Tongariro Crossing 

Those travels which do not end up as another mountain, beach or waterfall are the ones which make a mark in our memories.  It touches us in a special way,  Tongariro Crossing was one such for me. It must be a ‘renowned hike’ for rest of the world. But for me it was a self discovery, of pushing beyond my limits, putting myself in an unknown territory and elevating my soul.

This story dates back to 2012. I had moved to New Zealand and was staying in a lovely bed and breakfast run by South African couple Avril & Ron.  This was also the initial days of my solo travel. I was living in Albany, a suburb which is as quite as it could be in the north shore of Auckland. During the weekends I travelled in and around Auckland.

I was working in the IT department of a Bank and there was a colleague of mine who had a big wall paper of a blue lake posted in his cubicle ( yes, before ABW took over , we used to have permanent desks & cubicles which used to be our little home). Finally one day I figured out , it was the picture of Tongariro Crossing!  After reading a lot of articles about it,  I decided to give it a shot.

Tongariro National Park – The Facts

Tongariro National Park, New Zealand has the designated status of a dual Heritage site. This area  was gifted to New Zealand government by Ngati Tuwharetoa paramount chief, Te Heuheu Tukino and it also boasts great cultural significance to the Maori community. This gift includes the summits of Mount Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu, all of which are active volcanoes .

Few impressive things to note,

• First place in the world to be listed as a Heritage site due to the spiritual and cultural values
• Tongariro Northern Circuit is considered as one of the best hikes of New Zealand
• Since the alpine weather is very temperamental, hike is allowed only if the weather permits
• Total distance of the hike is 19.4 KM, through the volcanic terrain.
• Until the morning of your hike, you may not know if the hike will be possible as the entry is closed/opened based on the weather conditions (throughout the year)
• This region is also famous for being the shooting location of LOTR (Lord of the Rings movie) as ‘Mordor’. Also, Mt Ngauruhoe was digitally transformed to create the fiery Mt Doom in LOTR.

A note on why I am the inexperienced hiker,

• This will be my first day long hike
• I was anaemic, had iron deficiency & not at the best of my health at that point in time
• I did not work out, the only regular physical activity was the 4 KM walk to my work place
• I was in the initial stages of my solo travel & my travel experience in general was limited, let alone conquering the alpine mountains

Reaching Tongariro National Park 

On a Friday evening, I took an intercity coach from Auckland and reached Taupo around midnight after a 5 hour travel. In the morning I was picked up from my accommodation by Tongariro Expedition in their shuttle.

Tongariro Crossing Shuttle 

Tongariro Expeditions provide the shuttle service from Taupo to Tongaririo Crossing at 65 NZD ( as of 2018 April) .  This is the most practical and easy service. The service was very prompt and it is about 90 minutes one way. They provide boots/walking poles/winter gear hire and drinking water.

Note that the pick up & drop points are not same with Mangatepopo car park being the start and Ketetahi car park being the end. So if you plan to walk return along the same route, ensure to check the transportation option.

The other option is to drive till the base camp and then take a shuttle.

Wanderer Tip: Note the time when the last bus leaves the Ketatahi Car Park as that can leave you stranded!

Wanderer Tip: You need to ring them on the previous day to confirm the weather so that you get to know the chances of cancellation (much ahead!)

Wanderer Tip: Ensure to book your spot in advance as it is quite likely to get booked out in the peak season!

Tongariro Alpine Crossing – The Track

On a misty Saturday around 7:00 in the morning, I started my hike.

Sunny  with the air still, weather gods blessed me with one of the best days of that May.

Mangatepopo Road to Soda Springs (1-1.5 Hour walk)

The first stretch is an easy walk through the alpine terrain. A mix of board walk and damp volcanic soil, this track takes a slight right turn along the old lava flow.

Dramatic morning mist & the sunshine all over the alpine vegetation is a great sight to see!

Wanderer’s Tip: The last toilet on this track is at the Soda Springs!

Soda Springs to South Crater (40 minutes to an hour)

Known as the ‘Devil’s staircase’ , this track did the justice to its nick name! I had to stop so many times before I could continue. But again , when life force you to take it slow, make most of it by indulging in the natural beauty of the valleys and realising how small and insignificant you are in front of the natural wonders! And of course yes, capture the stillness of those moments.

This was the stretch where I thanked myself for not choosing a guided walk. I could slowly hike at my own pace, without being bothered about slowing down a gang of excited hikers!

You get a glimpse of Mount Taranaki once you reach the top (and of course the sense of achievement !)

South Crater to Red Crater (1 Hour) 

South Crater starts with a short flat walk following which there is a ridge climb.

The track continues with the exposed ridge which leads to the Red Crater. This is the area which is quite hard to walk on a windy day based on the reviews I had read (remember, on that day the air was still!). However the walk becomes worthwhile with the spectacular view of the volcanic mountains & valleys.

It is was not an easy walk for me either. But once I crossed it, the inexperienced hiker in me was quite happy as half of my hike is over.

This area indeed is a perfect spot for lunch/break/photos. As it is a spiritual place it is more important to know what you shouldn’t be doing here, swimming for eg.

Wanderer Tip: No food is available on the way, you eat what you carry.

Red Crater to Blue Lake (30 minutes)

This is a 30 mins short walk between two of my favourite spots on the track.

Right hand side is the beautiful Emerald lake followed by Blue lake which is a cold acidic lake.

The colour of these lakes attributes to the minerals leaked out of the volcanic mountains. Mild fumes over the emerald lake and a noticeable smell of sulphur makes it unique ( not so unique if you have already visited Rotorua Thermal parks though!)

Wanderer Tip: As its a spiritual site, and as the lakes are considered sacred, eating/drinking/swimming are considered disrespectful here and should not be attempted.

Blue lake to Ketetahi Shelter (1 hour)

A short climb to the North crater and then you start to walk your way down towards the Ketetahi hut. I totally under estimated the downhill though! ( well, the inexperienced hiker in me had to live up to it at least at some point!)

Ketetahi Shelter to Ketetahi Car park (2 hours)

It was interesting at the beginning with the beautiful valleys, picturesque lakes and gushing stream of water. But by the end of 2 hours it seemed endless as the geography does not vary much apart from turning in to lush green bush towards the last 1 hour. My toes started aching as the downhill walk was exerting more pressure on them. Not sure if a pair of hiking boots would have made the difference. In fact, I found the down hill more tiring than the uphill.

Once you reach the Car Park, there are shuttle busses awaiting to pick you up.

And of course, the  joy of conquering the mountains!

Preparing for your First Day Long Hike

One of the things I like about my last minute trips is that I usually arrive with bare minimum information of what is there at each site . But this was an exception. I did a lot of research to figure out if I will make it . The things which got me nervous were,

• The duration and the terrain of the hike
• The review where people actually did preparations like Himalayan treks to set their body up for the hike (I still do not think it is such a difficult hike)
• Crazy alpine weather where you may not be able to withstand the strong winds at the top of the Red Crater

Now, my wisdom tells me- it was good I researched, but even better I did not overdo it.  While being conscious of the risks involved,  deciding the best for you based on your body & mind is the key when you are putting yourself in unknown territories.

Practical Tips

As there is no food available any where on the track, you need to bring your food. Your water intake will depend up on your body needs, so carry as much as you like. I did not carry a lot of food or water as I did not want to carry the weight.

There is no entry fee for the hike/national park as such.

Ensure to check out the weather/volcanic notifications well ahead and until the last minute. In winter as well as in summer, the weather can get tricky. Layering clothes will be better as you can keep removing and adding on layers based on the wind & the chill.  If hiking in winter, ensure to arrange the gear much ahead of your hike. Planning for the winter hike is altogether a different ball game (as crampons & ice axes will be needed and also very temperamental alpine winters!)

It is not advisable to start hiking after 10 AM as you may not have sufficient time to complete the track.

The Experience

As a solo traveler with no prior experience of a day long hike, I think did well . It took me 8 hours to complete but with the long breaks and photo stops.

The sense of achievement and confidence I gained from the hike was incredible.

I will soon be writing another post on the experience in detail as I feel that was more inspiring!

I am keen to hear from you, was there an incredible travel experience which made you feel good, so good that you kept on thinking about it years later?

Read more about my New Zealand experience here – Things to Do in Queenstown