Risks of Brain Injury Visiting High Altitude Destinations....Mauna Kea?

[otterprods]

Originally Posted by Mark.ca

Not to defend the rentals but most of them are in better condition than many cars on the streets on the island.

True. My only point about rental is that all the rental companies I've ever used don't allow them up there or on saddle road. So I was agreeing that it's not a good idea to take those up there, 4WD or not.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by otterprods

True. My only point about rental is that all the rental companies I've ever used don't allow them up there or on saddle road.

To avoid confusion to new readers, it should be noted that the rental companies dropped all their restrictions against driving Saddle Road a couple of years ago. With all the paving and widening and straightening that has been done it's now the best road on the island, and it's by far the best way to get from Hilo to Kona and back. That wasn't always the case.

As far as the road up to the summit, the IFA site probably states it best:

We also highly recommend that only TRUE 4-wheel drive vehicles with LOW range travel beyond the VIS. About 300 yards beyond the station, the pavement ends and the next 4 and a half miles are a steep graded-gravel road. You should consult with your rental vehicle company or contract for a Mauna Kea Specific clause. Many rental companies do not allow their vehicles to continue on to the the summit even if they are 4-wheel drive.

Visiting the Summit - Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station

IOW, a regular passenger car is OK from Saddle Road at a little over 6,000' altitude up to the VIS (Visitor Information Center) at 9,000+', but the road on up to the summit at 14,000' is another matter completely.

They also have good info about the altitude effects:

If you are planning to visit the summit, we highly recommend that you stop at the Visitor Information Station (VIS) at 9,200 ft to receive a current weather update, safety information, and to adjust to the change in altitude. Mauna Kea is one of the only places in the world where you can drive from sea level to 14,000 feet in about 2 hours, so altitude sickness is a high possibility. At 14,000 feet, there is 40% less oxygen than at sea level, so visitors should acclimatize to the altitude before proceeding further up the mountain. Anyone in poor health should consult their physician before planning a visit to Mauna Kea. We do not recommend anyone who is pregnant to go further than the VIS. People under the age of 16 should not go any further because their bodies are still developing and they are affected more rapidly when going to a high altitude. If you plan to scuba dive, do not plan to go up to the summit within 24 hours after your dive. Furthermore, we do not recommend anyone with a heart or respiratory problem to travel above the VIS.

Lastly, if you did not read this whole thread, the OPs initial concern was mistaken because the article was about the dangers of very high altitudes that serious mountain climbers encounter, like 21,000', but s/he misread the metric measurements as if they were in feet.

To put it all in perspective, Saddle Road is only a bit higher than Denver, the VIS is just a little higher than Vail, and the observatory itself is about as high as Pike's Peak. High enough to be properly cautious, yes, but still in a different class than the Himalayas.

Play safe out there y'all...