Tongariro Crossing

     On Friday April 4th Sara, Avlin, Luis, Maude and I went to Ohakune. On Saturday we got up really early to drive half an hour to National Park and get on a subtle to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The crossing is 19.4 km (12 miles) with an altitude change of 800m (2627 feet). On average it takes about seven hours to cross it. It is one of New Zealand's most popular tramping sites with about 100,000 people crossing each year which creates a lot of traffic. When we started the joke was that they need to build fast and slow lanes. So many people were zooming past us it felt as though we were hardly moving.

Map of the hike with notes on where the photos were taken.

1. About to get on the shuttle to start the crossing at a lovely 8 am.

2. The first view of Mt. Ngauruhoe. About 15 minutes walk from the start

3. Volcanic rocks! I thought that all of the rock formations
were really cool so I took oodles and oodles of pictures of them. 

4. Soda springs. Only a five minute walk from one of the busiest and
grossest toilets I've ever had the privilege of  utilizing.
The name is some what questionable because it neither
looks nor sounds anything remnant of soda. 

Between Soda Springs and the south crater is a huge uphill called the Devil's Staircase. It was incredibly steep and very rocky. There were steps that were sort of built into the side of the mountain. Some of the dirt had fallen out of the steps making little ledges and holes to trip on.

5. Taking a much deserved break at the top of the Devil's Stair case. 

6. Mt. Ngauruhoe from the south crater

I mistakenly believed that once we got here all the difficult up hill part was over...I was so so wrong.

7. Red Crater. The view from Red Crater so so super cool.
 I attempted to take some panoramic shots of it but I couldn't
ever get it to work huge technology fail...

7. The summit! So close but so so so so far!

From here you think 'ah it's just a quick jaunt up there' then you start up and you realize that it's a climb up a hill made of gravel.

8. The view of blue lake from the summit. Such a beautiful view. It was such a shame that
we couldn't stay there longer but the traffic made it hard to just stand and enjoy it.

9. The Emerald Lakes from the summit

                                       



I nearly fell down the hill and toppled into
one of these. The walk down is a volcanic gravel which slips and slides and affords no traction. I was precariously sliding down it, mostly on my feet and had some how managed to avoid crashing into other people when a group of boy scouts fell and came sliding into me from behind. It made for a quick time getting down hill but not the most ideal being as sliding down a hill followed by a group of middle school boys doesn't afford one much directional or speed control.

10. View from starting the descent. 

11. Smoke coming from the mountain in the volcanic area. 

 
   The way down felt like it took forever. It wasn't especially difficult or anything but it was so long. You have to walk through the forested area and I kept thinking ah it should be just around the corner and there was just more an more forest. After a long and arduous journey we finished the hike at 4:30; exhausted, proud and dirty. We had a bit of time before the shuttle came where we hung out and enjoyed our achievement.