Day 12 - 9th Feb - Tongariro National Park
I mentioned earlier my disappointment about the weather sabotaging my intentions to complete the full four day Tongariro northern circuit, well let me just say I shouldn't have let it bother me. The one day Tongariro alpine crossing had all the picturesque splendour and sublime natural beauty that I could ever desire. At the end of the day my camera was completely filled with dozens of picture perfect shots, almost all of them good enough to justify framing and placing in a position of pride in my home, that is if I actually had one.The crossing consists of an eighteen kilometre walk over varying terrain with some steep ascents but nothing a walker of average fitness couldn't handle. The scenery really has to be seen to be believed. Tongariro national park is a bizarre anomaly in the middle of the north island's green and pleasant pastures. It's a stark, dramatic yet sublimely beautiful volcanic landscape that almost makes you believe, at times, that you're on another planet. The Lord of the Rings land known as Mordor was filmed, in parts, at this location but don't think of it as a dark and evil realm, it's about as wonderful a place as you're ever likely to see.
We set off from Taupo at the truly unholy and evil time of 5:30 in the morning. This was necessary to get there in time to do the whole crossing and still have time to stop and admire the scenery. We were dropped at the start of the track which was still in a relatively green area of the park, although the dramatic crater of the volcano 'mount doom' (more on that later) towered over the landscape. After some fairly easy walking we reached an area called the 'Devil's Staircase' which caused many walkers to fall behind to catch their breath.It was at this point that the scenery really started to transform. Before long all signs of life started to disappear as we were on truly inhospitable and barren land surrounded by jagged rocks and ash. It was at this point that the option came up to ascend to the peak of mount Ngauruhoe or 'Mount Doom' as LOTR movie fans will recognise. Now do you remember earlier when I said that the crossing would only tax the most unfit of people? Well that's not including the strictly optional climb up Ngauruhoe. This striking volcano stands at 2291 metres/7514 feet above sea level but since the crossing already starts at 1000 metres it's really only a vertical ascent of around 1300/4300 feet which is scarcely Kilimanjaro-esqe in stature. What made this climb so difficult was the soft nature of the ground below. It was mostly gravel and volcanic ash and the angle of ascent was incredibly steep so every time to took a step your feet would sink nine tenths of the way back down and you end up gaining very little height despite massive effort. If you've ever climbed a large, steep sand dune you'll know it requires considerably more effort than you initially anticipate. Therefore by the time I reached the peak I was sweating profusely and was absolutely bloody exhausted. If there was ever a view worth fighting for though, this was it. The visibility was excellent and I was treated to the opportunity to take some incredible photographs no matter where I pointed the camera.
Though myself, along with the few other climbers who managed to endure the arduous scramble up to the crater of Ngauruhoe, were feeling rather tired we realised as we gazed over the horizon that there was still a long way to go before the end of our hike. The emerald lakes, a landmark that was barely past even the halfway point, seemed unfeasibly far off although from this height almost everything did and it had the satisfying effect of making the path that we had already traveled seem much longer too. We could still see walkers making their way along the track although from this distance and height they didn't even look like ants, perhaps more like microbes.When the time came to descend we had to face the perplexing conundrum of how to get down the side of the mountain at a velocity low enough to not have our brains smeared over the base of Lord Sauron's former home. You see, although much of the ground was soft ash and gravel there were just enough large rocks strewn into the mix to ensure that a fall could prove rather painful. In addition to this the path was, if you will recall, incredibly steep and a fall would likely see the victim roll all the way to the bottom, where very hard and very sharp rocks were poised to splinter bones in an undoubtedly painful manner. After some stumbling and a few near falls I managed to get the hang of essentially 'surfing' down the mountain on my feet and occasionally on my arse at quite an exciting rate. It was a bit like descending an incredibly steep sand dune, except of course that the aforementioned act of falling could prove quite undesirable.
After rejoining the main track it dawned on me that I still had a hell of a long way to go. I pressed on and before long I was at the appropriately named and very beautiful emerald lakes. What a shame that these sulphur filled waters were unsuitable for swimming in as I could certainly have done with a refreshing dip. I pressed on, looking weary and exhausted enough that I had to keep telling the other less flustered walkers that the reason I was so knackered was I had climbed 'Mount Doom'. After all I wouldn't want them to think I was a big lazy unfit oaf who couldn't handle a day-hike that was merely classified as 'moderate' in the effort rating section of the Lonely Planet guide to hiking in New Zealand!Our path left the barren plains and meandered down a grassy mountainside, the hot sand and ash being replaced once again with the green glow of plant life. Before long it took us into the merciful shade of high trees and bush covered walkways that got us out of the glare of the hot sun. We were approaching the end now, much to the relief of my tired out ambulatory appendages.
By the end I was ready to collapse and I gladly boarded the bus to be taken back to Taupo. As we rode home many other walkers complained that their feet were going to hurt like hell in the morning. It's shocking that so few people realise how much muscle-ache can be ameliorated my a few simple stretching exercises.
Oh and to all those who set foot on New Zealand's soil, missing this walk in not an option! It's too damn spectacular to pass by and there should be no reason at all whatsoever to not find time for this incredible day-hike. Should you find yourself unable to walk then you can still take part in scenic flights over the area. It simply is not to be missed.
mount Ruapehu in the distance
the crater of Mount Ngauruhoe ('Mount Doom')
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