Mauna Kea Ski Resort - Hawaii

Address:Mauna Kea, Hawaii
Tel: (970) 476-5601

Mauna Kae, Hawaiian for White Mountain, provides people with the opportunity to ski some of the most remote slopes on earth. Mauna Kea is not your typical ski hill, and it is not to be braved alone or by a beginning or unfit skier.

Mauna Kea's skiing is in the wilderness as compared to the well-equipped modern ski areas and resorts found on the American mainland. There are no lifts of any kind, no grooming, and certainly no heated lodge for you to have a sweet hot chocolate in front of the cozy fireplace.

The conditions at the top of the mountain are constantly changing, so make sure to check the conditions with your guide before you brave the mountain. The average temperature is between 25 to 40 degrees, but the wind chill and altitude make it feel just that much colder, with warmer weather gracing the mountain between April and November.

At Mauna Kea the 4WD is your only chairlift. You'll need to find a local guide to take you up the mountain. There are many locals who regularly guide small groups up the mountain, and provide everything from transportation and guide services to ski equipment. Make sure to reserve in advance, as these guides won't go up with the wind blowing or in bad weather. If you are interested in going up on your own, make sure to take turns as the driver of the 4WD because someone will need to drive it back down to the bottom while everyone else is skiing down.

The runs are definitely out of the league of beginning skiers. You need to be in really top shape to sweep down these short runs which can be quite steep. Note that sometimes the snow on these slopes just disappears so watch your "step". The air is thin up top so altitude sickness is not uncommon.

Here are a few pieces of advice. First, if you're going on your own, pack your own lunch. There are NO amenities whatsoever to be found in the area, and the researching astronomers on the top of Mauna Kea are not always around. Even when they are, they prefer to spend their time on research and not on saving stranded and hungry skiers from the middle of the mountain. This slope is definitely a daytrip kind of place. Finally, Mauna Kea is sacred to some of Hawaii's people, so pay it the same respect you would expect people to pay your sacred sites and beliefs.

ALOHA!! Join Hawaii's original snow skiing and snowboarding club for fun any place there's snow -- even in Hawaii! Our club is more than a winter sports group. We are a year-round, non-profit, volunteer-run sports, activities and social club.