Warnings and dangers

Click to see larger pictures High elevation This piece of warning is very serious business. Haleakala's summit elevation is 10,023 feet (3055 meters). Traveling so quickly from sea level to 10,000 feet is hard on the human respiratory system. If you have a heart condition, or have respiratory problems, think twice before making this trip. Even healthy individuals will find that the rapid climb to the summit can cause slight nausea or loss of balance. While on the summit, take it easy. Walk slowly and sit down for short rests. Haleakala is well worth seeing, but make sure you are one of the visitors who enjoy this unique experience.

Click to see larger pictures Haleakala weather The weather on the summit is not easily predictable. Which means it is impossible to predict whether you will be able to view the scenery of Maui from the summit or not. We visited Maui in April and we went to Haleakala the second day of our trip. The weather turned out to be nasty, it was cloudy and foggy and it was impossible to see anything. For short periods of time the fog will part and you'll get a glimpse of the crater enought to make you gasp and than it will all be covered in fog again. So we decided to come to the summit once again and did so on the last day of our vacation, seven days later. This time the weather was glorious, sunny and clear and we were able to hike into the crater and take beautiful pictures. There is one more thing that I want to mention: just because you see clouds while driving up the mountain, doesn't mean they won't clear by the time you reach the summit so don't give up early.

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