Haleakala - just 10,000ft in a single climb!
I got to spend some time in Maui recently and decided to rent a bike and climb one of Hawaii's epic volcanoes. It is 1 of 5 paved bike climbs in the world can you continuously climb over 10,000 vertical feet (Mauna Kea 13,863'; Mauna Loa 11,848'; Death Road, Bolivia 11,640'; Wuling Pass, Taiwan 11,349'; and Haleakala 10,103'). Until recently, Haleakala held the honor of being the longest paved climb in the world.
The Strava segment doesn't capture all the vertical (it starts up the road from Paia and the beach).
I rented a road bike from Krank Cycles (Tarmac SL8 Expert) and coordinated to start in Paia instead of riding from where we were staying. Unfortunately, many of the roads in Maui are not great for cycling because of the volume or concentration of traffic.
I won't go into excruciating detail about the experience, but will say it is a rather unique effort. For starters, it is a very long steady effort. It is difficult to replicate such a consistent application of power with little to no breaks. Additionally, as you climb the elevation saps your power because getting oxygen to working muscles gets harder and harder. I maintained a consistent heart rate over the 3h 15m of the climb, but power dropped from ~300W to ~230W. In my opinion, elevation is the biggest "issue" on the climb, especially if you are coming from sea level. As I was acclimated to Boulder, CO (5,340 ft), I didn't venture into unacclimated heights until the last 1/3 of the climb. I definitely found the last hour the most challenging (from 7,000ft to the top). Obviously, accumulated fatigue and fueling plays into that experience, but the sensations were similar to riding/racing in Leadville.
This is definitely a bucket list type route and one I would recommend. It sparked an idea to start a project of seeking out epic routes around the country and world. I think I'll try to work in a return trip to Hawaii and do Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.
