Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Ngauruhoe from below Soda Springs

location: Tongariro Alpine Crossing from Mangatepopo to Ketetahi carpark
distance: approximately 22 miles
highest elevation: 1886m at Red Crater

description: upwards of 80,000 trampers take on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing each year. many claim it as one of the best day hikes in New Zealand - if not the world. after waiting a day for the weather to clear, we were anxious to get out on the track. as were many others. while presumably passable during snowier seasons with crampons and proper cold-weather hiking gear, one must assume most people make the trek in "better" weather.

after a 30 minute bus ride, we set off from the Mangatepopo carpark in the company of the dozen people in our vehicle plus another busload or so from other tour operators. the first two hours or so found us wending our way up the gradually inclining, well-maintained trail like a line of ants. the glacial-carved valley of Mangatepopo has been filled in by numerous lava flows and is now covered by the limited vegetation that can survive on those flows. the low clouds and moderate temperature made this portion of the walk almost cozy and offered wonderful views, even if we couldn't see the tops of either Tongariro or its companion Ngauruhoe.

once we passed the pit stop at Soda Springs, however, the track steepened dramatically; 340 meters straight up to the South Crater. we're used to climbs and long hikes and generally keep a pretty good pace that allows us to plug ahead without stopping. as we climbed above Soda Springs, the crowds began to thin out with some people surging ahead then forced into resting 500 meters along the path. a handful of groups kept leapfrogging us, including a pair of European teenagers taking breaks for photos and to put on more appropriate footwear or headgear; and a young South American couple whose varied heights may have accounted for their stopping and starting.

view of lava flow, descending from Red Crater

once we reached the South Crater visibility came down significantly. the snow cover started shortly after leaving Soda Springs and didn't let up until well past Blue Lake on the other side of the mountain. it was easy to see how Julia DeWitt lost her way and nearly fell into a crater trying to do the crossing at night. a series of poles marks the way across the South Crater, but even with the relatively mild weather we had, it could be hard to see more than a few ahead of us. the climb out of the crater was much harder; slick and uncertain in places with gusty winds buffeting you about in exposed places. Andy came to the aid of a young Irish woman who was having the Worst Day Ever, and spotted her up the trail until we were out of the crater.

reaching the saddle brought a delightful sense of accomplishment, though the low visibility and biting wind tamped down on that a bit. we had neither the time nor the inclination (again, see: weather) to try for either summit and after a few minutes savoring the accomplishment, struck off down the steep, loose tephra to the Emerald Lakes, across the South Crater (which, technically, is a valley rather than crater, as with the South Crater) and up past Blue Lake. just beyond Blue Lake you enter the "active volcano zone" with warning signs posted prominently, though no flashing light as featured at the trailhead in Mangatepopo carpark.

vents at Te Maari crater

from the sign, the trail continues steadily downward, with views in the direction of Lake Taupo and the steaming vents of Te Maari. the track passes the now day-use-only Ketetahi shelter (damaged by the Te Maari eruption of 2012), over flows from that eruption, through podocarp-hardwood forest and along a stream polluted with minerals from Ketetahi springs. as with other hikes, after the hours of mountain climbing, the trek through the forest seemed to go on much longer than anticipated and while we weren't tapped out like many others appeared at the carpark shelter, we were glad to sit for a spell while awaiting transport.

while making the crossing on a clearer day would have been incredible, I am very thankful that we decided to stick around and make the trek; absolutely worth it.