Quick. Name The Largest Mountain In The World. Everest? Nope? OK, can you name the largest volcano in the world? Mount Ranier in Washington state? Nope. That one is extinct.

The largest mountain in the world is not Mount Everest and it’s 100 times larger than Mount Ranier. Can you name the mountain?

It won’t matter. It’s a trick question anyway. The “tallest” mountain in the world is Mount Everest in the Himalayas, of course. You knew that. Everest is just over 29,000 feet above sea level. However, for those of us in Hawaii who need a little boasting because all we got is volleyball, the largest mountain actually extends below sea level, and, relatively speaking, is even larger.

On the Big Island of Hawaii sits two volcanic cone mountains. The tallest, Mauna Kea, is about 13, 796 feet high. However, it’s a baby compared to dinky Mauna Loa, at 13,679 feet. Huh? Are we on New Match Crack, or something?

Nope. Mauna Loa is the largest single “mountain” in the world (not the tallest—I told you it was a trick question) and extends an additional 18,000 feet below the surface of the ocean.

That’s deep.

{embed=“ads/content”}Mauna Loa is so large (the tip of the tropical iceberg is all you can see above sea level—it’s kind of a “see level” mountain) that California’s entire Sierra Nevada mountain range could fit inside.

That’s big.

Mauna Loa means “long mountain” in Hawaiian. The mountain’s summit caldera (that cone-like thing on top) is three miles long and over 600 feet deep.

How come you didn’t know all this stuff? Because history books and geography books are hopelessly out of date. Mauna Loa was born just over 3 million years ago (see how old those books would have to be…).

Is Mauna Loa an active volcano? Not in the sense that neighboring Kilauea volcano is active—still active since the early 1980s. Mauna Loa has erupted nearly three dozen times since the early 1800s, the last time in 1984. The nearby town of Hilo was threatened by lava flows.

So, how do you get to the top of the “world’s largest mountain?” Since it’s in Hawaii, some shorts, a baseball cap, and Zip lock bag with a peanut butter jelly sandwich, and a bottle of water should do, right?

Wrong.

We’re talking BIG here.

The hike to the top of Mauna Loa will take about four days. Two days up. Two days down. No slippers, Nikes, and T-Shirts allowed. You’ll need to be prepared for winter mountaineering.

There’s cold in them thar hills.

However, you can drive to the 6,662 foot level. Nearby Mauna Kea, although a little taller, is a small mountain and you can drive nearly to the summit.

Take a sweater.

Summary: These mountains are stunning. And large. There’s snow on the top most months of the year. Just a few miles away you can surf along the beach. Be prepared.

Pros: Great photographic opportunities, once in a lifetime destination.

Cons: Did we mention how tall these mountains are?

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