New Zealand: Tongariro Alpine Crossing

One of the reasons we chose Adventure Lodge & Motel is that they had an Alpine Crossing package that included shuttle drop off and pick up, hot breakfast, packed lunch, and dinner.  In other words, an all inclusive type lodging experience. Since there aren't too many amenities in the area, having meals provided gives you one less thing to worry about. Plus, you cannot park at the trail head so you need to arrange a shuttle drop-off unless you wish to add another 15 kilometers to your hike.

It was an early morning with a hot breakfast at 6 am for the 12 of us that would be hiking the Alpine Crossing today.  Conditions still looked good, so we would be leaving at 6:30 in order to get an early start on the trail and hopefully beat any inclement weather.

Lorraine dropped us off at 7 and told us to hike up, look around, do a summit (if able), and hike back down by 3:30 for the late shuttle back.  Because of the eruptions in August and November of 2012, the northern side was off limits to hikers until scientists gave the okay that no further eruptions were imminent.  On a positive note, the section open was supposed to be the "better half" of the hike and would still total out to around 17 km. 

The first hour to hour and half to Soda Springs was 4 km through moderately vegetated bush and along boardwalks at a gentle incline.  The morning was cool, so we had started with multiple layers, but by the time we reached this point we were stripping jackets and fleece. Soda Springs would also be the last bathroom facilities until the return trip on the way back. 

It was after Soda Springs that the terrain changed to consistent black lava rock and the serious elevation change began in the section called the Devil's Staircase.  This section, as you could guess, had many steps climbing upward interspersed with an inclining path that lasted nearly 2 kilometers.  The total elevation change for the trail is 800 m (2500 ft), with the Devil's Staircase and later the Red Crater making up most of that change.

Just when we thought we could spy the end of this section, another set of stairs would emerge. It was strenuous work moving consistently uphill, but we began to notice a cool breeze the higher we got which was helpful.  After a long climb of over an hour we reached the top of the Devil's Staircase and enjoyed the expansive views over the valley that we had just hiked.

The next section was the wide and flat South Crater.  We passed Mt. Ngauruhoe as we entered the crater and noticed just how steep of an ascent it became.  Near the top, it was close to vertical and required hands over feet scrambling.

Crossing this wide crater (~1 km) the breeze turned into an increasingly stronger wind, creating and sending small sand "waves" across the path. Since temperature was dropping, we got our jackets and fleece back out to relayer. Once across the crater, the wind was very strong and took some effort to stand up straight for pictures.

Next up was the ascent to red crater, the highest point on the trail at 1890 m.  There were also two other optional side track summits, Mt. Tongariro (only 100 m higher), and Mt. Ngauruhoe.  Mt. Tongariro adds another hour and Mt. Ngauruhoe another 2.5 to your hike if you decide to summit.

Mt. Ngauruhoe is also best known as Mt. Doom from the Lord of the Rings movies.  It has the typical conical look that most think of for volcanoes and is very steep near the top.  Not many end up attempting this, and those that tried on our hike looked to be making very slow progress.

The red crater ascent was the toughest of the day.  The wind was very strong and the gravel on the path was loose and steep.  This is where we first started to notice people heading back down, and most told us that the top was too windy to want to stay long.  With estimated wind gusts over 50 mph, we saw several hats a jacket, and even a roll of toilet paper get ripped out of hands and sent into the crater. Due to the narrowness of the ridge, the steepness of the trail, and the slippery terrain, we had to brace ourselves against large boulders during the stronger wind gusts. Other hikers literally sat down where they were standing when the wind blew. After many breaks, holding onto large rocks during very strong gusts, and words of encouragement (mainly Nate convincing Ashley that she would not become a kite), we reached the red crater.  This "small" stretch took well over an hour to get up - constantly slipping and fully exposed to the wind.  The top actually felt calmer, but not enough for us to want to stop for lunch. 

The red crater was just beyond the flat area and it was a steep drop off near the continuing path. It also must have been a repository for hats, jackets, and other lightweight items due to the high winds.

We wanted to see the emerald lakes (as far as we could go due to closure caused by the eruption), so a few more minutes up another steep and narrow but less slippery incline took us to a crowded viewpoint for some pictures. 

We were literally above the clouds as we looked across the crater and beyond the emerald and blue lakes.  After getting enough pictures to prove we made it, we decided to start the descent since weather seemed to be worsening and we didn't want to miss the shuttle pickup.

We took our time coming down from red crater since the trail was slippery and the wind was strengthening.  Both of us lost our footing a couple times, but only Nate ended up on his backside.  By this time, fellow hikers were turning around before even making it to the red crater.

Reaching the south crater was a relief, but winds were driving sand across the long flat area.  It wasn't until we crossed to the start of the Devil's Staircase that we got some relief from the wind.  Because hikers were just reaching the top of that climb and had had less wind, we saw many in shorts and no jackets (and one pair of sandals).  There were even some kids hiking up, which seemed a little dangerous.  The hike down the Devil's Staircase was much easier, and we both shed layers during the descent.

There was a stream and waterfall near Soda Springs that we had skipped on the hike up.  This made the perfect lunch picnic spot once we found a secluded bunch of rocks.

We were going to have to hurry to make the early shuttle, so we decided to take our time and catch the late shuttle.  This meant we fully got to enjoy the scenery, which was shaded during our early morning hike the other way.

It was a leisurely walk through the bush on the way down, arriving back at the start around 2:30. 

Once on the shuttle, Lorraine told us that the 65 year old on our shuttle in the morning had summited Tongariro by 10 and made the early pick up.  Crazy Kiwi made us feel old and out of shape.

Overall, we are very happy with the experience.  It would have been nice to complete the whole trail, but we did reach the highest point.  The wind was a challenge, but we both feel fortunate that we were able to go.  The day before had been cancelled and the next day was not looking good. Looking back, we probably had enough time for the Tongariro summit, but so few were going up, the wind was strong, and we did not want to miss the shuttle. 

It was the most physically and mentally draining hike we've done so far, but completing the portion we did was so satisfying.  We would definitely recommend this to anyone considering this as a stop on the northern island.

Once back at the hotel we enjoyed some time in the hot tub and our steak dinners.  The group shared war stories from the day's adventure at the American table (segregated from the British) and also got our completion certificates and t-shirts.

After dinner, we got one last unique view of Mt. Ruahepu, with a lenticular cloud hovering above.

With sore feet and bodies, it didn't take long for us to get to sleep this night.  Tomorrow we would be heading south for Wellington and the ferry to the South Island.