Originally Posted by
jrobe
I have ridden most of the big climbs in the US and Haleakala is right up there near the top in terms of difficulty. There isn't many places where you have to climb steady for 35 miles with absolutely no breaks except stopping to rest. That is mentally one of the hardest climbs I have ever done. It just seems endless. Then you get to the park entrance and you can see all the switchbacks still ahead.
I think your real mistake is that you underestimated it by quite a bit. You really have to bring your A-game to that climb. You definitely aren't the only one to be humbled up that climb though. You are lucky to have had the experience. You won't make the same mistakes the next time you try a major climb like this.
You know what? I think you hit the nail on the head. Up until this climb, I truly believed that I could climb anything, as long as I could pedal slowly enough. Now I'm doubting if I could have made it to the summit, even if I did bring my A-game to the climb. This was a real humbling experience.