Day 15 – Somewhere South of Turangi – 1:56 PM

I’m writing this post from the seat of an Intercity bus as I make my way south to Wellington.  I departed this morning from Turangi, a small town, where I spent 2 days. The primary reason I stopped in Turangi was the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that takes hikers across active volcanic terrain.  The last eruption, although small, occurred in 2012.  I succesfully completed the 13 mile crossing yesterday alongside Sara, a German woman who stayed at the same hostel.  We decided the day before to pay for a guide as I intended to rent cold weather gear as the forecasted conditions were windy and cold.

Yesterday morning, we met our shuttle at 7:20 am and arrived at the trailhead around 8:45 am.  As we waited for our guides, we put on extra layers.  The chilling winds caused me concern as I pondered the conditions in the upper elevations.  Fifteen or so minutes later our guides arrived, trailed by a dozen people who would join Sara and I on the trail.  I discussed my clothing with the guides and what I needed to rent.  After a couple minutes of analysis, they offered me a winter hat and gloves and everything else I wore would suffice.  Soon after, we threw on our packs and began trekking.

Early on we had our first major ascent, known as the Devil’s Staircase.  This negated the cold temperatures and I soon removed my rain jacket and fleece pullover.  I continued in only my wool base layer and rain pants.  At the top of the staircase, we had our first great view of Mt. Ngauruhoe abutted by Brown Lake, a small body of water formed by snow melt. According to our guides, Brown Lake is alternatively known by a more inappropriate name.

We carried on past Mt. Ngauruhoe and through the South Crater.  Off to the right were excellent views of the valley in the distance.  Every turn yielded what I thought was a perfect opportunity to take photographs until I rounded the next turn and the same thought entered my mind.  This continued the entire day.  The scenery was simply spectacular.

After traversing South Crater, we had our second ascent which took us to the Emerald Lakes and Blue Lake.  These lakes, given their color by the volcanic minerals absorbed up through the ground, are a common area to stop and photograph.  There wasn’t a shortage of onlookers with cameras to their eyes.  At this point the wind picked up again and I pulled on my light windbreaker and continued on.

From there it was all downhill.  After numerous switchbacks, we came to the Ketetahi Hut which gave us a respite from the walking and provided an opportunity to hydrate and use the restrooms if necessary.  We returned to the switchbacks and continued our descent.  As our elevation decreased, the shrubbery on either side of the trail grew and soon we were in a forest-like setting with trees and plants over headhigh.  It was a contrast from the treeless area we trekked through earlier in the day.  A short while later we exited the forest and thus completed the Tangoriro Alpine Crossing. We enjoyed celebratory beers and toasted our accomplishment.

In total, we logged just over 13 miles in 8.5 hours.  In hindsight, I’m glad Sara and I chose to do the crossing guided. Our guides were very knowledgable about the history of the crossing and were able to point things out that we would have missed on our own.  Surprisingly enough, over small talk with others in our group, I discovered that 3 were from the Boston area.  Although half-a-world away from home, I still come across folks that hail from my region.

Only another 2 hours before my bus pulls in Wellington.