Hilo to Mauna Kea, 4200 m

Tradition holds that one should dip their rear wheel in the ocean. We started from the Hilo lighthouse at sunrise (6:30 a.m.). The elevation gain is 4200 m over 70 km. On the way up, we encountered all types of weather and predominantly head wind. Due to wind and probably insufficient preparation, it took us 11 hours 30 minutes to reach the top. People passing by in cars were quite encouraging. We took beautiful photos at Mauna Kea (White mountain) at sunset and, as advised by the rangers, hitchhiked down. In the future, we need to go back and do it properly, including the descent.