Mauna Kea is one of five volcanoes of Big Island, its peak is 4’207.3 m above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaii. Most of the mountain is under water, and when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world measuring over 10’000 m.
There is an access road to the peak, resp. to the 13 telescopes, and it is possible to drive from sea level to 4’200 m in less than two hours. The peak is also famous for sunset self-drive tours, which we obviously also had in mind.
We couldn’t make it however. The access road was closed during our stay. Either it was snowing or the winds were too strong (over 50 m.p.h.). At least we could watch the peak from our hotel on a clear day, which is actually not so common.
And… the sunset from our hotel wasn’t that bad, either… and a bit warmer than -3°C.
