Hardest Bike Climb Route in the World

2022-07-05

It is known to all that Mount Qomolangma is the highest mountain in the world. However, the prerequisite for this record is where the measurement begins. If measured from the ocean floor, Mauna Kea is 10,203 meters high. Mount Everest is second at 8,850 meters.

Mauna Kea is a volcano located in the Hawaiian Islands, one of the five volcanoes on the island of Hawaii, which has snow on the top in winter and 10 observatories on the mountain.

At the same time, Mauna Kea is considered to be the most extreme and difficult bicycle climbing route in the world. From Hilo's beach to the telescope at the top of the mountain, 4,200 meters of elevation were gained during a continuous climb of nearly 70 kilometers.

 

Now let's take a closer look at the ultimate parameters of this monster. Cyclists can climb Mauna Kea from both sides. Hilo's climb is the toughest, covering 69 km with an average gradient of 6.1 percent. You start at sea level and end at 4,192 meters. Wow, this is one hell of a climb.

 

Only 17 among the numerous cyclists have successfully reached the summit thus far. The majority of cyclists employ a dual-bike strategy, utilizing road bikes for the paved sections (which constitute 90% of mountain rides) and mountain bikes for ascending the subsequent 7km gravel segment. The initial section spans 44km with an average gradient of 5%, while the latter section extends over 22km featuring highly variable gradients (reaching up to 20% in certain areas) and an average gradient of 10%, including a 7km gravel section throughout the entire mountain biking trail.