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Wright, the first guide to take people up to the top of the Mauna Kea,
world’s tallest mountain when measured from the base and an astonishing
13,796 feet when measured from the sea, said he fell in love with this
often-snow capped peak the first time he saw it.
“I was a mountain guide all over the world,” he explained,
“but once I saw this mountain, I could feel how special it is.”
Some 20 years ago, with a 13-year old Landcruiser and a box of old sweaters,
Wright set out to share this sacred mountain with visitors, by taking
them up the then-narrow, one-lane jeep trail up to the top.
“Dinner was Kentucky Fried Chicken,” Wright recalled, shaking
his head in laughter. The means were primitive, but his clients were
enthralled.
A few years later, Halley’s Comet came along and Wright, who had
always been interested in astronomy, decided to add a portable telescope
as part of his adventure to share the night skies, and especially the
tail of the comet, with his clients.
The result were overwhelming and the demand for his trips were meteoric.Today,
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures offer a much more luxurious trip, with high
tech help, than those of the humble beginnings. The 7-8 hour adventure
actually begins mid-afternoon with pick up along the Kona-Kohala coast
in one of their brand new, $65,000, custom Ford, 4-wheel drive, turbo-diesel
vans.
“Over the years, some competitors have come into the picture,
but I feel we still offer the best tour, starting with our vans,”
Wright continued. “We are the only company that puts all our cargo
on our roof, which allows much more space in the passenger compartment
and it is a lot less noisy without all the equipment rattling around
inside the van.”
The Mauna Kea Summit fleet is the only operator with exhaust brakes
(a safety measure going down the steep terrain) and independent suspension
(for a more comfortable ride). All their vans, which hold 14 passengers
in rows of three, also have air conditioning, stereo, a PA system, phone,
first aid kit and oxygen.
As the passengers make the drive up the mountain, the extensively trained
guides discuss the geography, geology, natural history and Hawaiian
culture along the way.
The first stop is at the Onizuka Visitor’s Center, at the 9,000
foot level. “We let people out to stretch, get acclimatized to
the altitude and to eat dinner,” Wright said.
As guests gear up with Mauna Kea Summit’s heavy, arctic-style
hooded parkas and gloves (30 degrees is the average temperature on the
mountain), the guide describes why the world’s largest telescopes
are located on Mauna Kea and also tells stores about the life style
of astronomers who live for a clear, night sky.
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After a dinner of gourmet sandwiches (turkey, Black Forest ham or lacto-veggie
on a fresh baguette roll), vegetarian onion soup and hot chocolate,
coffee or tea, everyone climbs back into the van for the half hour ride
to the summit.
Arriving in time to catch the sun sinking into the Pacific nearly 14,000
feet below, the guide points out the various world renown telescopes
as the observatories open and the high-tech, multi-mirrored telescopes
rotate into position for the night viewing.
After the last trace of sunset colors has disappeared from the sky,
the tour again descends down to mid-mountain, where the climate is more
agreeable for stargazing. Each tour has Celestron Celestar 8 deluxe
telescopes, capable of 30-175x magnification and gather up to 500x more
light than the unaided eye.
Wright does caution people to book the adventure early in their vacation.
Although we do cancel about 25 trips a year due to weather, we want
to be able to accommodate everyone,” he said. Extensive series
of live web cameras, live weather stats and a full-time meteorologist
constantly feed weather information on the mountain. If guests book
at the beginning of their holiday and the trip is canceled due to weather,
then Mauna Kea Summit will attempt to reschedule another day.
Wright also points out that due to the summit’s low oxygen level
(40 per cent less oxygen than sea level) and the diminished air pressure
(also 40 percent less air pressure than sea level), the lack of oxygen
can be a serious problem for people with heart or lung problems or for
scuba divers who have been diving in the previous 24 hours.
Pregnant woman, young children under 13 years old or people obese should
not travel to the summit due to the decreased oxygen. Since the roads
to the summit are bumpy, anyone with a back injury might want to reconsider
the trip.
Book on the internet, www.maunakea.com, two-weeks in advance for discount rate. For more information, contact: 888-322-2366 (toll free) or 808-322-2366 (in Hawaii).
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