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Published: January 12th 2007
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On arriving at the Discovery Lodge in Tongariro National Park we immediately put our names down for the Tongariro Crossing. A guy in Fiji and Tom Lewsey had both recommended it. It involves pain! Lots of it! Although you only know this once you’ve done it!! It’s an easy one way 17 km trek up, and across the Mangatepopo Saddle, conveniently positioned between two mountains, Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe. You then pass by two volcanic craters and a lake, before descending through a native forest…………… Urmmm Yes, …I‘ll take two!!
You see we felt confident of being able to do it as we had already completed a longer and higher altitude hike up Mt Whistler in Canada. But that was just facts on paper! In the flesh this mountain looked mean! It was used as one of the film location for Mount Dome and the land of Mordor in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It still maintains the same menacing isolation on show in those films. It just sits there, dominating the horizon, a huge volcano joined to a couple of mountains all scared with rubble and lava flow from previous eruptions.
So it was totally understandable
that after seeing the job at hand we felt a little apprehensive (queue funny noise from stinky benny). Nevertheless, we were still standing there in the queue for the bus at five to six the next morning. Our knees knocking together by, on most part the freezing temperatures, and its meant to be summer here!! Eighteen people stood in the same queue, by the time the trek coordinator, Cullum had finished speaking, only ten remained, us included. As I raced back to the car to fetch Jo another pair of socks I took a look towards the mountain. There was heavy cloud the shape and depth of which, made it seem like a hydrogen bomb had gone off. It covered the whole mountain top and with sub freezing temperature from 1500 feet (equaling a total of 4 hrs of our estimated 8 hr walking time in freezing conditions), and with possibilities of sleet and snow, what were we thinking, more to the point, was an extra pair of socks really going to be enough?? : S
When we had first arrived the previous afternoon, it was suggested that we try an easy two hour hike to Taranaki falls at
the foot of the same mountain range. This apparently easy task was still unsurpassable, driving winds and sleet put an end to our walk about half way to the falls.
So it was with all this in mind that we sat on the bus getting ever closer to the drop off point : S
On the bus there was the usual light conversation and nervous laughter that happens when no one is familiar with one another to admit that they are bricking it. But as soon as we got off, it was clear. Who the hell were we trying to kid. It was Baltic! Climb up a mountain? In this? “not us sunshine” So before Cullum went through his second reality check with the ever decreasing number of hopefuls, we already knew that we would not be going. Cullum reminded everyone that although the weather had been forecast to clear by late morning, if it was forecast to remain the same, then he would not let anyone go. After that pep talk we had 4 more companions on the ride back, which left just four, well kitted out, sadomasochist’s to tackle a mountain of boding gloom.
By the
time the cloud had past by about eleven thirty you could see a fresh carpet of snow on the peaks which immediately made us thankful we hadn’t gone. Although we did feel a bit disgruntled we did manage to complete the previous days task and walked to the Taranaki Falls.
Later that evening I listened to a couple of the four that went in the morning and was again grateful that we were not pushed for time as they had been. With only now or never to do the crossing they chose to go for it and for their pains were rewarded with diddlysquat. The cloud cover obscured any of the views and with high winds and freezing temperatures it made the hike very challenging to say the least. To boot by the time the cloud did clear they were in the forest surrounded by trees!! Would we have gone through all that if we were faced with the same decision to make?? Tomorrow we would find out for ourselves…….
The next morning we are up again before sunrise, although this time there was relief as there was no cloud over the mountains. Even so, after yesterday’s Baltic
conditions we took extra precautions with a couple more layers. The views that morning from the starting point were amazing. The skies were so clear you had visibility of up to 240 KM away. Cullum said you could tell this by the clear view of Mt. Eata in the distance.
Well, did we or didn’t we make it?? It was touch and go at times!! The scenery helped a lot and the challenge pulls you through long after your feet stop wanted to walk anymore. I’ll let the pictures do the talking for the hike. It wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be. But the conditions were ideal although having said that, the strong winds made some bits, particularly the steep climbs up to Mangatepopo Saddle and Red crater pretty tough and slightly edgy, people were having to cruel up to the crater peak, as the winds were so strong. It was at this, the highest, windiest, coldest, most beautiful! Point that Jo decided to slip and twist her knee!! Just the place! Climbing down a volcano!! After Jo reassured the two park rangers that had appeared as if by magic from nowhere to help that she
would be OK, we made it down the other side of the crater on our bums, as did a lot of others!! We took it easy over the rest of the hike. She’s a brave little cookie our Joanna and I am really proud that she got through the hike and even had a big smile for the camera at the finish. But seriously, just to reassure everyone, the Rangers checked her over and she felt fine to go on, and that was even with me asking for the helicopter to be brought in!!
I’ve put a photo of our hiking map below so you can see our route and compare it to the photos.
We would like to thank everyone at the discovery Lodge who do an excellent job, the meal we had there was fantastic and the advice and service they provided throughout our stay, first class.
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