or darkness shut me down. I voiced this concern to Bruno at our final stop and he smiled and said “you’ll make it Guy and besides, my car has headlights to light your way if necessary”.

There was one positive to the self-imposed torture that I was now undergoing: I’d gone through the gravel section much faster than expected and therefore, it was only 4.00pm. My Garmin seemed to have stopped recording distance, but the altitude data looked spot on. Bruno told me that I could all but see the summit and that gave me added encouragement. Surely I could make this?

My hands were now useless, I felt slightly wobbly and my speech was slurred, but I was damned if I was going to stop. I’d keep going upwards for as long as I possibly could.

Reaching the summit: a mixture of agony and ecstasy, although only the agony shows! Note, I’m still wearing trainers. Behind, you can see the various lava flows on the flanks of Mauna Loa.

Somehow, at 5.30pm, I rode onto the very summit of Mauna Kea. Bruno was there and took my bike from me. The summit was busy with people who had driven up to watch the sunset and someone came up to me and asked if I’d ridden all the way from the Visitor Centre? I simply said “no, from sea level” and he looked at me in slightly stunned silence.

We lingered briefly, watching the sun turn the entire sky to fire. The cinder cones of the summit turned red and the sun reflected off the clouds, far below.

I’d summited in 10hrs 30mins, with little more than 30 minutes of stoppage time.

So, is this the world’s hardest cycling climb? I’ll be quick to believe anyone who says it is. It’s the hardest climb I’ve ever come across, by a fair margin.

I was too tired to get a good shot of this, but with a sunset such as this one, even my iPhone did a fair job!

I owe thanks beyond words to Bruno of Kupau Tours. His knowledge, support and positivity were outstanding and despite the severity of the challenge, I felt I was in very safe and professional hands, which allowed me to focus on simply riding my bike. Thank you for helping me to realise a dream.

Thank you Bruno!

As ever, I also owe thanks to those who helped me reach this particular summit – ASSOS LDN and ASSOS of Switzerland for creating clothing capable of tackling a challenge like this and Bespoke Cycles for preparing my OPEN and Tom’s Mosaic for these particular adventures.

Aloha from Hawai’i and Mahalo Bruno for your help!

SGL, Dec 2018.

Tips/Observations:

• Most ascents are made from Hilo, rather than from the Hapuna/Waikoloa side of the island. The Hilo route is shorter (70km). You’re more likely to get a tail wind from Hilo, but you’re also more likely to get wet from that side of the island (it rains a lot in Hilo). I asked Bruno where he thought it was best to start from and he said Hilo (I was already a long way up the mountain when I asked him this ;-).
• In my humble opinion, don’t ever attempt this without a support vehicle. Descending the gravel would be nigh on impossible (it’s sand remember) and there is a fairly good chance you may need a rapid extraction, whether due to altitude sickness, or a sudden change in the weather. Having a support car gave me the confidence to push on, even when things were beginning to get marginal. I wouldn’t have made it to the summit with that safety net.
• Use a mountain bike above the Visitor Centre, with big, fat, knobbly tyres. Take the smallest gears you can possibly find. I was under-tyred and over-geared.
• Be very flexible on your exact ride date and arrive on the Big Island with as wide a window of options as possible: I was there for five days and only one was workable. We had similar problems with Haleakala (rain) and Mauna Loa (lightning).
• I think climbing Haleakala and Mauna Loa before Kea helped: not enough to acclimatise to the altitude, but they’re long climbs and somehow, I think they’re additive preparation. Both would be outrageous climbs anywhere else, but compared to Kea, they almost felt easy!
• Make sure you have access to plenty of warm clothing from the Visitor Centre onwards.
• Almost all of my route prior to the Access Road had good, wide shoulders, so even though they’re pretty significant roads, they felt pretty safe (to me, at least). The shoulders are covered in small stones and broken glass though, so if you run road tyres, make sure they’re tough ones! The Access Road doesn’t have a shoulder, but is pretty quiet and I felt very safe on it. I used blinker lights until the Access Road and wore visible colours.
• Start early – 7.00am ish. I felt that I was racing sundown. Keep your stops to a minimum. I took four five minute breaks and lost a few more minutes changing shoes and trying to breathe!

Recent Posts

• A Guide to Cycling the GB Divide – the GBDURO Route | Land’s End to John O’Groats Off Road
• The Definitive Guide to Everesting | Top Tips & Advice for Everesting | The Ultimate Guide to Everesting
• London – Roubaix : Cycling 100 Miles on the cobbled streets of Central London : A Lockdown 2.0 Project
• Zwift Virtual vEveresting vs Real Life Everesting: which one’s harder?
• Cycling an Everesting Roam on Exmoor, UK
• December 2021
• November 2020
• January 2020
• January 2019
• November 2018
• November 2017
• August 2017
• February 2017
• August 2016
• February 2016
• January 2016
• November 2015
• October 2015
• September 2015
• October 2014
• August 2014
• January 2014

Privacy Overview

Maona Loa       Ironman       Wapio Valley     Captain Cook Coffee       Custom

Mauna loa tour.

The baby sister to the Beast, Mauna Kea. Don’t underestimate this climb. With 3 options to start from (routes Kona Pier, Waikoloa Beach, or Hilo) and 11,600 ft of elevation and 68 to 70 miles, it is Epic in its own right. The entire route is on paved roads and can be done on a road bike, gravel bike, or mountain bike.

Gear selection is key to make sure you have the legs to summit this Volcano. One of the best parts of this ride is the last 25 miles. Single lane road with butter smooth pavement that climbs and winds through lava fields. The views are spectacular.  This tour is great if you want to stay on pavement and are not comfortable in the dirt.  Also, the elevation is not as taxing as Mauna Kea. This is a very popular tour.

DES Rating 9.0  / Just how Epic is this tour?

68 to 70 miles

6 to 9 hours

12,000 ft elevation gain

Starting Price $1,200

The trip begins mid-afternoon with a pick-up at one of our central locations in Kailua Kona, the Queen’s Marketplace (Waikoloa Resort)  and Waikoloa Village (Lava Java). After completing our pick-ups, we begin our journey to our first stop as a group at the Mauna Kea visitor center. As we drive up the mountain, we learn about island culture,  geography, geology and natural history.

On the summit, your guide will point out the observatories as they begin to open and rotate into position. You’ll learn about famous observatories such as Keck, Subaru and Gemini. There is plenty of time for photos while the sunset transforms the area into a beautiful and quite unearthly spectacle. When the best of the color has past, we descend to mid-mountain, where the sky is equally clear but the climate and air density is much more comfortable for stargazing.

Almost every night we explore the night sky using our large portable telescopes * . Using high power green lasers our guides are famous for their ability to locate the treasures of the night sky and interpret them in a way that everyone can understand. Midway in the evening we serve hot drinks and a sweet treat to help take the chill off . The tour is 7-8 1/2 hours in duration depending on where you join it. The actual schedule of the trip varies throughout the year according to sunset times.

* The Stargazing component of our adventure depends on natural conditions. Although more than 90% of our trips have fine stargazing conditions; MKSA does not guarantee the weather in any way.

 What the Trip Includes:

• Extremely informative narration from our highly trained guides. Learn all about the cultural and natural aspects of the island.
• Convenient central pick-up points in Kailua Kona, Waikoloa Beach, Waikoloa Village or at the Mauna Kea Visitor Center
• Custom built, 4X4, Mercedes Sprinter vans – the best option available for safe transport to the summit, and panoramic views
• Superb scenery and photo opportunities with Sunset on the summit. Our guides can advise on getting the best images
• Arctic style hooded parkas and (one time use) gloves
• Hearty, 3 cheese, lasagna supper served at the Visitors Center about 1.5 hours before sunset
• 11″ Celestron CPC 1100 fully computerized telescopes with premium oculars operated by our expert guides
• A complete Stargazing program with visual and telescopic observations hosted by our expert guides (conditions permitting)
• Gourmet hot cocoa, coffee or tea accompanied with a sweet treat to ward off the chill while stargazing

Book Online!

In addition to being flavorful and healthy, this delicious meal also travels well on the tour and will warm you up.

• A hearty portion of 3 Cheese vegetable lasagna served with a big homemade chocolate brownie.
• Gourmet hot cocoa, coffees and teas accompanied with a sweet treat while stargazing

Bring your own beverages (no alcohol). We do provide filtered water during supper. There are beverages and snacks available at the Visitors Center when it is open.

Option: You may delete the meal (for a savings)and bring your own.

2024 Price- $281.73 plus taxes and fees

(effective January 1st 2024)

  Health Requirements:

Because our tour goes from sea level to almost 14,000’ and no one on our tour is permitted to remain at a lower altitude, there are health requirements to review before making the booking.

Does any member of the party have any history of heart problems ?  This includes ANY heart surgery, stents, pacemaker, bypass, heart valve irregularities and arrythmias  etc. ANY history of heart problems is NOT eligible for this tour.

Anyone with a history of  respiratory problems ? (This includes pneumonia or RSV in the last 6 months, any lung conditions or surgeries, COPD, emphysema) Asthma sufferers that can completely control their asthma with an inhaler and have their inhaler to bring along on the tour, are OK to go.

In addition, this high-altitude tour is a health risk for anyone  pregnant , under 13 years old, or anyone with a body mass index ( BM I ) over 40.0  would not be eligible for this tour.

Lastly,  no scuba diving 24 hours before  the tour.

Please ensure you read the policies stated in the Reservations page before booking your Mauna Kea adventure.

The Weather & Climate:

We DO NOT guarantee the weather in any way but we do guarantee a professionally guided high mountain experience.

The Climate: The average temperature is 30F. (-2C.) and wind is common. Please wear pants and closed shoes and bring any layering garments you may have. We will supply warm, hooded parkas, and single use gloves.

Cancellation Policy: (# of Passengers) 1-4: 24 hours 5-7: 48 hours 8-10: 1 week 11+: 2 weeks

Call (888) 322-2366 • local and international (808) 322-2366 • Fax (866) 329-5650

Tour Details

Moscow metro tour: architectural styles of the subway.

Duration: 2 hours

Categories: Culture & History, Sightseeing

This metro tour of Russia’s capital and most populous city, Moscow, is your chance to get a unique insight into the beautiful and impressive architecture of the city's underground stations. Admire their marble walls and high ceilings representing Stalin's desire for glory after World War 2, and see first-hand how the interiors change with the rise of new political eras. Your guide will lead you through the complex network, which is one of the most heavily used rapid transit systems worldwide, with over two billion travelers in 2011.

Opened in 1935, Moscow’s underground system, now 190 miles (305 km) long with 185 stations, is today one the largest and most heavily used rapid transit systems in the world. On this Moscow metro tour, discover the impressive architecture of Moscow’s underground stations and learn how they reflect the Soviet era.

Getting around by metro, your local guide will take you through parts of Moscow’s infamous history. Stop at stations built during the time of the USSR (Soviet Union) that are praised as one of the most extravagant architectural projects from Stalin’s time. After World War 2, he was keen on establishing Stalinist architecture to represent his rising regime and a recognized empire. Learn how when his successor started the de-Stalinization of the former Soviet Union in 1953, the extravagancy of the architecture was toned down.

Discover how the unique character of each station reflected several different eras. While stations like Kievskaya and Slavyansky Bulvar have pompous halls and high stucco ceilings brimming with extravagant decorations, those built later, like Volzhskaya, are lightly adorned with sparse furnishings. Architect Alexey Dushkin and painter Alexander Deyneka were just two of the many artists who made these magnificent landmarks possible.

Revel in Moscow's glory days, as well as the years of scarcity, on this fascinating Moscow metro experience. Conclude your tour at one of the central stations in Moscow. If you're lucky, you may even find the secret entrance to the unconfirmed Metro-2, a parallel underground system used by the government -- a mystery which has neither been denied nor confirmed today.

Nearby tours

Soviet-Era Walking Tour in Moscow: Lubyanka Square and the Gulag History Museum

If you love history, would like to know more about Russia’s past, or just want to take an interesting walk, book this guided Moscow walking tour of Soviet-era sites. With your expert guide, walk through Lubyanka Squ...

Walking Tour of Moscow's Kolomenskoye Estate

On this walking tour through the Kolomenskoye Estate in Moscow, immerse yourself in Russia’s interesting royal history. Walk around the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ascension Church, built in 1532, and enter the Hou...

Moscow Cultural Walking Tour: Red Square, Kitay-Gorod and St Basil's Cathedral

Take a guided walking tour of Moscow's cultural highlights, like the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage-listed Red Square, said to be the central square of Russia. Walk through the adjoining district Kitay-Gorod, one of ...

Kremlin Grounds, Cathedrals and Patriarch's Palace Tour from Moscow

A great three hour tour exploring the Kremlin Grounds, Cathedrals and Patriarch's Palaces in Moscow! The small city in the center of Moscow, once the residence of Czars and Patriarchs, contains Russia's main cathedra...

Moscow City Tour

The Moscow City Tour covers all the highlights and most beautiful places in the enchanting Russian capital. The tour begins with a stop at the Red Square and St. Basil's Cathedral, the architectural masterpiece and w...

Culture Shock Rating

We have a wide range of tours designed to give you an insight into the destination you're travelling in and there is something for everybody. The culture shock ratings considers the destination visited, transport used, activities undertaken and that "Wow, I'm really not at home now!" factor. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

This is the least confronting of our tour range. Transport used on the trip is either private or a very comfortable public option, the activities included are usually iconic sites and locations that are not all too confronting.

The tour can include a mix of private and public transport providing a level of comfort that is slightly below what you would experience at home. Sites visited are usually iconic sites, tours can also include market visits, visits to communities etc that provide the traveller with a fantastic insight into destination.

Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether it's a packed public bus where you are forced to stand, a visit to a local market, a local community, you are sure to have an experience that is very different from what you're used to at home.

The comforts of your home town and the environment you are used to are more of a rarity. Expect some challenging transport options, visits to local sites and areas that don't resemble anything at home.

You're out there in the global community! You are likely to be exposed to the elements, travel in whatever means of transport is available and basically take it as it comes, whatever comes! It can be tough.

Physical Rating

Our physical rating gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

These tours have very limited physical activity. Usually climbing in and out of the transport provided, walking through sites, markets etc included in the itinerary.

These tours have a bit of physical activity but nothing that should challenge you too much. This could be climbing on and off public transport through to a walk through the destination you're travelling in, they can include walking only tours or a combination of walking and transport.

These tours involve a bit of physical activity from walking up and down hills in the destination you're travelling in or the surrounding areas. Climbing on and off local transport or riding a bike up to 30 kms along predominantly flat terrain or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.

These Tours will provide you with some solid physical activity. Whether its bike riding, walking, trekking, kayaking or riding on public transport you will need to have a good level of fitness to enjoy this tour.

Be prepared for some serious physical activity. These tours are our most challenging and involve some serious walking, hiking or bike riding. Can involve step climbs by foot or pedal and some challenging public transport options in the destination you are travelling.

Luxury Rating

Some trips are like a stroll on the beach, while others have you trekking alpine passes. Some of you thrive on camping out on the savannah, while others may prefer a hot shower and a comfortable bed in a lodge. Follow the grading systems below to find the right trip for you.

To help you choose the trip that's right for you, we've broken all of our trips down into four service levels. Measuring the comfort level of the accommodation and transport. So whether you're travelling on a budget and want to save money by using public transport, or prefer upgraded accommodation and are happy to pay a little more, then we have a level for you.

This is grassroots travel at its most interesting

Authentic experiences with some of the comforts of home

For those who like to travel in comfort

All the unique experiences wrapped up with a gold ribbon

• Regions  
• Russia  
• Moscow Oblast  

Elektrostal

Cycling routes in

Find the right bike route for you through Elektrostal, where we've got 329 cycle routes to explore. The routes you most commonly find here are of the hilly type. Most people get on their bikes to ride here in the months of June and August.

Find cycle routes in Elektrostal:

Flat routes | Hilly routes | Uphill routes | Downhill routes | Quick rides | Long tours | Top rated routes

Join the fast growing global cycling community

Are you ready for the full cycling experience.

My Mauna Kea Adventure

My boyfriend and I rode to the summit of Mauna Kea from the Kona side! After hours of research, this is how we accomplished the ride self-supported:

We were originally going to ride gravel bikes all the way, but Daniel's bike didn't get to Seattle in time. We ended up bringing our road bikes and renting full suspension mountain bikes from Bike Works Kona. We wanted hardtails, but they didn't have any. Since we were staying at the Westin in Waikoloa beach (at the beginning of the segment), we had the bikes transferred to Bike Works Beach & Sports (in Waikoloa village) for a $50 fee, so we didn't have to drive 30 minutes to pick up and drop off the bikes. Rich at Bike Works Beach and Sports is great and flexible with rental periods. I put SPD pedals on my road bike and requested SPD pedals be put on the mountain bike (mtb) so that I didn't have to swap shoes. Also, I wanted to wear mtb shoes for the Mauna Kea access road in case I had to walk. I rented a small carbon mtb. Daniel's was aluminum, which made it quite a bit heavier. Not ideal, but it's what they had available.

The day before the ascent, we spent half a day prepping for the ride. We put our road bikes and mtbs in the Jeep. We dropped water/Gatorade at 2 spots along the route (approximately at miles 20 and 40). Then we drove to the visitors center (VC), left the car with the mtbs in it parked there overnight, and rode down from the VC to our hotel on our road bikes. We left cold weather gear (gloves, shoe covers, long sleeved jersey), a change of clothes, water, and snacks in the Jeep as well. Since we left the car at the VC, we knew we had to make it up the next day no matter what . We checked with the ranger at the VC and he said it was fine to leave the car there.

The next day, we rode our road bikes from Waikoloa beach to the VC. We started at 6:45am and got to the VC in about 5 hours. Then, we swapped onto mtbs and rode to the summit and then back down to the Jeep. It was nice having the Jeep at the VC so we didn't have to carry all the cold weather gear, and so that we could drive home from the VC when we were tired. (The descent from the VC to the hotel the previous day took ~2 hrs.)

We got lucky because the ~5 miles of gravel after the VC is usually silt, but it had rained the night before and was packed down. Gravel tires might struggle a bit, but the mtb tires were perfect because they were so wide.

• Altitude sickness is real. I was fine, but Daniel got sick. Taking medicine with you if you're unsure of how you'll react to the altitude is a good idea.
• Cold weather gear is essential for the VC to summit. Luckily, we didn't get rain, snow, or much wind, but it was still very cold.
• The weather is super variable. It was 70 degrees when we started at Waikoloa beach and mid 30s at the summit. The night prior to the ride, the Mauna Kea website said the road was closed due to snow, so we weren't even sure we'd be able to make it to the summit. The next day we checked the website around 12pm and it said the road was open. (Apparently the road doesn't stay closed for very long.)
• Drink a lot of water, take salt tablets (it's hot at the beginning), eat a lot. The ride is only 55 miles, but it's all uphill with basically no recovery.
• Know the route! The Mauna Kea access road is very steep. Since we drove it the day prior, we knew there were 3 extremely steep sections, with a bit of recovery (~10% haha) in between them. I know people who had to walk a bunch of this section. After the dirt section, it is also very steep, but the last mile to the top isn't as bad.

The question I get asked the most is, can I do the whole ride on a gravel bike?

• You'd need really good gearing on the gravel bike. It is so steep and I was still grinding with the mtb gearing. I would have really struggled with my gravel bike (40T crank, 11-42).
• I liked the super wide tires on the mtb for the gravel section. My wheels didn't slip, but they might have with 40mm gravel tires. You might be fine with gravel tires if you are better at bike handling than I am. I have trouble getting back on the bike on a hill but was fine with the mtb tires.
• Riding the first 2/3 of the ride on the heavier gravel bike (mine is aluminum) would have taken quite a bit longer. But if you have a lighter gravel bike, that's not really a problem. Daniel felt like most of his power was lost with the full suspension heavy mtb. I didn't feel that way since my bike was lighter and I weigh less (125 lbs).

In summary, if you have a properly geared gravel bike, I think doing the whole ride on it would be fine. Not having to deal with bike rentals is a plus. And doing the Mauna Kea access road with gravel gearing (compared to road gearing) is also a plus.

Even though doing the ride self-supported was a logistical nightmare to figure out, I wouldn't have wanted to do it any other way. Not having SAG and knowing we couldn't just get in a car and bail past the VC was an added challenge. It may have been risky (especially if you get sick from the altitude), but there were plenty of cars driving up and down (plus multiple rangers) and we could have asked for help. (I did end up asking someone for water!)

• We were wondering why the road isn't paved for the 4 miles of dirt (because it's paved for the ~3 miles after the dirt to the top). Turns out, they want to deter people from driving up to the top because it's dangerous (altitude, no provisions, etc.) so they intentionally left the dirt and only paved the rest so the snowplows can pave the road to the observatories/telescopes.
• I saw my professor from school at the summit! Totally unplanned!

Here is the link to the video I made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx0eWbGDhKs

Here are the links to my rides: https://www.strava.com/activities/5000276134 https://www.strava.com/activities/4993724544

It is a truly epic climb. You should do it!

MEMBER COMMENTS

Mana Road Traditional or E-Mountain Bike Tour

View launch dates, view details, call us to book, trip highlights.

This ride weaves through the stunning views and storied history of Parker Ranch Lands, small farms & the picturesque town of Waimea, Hawai’i.

Views of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa frame the landscape in stunning fashion.

Green/Blue – Best for those comfortable on a bike

Make it Private – It’s your day, make it private for you and your family or group.  Call (808) 769-1308 for more information!

READ WHAT OUR FRIENDS HAVE TO SAY

Read the latest testimonials

BIG ISLAND BIKE TOURS

Simply put, we started Big Island Bike Tours in Hawaii because we live to ride bicycles, nothing more nothing less. We’ve ridden bicycles all over the planet and yet nothing compares to the breathtaking beauty and cultural uniqueness of Hawaii. Our Hawaii bike tours are the fusion of these elements molded into one, forging an authentically unforgettable experience intended to change the way people experience life on a bicycle. Join us and bike Hawaii.

808.769.1308

[email protected]

65-1480 Kawaihae Waimea, HI 96743

ONE PERCENT FOR THE PLANET

Kona Coast Vacations

WEBSITE DESIGN

Astir Agency

• EUR (€)
• GBP (£)
•   Contact us

• Currency : 
• US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Russian Ruble Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Danish Krone Japanese Yen Norwegian Krone Swedish Krona
• Toll Free 0800 011 2023
• US and Canada United Kingdom Australia Brazil Netherlands Russia Sweden
• Tours by Region Moscow Saint Petersburg Golden Ring Lake Baikal Murmansk Siberia & Far East Sochi & Southern Russia Amsterdam Berlin Copenhagen Gdansk Georgia Helsinki Kaliningrad Kamchatka Karelia Kazan Klaipeda Nizhny Novgorod Northern Europe Oslo Perm Riga Ryazan Stockholm Tallinn Ulan-Ude Veliky Novgorod Vilnius Vladivostok Volgograd Yakutia Yekaterinburg
• Why Choose our Day Tours
• One Day Tours Two Days Tours Three Day Tours
• About Russian tours Private vs Group Tours
• Tours by Region Moscow & St.Peterburg Moscow Saint Petersburg Golden Ring Lake Baikal Trans-Siberian Siberia & Far East Altai Kaliningrad Kamchatka Karelia Kazan Perm Veliky Novgorod Yakutia Yekaterinburg
• Tour Types Small Group Tours Private Tour Theme Tour
• Moscow events St. Petersburg events Events archive
• Events by type Ballet Opera Concert Show All types
• Top theaters Bolshoi theatre - Historic Stage Bolshoi theatre - Small Stage Mariinsky Theater Mariinsky Theatre - Mariinsky II Mikhailovsky Theater
• Direction Moscow - St.Petersburg St. Petersburg - Moscow
• Ships MS Rostropovich MS Volga Dream MS Anton Chekhov MS General Lavrinenkov MS Georgy Chicherin MS Ivan Bunin MS Konstantin Fedin MS Konstantin Korotkov MS Kronshtadt MS Maxim Gorky MS Nikolay Chernyshevsky MS Nizhny Novgorod MS Rachmaninoff MS River Victoria MS Scenic Tsar MS Tikhy Don (MS Alexander Borodin) MS Vasiliy Kandinsky MS Zosima Shashkov Mustai Karim
• Russian Visa Invitation
• Moscow The Kremlin Red Square Golden Ring Tverskaya Street Grand Kremlin Palace (The Kremlin) Christ the Savior Novodevichiy Convent Moscow Subway The Bolshoi Theater Armoury Chamber (The Kremlin) St. Basil's Cathedral The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts Yury Gagarin Cosmonauts training center
• Saint Petersburg Hermitage Museum Peterhof Catherine's Palace (Tsarskoe Selo) Pavlovsk St. Isaac Cathedral Peter and Paul Fortress Nevsky Prospect Yusupov Palace Savior on Blood Amber room Bronze Horseman (Senate square) Hermitage Theatre Kazansky Cathedral Kronstadt Palace Square Spit of the Vasilievsky Island
• 1/7th of the World Volga River Siberia Baikal Kazan Sochi Smolensk Nizhny Novgorod Kaliningrad Ulyanovsk Verkhoturova Island
• uVisitRussia Why travel with UVisitRussia Customers' Testimonials Contact details Cancellations & Changes
• Russian Travel News
• Russian travel advice Advices while packing Advices while travelling

Tour of famous Moscow Metro. Explore the Underground World! (2 hours)

• Add to wishlist

On this tour you take in some of Moscow's most important and highly decorated stations. Carrying up to 7 million passengers a day and covering almost the entire city, the Moscow Metro is one of the most extensive mass transit systems in the world. It's famous for the fine examples of social-realism which decorate many of its stations.

Visit some of the most important stations and get the chance to admire spectacular baroque-style ceilings, marble statues, busts of Communist heroes, stained glass windows, and ceiling mosaics depicting the bright Soviet future. Visit the most remarkable stations like Komsomolskaya, Kurskaya, Kievskaya and others, with the experienced guide who will bring you a full insight into their fascinating history.

• Tour of Moscow's Metro system visiting beautifully decorated key stations on the network.
• System that carries more than 7 million passengers per day
• Views of the most opulently designed tunnels & platforms
• Significance to the country—known as the “People's Palace”
• History & stories relayed by an expert local guide

If you wonder why the Moscow metro is considered one the most beautiful in the world, this tour is made for you!

Important info

Ask a travel expert.

• Professional English-speaking guide assistance. Other languages upon request (additional charge may apply)
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off
• Personal expenses
• Gratuities (optional)
• Food and drinks
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Children must be accompanied by an adult

Departure and return point: nearest metro station to your central Moscow hotel  

Departure time:  flexible

Sights included in program

Thanks ! We will reply you in less than 24 hours (usually within 1-2 hours) .

Our flexible payment options allow you to pay 20% of a deposit first and the remaining 80% in 14 days prior to your tour date - payment can be done both online or over the phone. This gives you the peace of mind knowing your spaces are booked on the tours and that you do not miss out on making the most of your time in Russia.

Also you get the best, top-rated and most experienced and knowledgeable hand-picked tour guide appointed on a priority basis. In our experience, exceptional travel experiences are almost always delivered by exceptional people. With that in mind, we utilize a comprehensive approach to select and employ the best tour guides only. Multilingual and well travelled, each possesses deep insight into the diverse attractions and cultural patterns throughout the region. With us guides undergo a rigorous selection process, achieving outstanding knowledge of local culture and language. Rest assured that the best tour guides only will be working on the tours to give you excellent opportunity to explore the best of the sights during both short and long-term stay in Russia.

Once you complete your reservation, we will send you a booking confirmation email. As the day of the tour approaches, our logistics team will provide you with all relevant information for your tour.

Speak  to an expert Call us now

+1 (888) 845-8877

• Shore excursions
• The Best of Two Capitals Private
• The Best of Two Capitals Small Group
• The Best of Two Capitals Gold
• Russia's Ancient Kingdoms
• Cradle of Russia
• Explore Moscow
• Explore St. Petersburg
• Read Customer Testimonials
• Advantages of Traveling with Us

US office 3422 Old Capitol Trail Suite 1252 , Wilmington DE, 19808 USA. US toll-free: 1-888-845-8877 Russian office Ligovsky pr. 57, Office 19, 191040, St. Petersburg, Russia

tel: +7-812-309-5339

© 2001 – 2024 by Northern Crown, Ltd. uVisitRussia  and uVisitRussia.com are registered trademarks .   Terms & Conditions   Privacy Policy

Sign in with your social account

Sign in to our website using your Facebook or Google+ account.

Why Do You Need Our Travel Expert

Contact our experts, and they will help you to plan your best trip to Russia, with attention to every detail!

Our Experts have been in the travel industry for many years, guarantee to offer first class customer service, excellent value for money and unbiased advice. They are standing by to find and build your dream holiday to one of the world's most fascinating destinations - Russia. Your personal Travel Expert will guide you through each stage of the travel process, from choosing a program that fits you best to support during your trip.

Just tell us your e-mail, and we'll take care of everything!

Leave your phone number

Your tour request has been received. Thank you ! We have sent you the confirmation message to  [email]

Please make sure that you receive this message (sometimes e-mail messages may go to the spam/junk mail). If you did not get this message, it means you will not get message with the tours' selection as well. If you use a Yahoo!, Gmail, AOL or Hotmail, we recommend to add  [email protected]   to your address book.

We recommend to leave your phone number. If we will not heard back that you received the e-mail with the tours' selection, we will contact you by phone. And you will not miss the best tour for you.

Thank you ! Your request for Travel Expert assistance has been sent. We will e-mail you within 1 hour.

Sorry, some changes needed

There was a problem with your request.