Back to the Mountains... at last

Ruapehu emerging from clouds

Established in 1887, Tongariro was the first national park in New Zealand and the fourth in the world. It is also a dual World Heritage area, a status which recognises the park's important Maori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features.

The Park is only 2h away from where we are and now that we have learnt to drive longer distances, visiting this wonderful playground over a weekend is very do-able. The drive itself is very scenic, twisting and turning along SH4, often referred to as the "Para paras".

One of the big reasons for relocating to New Zealand is the wonderful hiking opportunities that exist here. Now that our house is more or less settled, what better way to start our hiking adventures than ticking off what has been described as one of “the best day walks in the world”

do not underestimate mountain weather

Many people underestimate the nature of mountains. Sometimes, due to the accesibility of this tramp, people may get into all sorts of trouble. We had made a booking for a shuttle bus run by Discovery Lodge. However, the day that we had wanted to make the Crossing, the shuttle was cancelled, due to bad weather. The owner-operator Callum Harland - an experienced mountain runner who appreciates the change-able nature of mountain weather and operates the bus only when it is safe. The Discovery Lodge runs the earliest shuttle (0545h) to the start, allowing hikers to enjoy the "wilderness experience" before the "hordes" arrive. (Most other operators arrive at the start between 0730h and 0830h) The pre-dawn start also gives plenty of time to take in the fantastic views and complete the crossing before the day gets too hot. They also have a wonderful pick-up schedule starting from 1230h and hourly thereafter till 1630h, which means that if one is fast, or the weather bad, you can complete the hike quickly, get down and back to warm hot showers or if the weather is good, take your time and snap endless photos, bag the peaks of Tongariro and Ngauruhoe and not worry about missing your pick-up.

When we arrived in National Park the day before, it had been raining badly the past few days and the mountains were completely covered in cloud. The weather report for the next day suggested a small break in the weather and we jumped at it. Waking up early to catch the 0540h shuttle reminded me of midnight alpine starts and I was happy to get back into this mode.

an early start

The track from Mangatepopo Car Park to Soda Springs is flat, well formed and easily covered in an hour. It was very pleasant stretching the legs on this section, stopping at Soda Springs for a toilet stop (no more toilets till Ketetahi hut!!) and a quick drink of water before making the ascent to the Crater rim.

I had visions of hard work on scree (memories of the infamous Caneleta on Aconcagua), but the new track which zig zags its way up was really easy underfoot, steps well formed and it kind of took the excitement out. Almost a walk in the park. We hurried along as the clouds were creeping up the mountain and unfortunately, we were beaten to the South Crater by the weather.

view down to Soda Springs, clouds moving in

With thick cloud and the possibility of rain, we decided against climbing to the summit of Ngauruhoe and after a snack, walked briskly across South Crater, trying to imagine the views!

South Crater in the mist

Reaching the far end of the South Crater, we climbed up to Red Crater, again, not too steep, but the rocks and clay were somewhat slick from the mist and care had to be taken.

Red Crater rim, rocks, slick from mist

Just as we topped Red Crater, rim, the highest point of the Crossing, the clouds parted briefly and we were treated to a magnificent view of the Emerald lakes.

Emerald Lakes emerging from mist

Descending to the Emerald Lakes needs a little care, as the path is on loose scree and the ridge is moderately exposed. In high winds and poor visibility, one could potentially be blown off. This probably is the only location with some objective danger on the crossing, assuming one does not attempt the summits of Ngauruhoe and Tongariro.

descent from Red Crater, note sulphur stains

At this juncture, we noted sulphurous smells and saw numerous steam vents on the side of the crater, many with sulphur deposits around them. It was a reminder that the area is still very much a geothermal area and volcanoes here are by no means extinct.

Once we had gotten down to the Lakes and were about to explore their shores, the wind picked up and clouds came in again, this time with rain and this rain followed us all the way down to Ketetahi Car Park.

Blue Lake in the rain

So, looks like we'll have to go back, sometime soon to re-visit the area in good weather, bag the summits and take in the views (and snap a few pictures!!)