Climb Tongariro on the Alpine Crossing

It’s dark when we wake at 6, pack for the looong climb, load into the car and drive to the Ketehati Car Park from whence we’ll be shuttled to the other side of the mountain, whose crater rims are shrouded in heavy cloud.

We wake in the dark, have our coffee and tea, pile our gear into the car and drive out of Turangi to the Ketehati Car Park where a shuttle bus takes us and 20 other intrepid souls to the other side of Mt. Tongariro, which is wreathed in scudding gray clouds about 2,000 meters above us.

The path to the top starts as a gentle and steady slope with a fair bit of vegetation and lichen on exposed rocks. After about 30 minutes, dark volcanic rock takes over and Cynthia rests as David takes a swampy path to the “soda springs.” Then serious climbing up, down and around a “recent” (700 years ago) lava flow (dark black rather than the older lava’s golden brown color). The going is steep but the weather is holding off … we’ve been told the winds and rain will be coming so we have a small sense of urgency.

We get to the south crater after about 2 hours, a large flat expanse with a muddy surface that David has to run across to catch the papers snatched from Cynthia’s hand by gusting winds. A brown pond nestles in a small crater within this large crater to our right.

We climb across another pyroclastic lava flow of sharp black rocks and reach the edge of the south crater where 30 to 40 mph gusts of wind snatch Cynthia’s hat from the top of our backpack and fling it over the edge. We must lean at a 30 degree angle into the wind to make our way up a steep barren climb to the crest of the Red Crater. Lunch of sandwiches from our pack as we put our backs against a large boulder and Cynthia tugs on her waterproof pants. David obstinately believes the rain will hold off … which proves to be a “Ye of too much faith” moment.

About five minutes after we reach the summit of the Red Crater’s crest, its plunging walls to our right, with the two emerald lakes and the blue lake shining in sudden patches of sun below us, directly down the slope of scree we must descend, the wind picks up and heavy rains pelt us from the west. David gets his rain pants on after his trousers are soaked.

The 50+year-old English couple in shorts and sandals don’t seem to mind the drenching rain and gusting winds as they pass us and we them slip-sliding down the steep scree. We ARE having fun in a “WTF, we can’t believe we’re really doing this” kind of way.

Cynthia’s knees give out. We still have about five hours’ hike ahead of us to get back to our car at Ketehati.

Loooong, and for Cynthia painful trek up and down countless rocks and steps, and we reach the end of the tramp at about 6 p.m.

Dinner is pizza from the Turangi Tavern and a G&T glass shattered on our kitchen floor, shedding its pyroclastic shards into the living room, bathroom and bedroom. But it’s all good.