The Tongariro National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Tongariro Crossing has been named the best one-day hike in New Zealand and among the top ten in the world.  Experiencing this hike was on the top of my list when I was planning my trip to New Zealand.  It is a challenging 12-mile hike that weaves its way through the volcanic landscape surrounding Mts. Ngauruhoe, Tongariro, and Ruapehu.  (By the way, for the Lord of the Rings fans—Mt. Doom was played by Mt. Ngauruhoe so I was going to be hiking around Mt. Doom!!!) The trail gains 765 meters of elevation and descends 1125 meters when hiked from Mangatepopo to Ketatahi, which is the route I would be taking. It is not just steep ascents and descents that hikers must be prepared for, but also the extreme changeability of the weather. To do the hike it is necessary to have transportation that drops you off at the start and picks you up at the finish—the car parks at both ends have a four-hour limit; the hike takes anywhere from 6-8 hours. Consequently, shuttles are available as well as guided tours that cover transportation.  I decided to book a guided tour both from a safety viewpoint, as a solo hiker, and I thought it would be more fun to walk with a group.  Every evening the NZ Department of Conversation (DOC) provides a weather alert for the crossing for the following day, issuing a “not recommended” or an “OK”.  If they issue a “not recommended” shuttles do not operate and most people do not have access to the trail.  The guided tours still can attempt the hike, however.  Apparently the system is set up to keep unprepared, unmonitored people off the mountain when the weather is dynamic.

I arrived at the tour office at the appointed time, 8am, with high expectations that we would make the attempt.  I had checked the weather the night before and the predictions were for a sunny day with high clouds.  Our tour guide told us that strong winds were expected in the afternoon and her goal was to get the group past the red crater and summit (the most exposed parts) by noon or so—but there was always the chance we would have to head back if the winds hit early.  My gear passed muster and I checked out a set of hiking poles, knowing they would come in handy for the downhill part of the trek.  After everyone went through the same process—gear check, get supplied with what was missing—our group of 12 (including our guide) loaded up in the van for the 25 minute drive to the drop off point.

This sign meant the shuttle busses were not running and that there were not going to be many people on the trail. We went….

At the start of the hike. Don’t I look super energetic?!

At the drop off point, I was surprised to find the “not recommended” alert at the trail start.  Our guide explained that the DOC based their conclusions on the expected high winds and reiterated that we would be keeping a careful eye on the weather.  However, luckily for us, the “not recommended” meant that there would be MUCH fewer people on the trail with us so it worked out great for us.  (Our guide mentioned that there can be up to 900 people on the trail in the summer on a good day—Yikes!)

We got started around 8:45am and the first few kilometers were flat as the trail lead us into the ravine; the climb would start when we got to the walls.  We set a brisk pace, knowing we were trying to beat the wind at the summit.  I was waiting for the “up”, having read about the Devil’s staircase and the open, exposed climb to the summit, and hoping that I was prepared enough (training on “up” during all the other hikes I had been doing on my trip).

DOC sign at the bottom of the Devil’s staircase, the start of the climbing. Their attempt to cull the herd…

At the top of the Devil’s staircase. In the background is where we climbed up from.

After about an hour and a half we reached the staircase. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to match the pace our guide set and also that the stairs were in no way as hard as the torturous, never-ending set of stairs I encountered during my kauri grove walk in Coromandel.  I was very excited when we got to the top!  At the top we found ourselves in a large, kilometer(ish) wide crater.  The trail headed straight across to our next climb to the rim of the red crater, the summit of the trail. Most people find the Devil’s Staircase to be the most challenging climb, but for me the final, short, steep climb to the summit of the hike was the most difficult.  The trail narrowed and led directly up a ridiculously steep incline where it was necessary to slowly and carefully pick a path upwards along packed dirt track through embedded rocks and boulders.  Carefully selecting your path was especially important because of the sheer drop off on both sides of the narrow path; I felt very exposed and kept my head down and focused on my feet!

The nice flat area in the crater just after the Devi’s staircase and before the exposed climb to the summit.

An example of the lava fields we walked through.

One final warning sign after the Devil’s staircase before the exposed climb to the summit. Another attempt to scare those who are struggling already.

The red crater, a deep jagged hole in the ground ringed with red deposits, was quite dramatic, especially with Mt. Doom (!) in the background.  Actually, the whole time I was well aware that not only was I hiking in a beautiful volcanic setting, but also, at another level, was walking through Mordor!!  The views from the crater were amazing, offering a 360 degree panorama of the surrounding countryside- the ever-present Mt. Ngauruhoe just beyond the red crater, an expansive view of the plateau we had just climbed from, and looking forward several volcanic lakes and the long trail down.  I was so happy we had made it!

The red crater, which is exactly what it says– a deep pit crater, red in color. We were very exposed to the wind on this ridge.

We were very exposed on the rim of the crater and the wind was definitely picking up, but was not near a level that concerned Camilia (our guide) so we continued forward.  The descent off of the crater rim was the most technically difficult part of the hike.  Like the final climb, the trail narrowed with steep drop offs on either side, but instead of a dirt track embedded with rocks and boulders, the trail was composed of scree- loose pebbles and small rocks.  Scree slopes can be tricky to traverse, both up and down, as the small rocks act like marbles, creating a treacherous footing condition. I had dealt with a scree slope descending Mt. Kilamanjaro many years earlier, but that slope had deeper deposits of rock (easier to dig into with your heel and get some traction) and was very wide (no threat of falling off the side of the path).  I was very happy to have my poles and carefully picked my way down the slope, managing to only fall once, backward onto my pack.  Some were taking a more adventurous approach, traversing the slope quickly, moving with the resultant rock slides. I am not sure what the better method was….  As we descended the wind had noticeably gotten stronger and we were glad to have the summit behind us.

Me at the summit. You may be able to tell that I am bending my knees and hunkering down to fight the wind.

At the bottom of the scree slope, we sheltered behind some large boulders near one of the volcanic lakes and took a break for lunch. I pulled on my rain jacket for wind protection before we headed out after our break.  We were now headed down and even though the trail was not difficult, we still had four to five hours of hiking ahead of us.  The trail meandered past several small other volcanic lakes, pristine and brilliant blue, before hugging the side of the mountain to switchback its way down.  Before I turned the corner I glanced back one final time to Mt. Doom, having enjoyed hiking with it looming over us.

A view looking up at the scree path (light gray) we had just come down. Notice how narrow it is.

As we started our descent, a few people in our group were experiencing cramps and tired legs and slowed down a bit.  Our guide hung back with those that needed to slow down, but several of us continued at a normal pace, waiting at different checkpoints for the tail end of the group.  The last hour or so of the hike was through a lovely forest along a small stream and was an excellent way to wind down after our exertions.  After about a 20 minute wait at the car park the rest of the group emerged and we loaded the van and headed back to the tour office to turn in any borrowed gear.  It was an EXCELLENT day!

View looking forward at the summit. Small beautiful blue alpine lakes were our next stop as we descended.

At the blue lake.

Lake Taupo in the distance, easily visible as we crossed the ridge and started down the other side.

The path down was a long, gentle descent. We were also shielded from the wind, which was a bonus!

Done! I still had (some) energy left….