Tongariro National Park & Northern Circuit – Just 50km walking around “Mount Doom”

Day 209 Saturday 23rd October – Day 212 Tuesday 27th October 2010

We moved into a cabin at a Holiday Park within the park itself. We also had shock to find out that it was still ski season and there was also enough snow for it. We stood thus a fact that there would still be much colder than we had hoped. Prices for the bus to the starting point of the hike were outrageous. $ 35 (€ 18) per person wanted the bidders for the 20-minute bus ride. The same applies for the return!. The Holiday Park owners proposed us that we go there with our own car, that they would drive back to the Holiday Park and pick us up at the end of the trek after 3 days and paid a total of $ 55 and thus saved a lot of money!

Day 1:

Us at the beginning of the trek

The clouds hung low and it had even rained at night. We were not so confident, but we approached the start of the walk, the more it cleared up. We finally started to walk as we had a clear view of the impressive mountains. The road was full of other walkers! It was a long weekend in New Zealand and so many Kiwis took advantage of this Saturday to hike the 20km Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a renown day hike. However, we had decided to walk for three days on the Tongariro Northern Circuit, whose first part was identical to the Crossing. Nachdem Anstieg sehr flach war ging es nach wenigen Kilometern steil und lange bergauf und wir bewältigten in den ersten Stunden über 700 Höhenmeter. After a very flat start, it went to a few kilometers long and steep uphill and we mastered in the first hours the 700 meters. The way was first well prepared, that should change, though.  On the way we got to know some German, which gave us the tip to lookout for DOC campsite. DOC is the Department of Conservation which, in principle, is responsible for everything about the nature of New Zealand and probably one of the largest employers in the country. We were slower than most walkers, which was mainly due to the fact that we had heavy backpacks including tents, cooking utensils, food, sleeping bag, extra clothing, etc. with us for the 3 days and not just a day pack. In retrospect, I would say that our backpacks were something between 16-21kg and thus took a bit too far in terms of preparation!

The first day of the hike was breathtaking. We walked most of the quasi one-day Alpine Crossing and so it was that Saturday was a bit like a mass migration because so many other hikers were traveling. After the first climb we came to a snow field and had the Mt Tongariro (1967m) to the left and the perfect crater volcano Mount Ngauruhoe (2297m) with the smoke still rising on the right. Mount Ngauruhoe is in Lord of the Rings Mount Doom and the famous battle from the first minutes of the first part was shot on the plateau on which we walked through. We came to another hill, and now had a look at the vast uninhabited landscape in the east. The cold wind was blowing towards us and we went straight to pick up our jackets when three Kiwi women between 40 and 50 years arrived in shorts and T-shirt and all, seriously said: “Oh good, finally a fresh breeze”. That was the ultimate proof that New Zealanders had another temperature sensitivity at least 10 ° C difference compared to continental Europeans. They seem to have taken from their English ancestors a different definition of coldness… we also saw some Suspected British. They were showing of by going around in shorts and T-shirt in the snow. How do they do that?…We were only missing Australians with flip flops …

After the first ascent (the first battle scene in Lord of the Rings)

Panorama taken from the peak of Mt Tongariro

It went uphill and we were pretty good at the time that we decided to go to Mount Tongariro. We just left Our heavy packs behind a rock and went to the top of the snow-covered mountain. The Extra way had been worth it, we went back took a further ascent and eventually went down a fairly narrow and steep way that was more or less out of slushy snow and loose scree. Next to us now the sulfur-containing Emerald Lakes and here and there gas from the Earth’s interior sprung out. No wonder Peter Jackson chose the area as a template for Mordor. We left the route of the Alpine Crossings, and went the last 7km towards Oturere Hut, where we wanted to spend the night in our tent.

On Mount Tongariro, Lorenz describing the way we just took

We were now alone on the trek… We could see no other hikers around us and we have doubted to be on the right track. But here and there, there were marked post that pointed a way. The way was very adventurous and not clearly visible.. Behind us rose the mountains of the national park and in front of us stretched a barren landscape covered by rocks. After a total of 17km well we finally reached the hut late in the afternoon. We were really happy to have made it and set up our tent and cooked our dinner. The cabin was filled with half a dozen people and also there were two other tents. It turned out, however, that we were in the wrong Hut! Lorenz had booked it months in advance and we had a slightly different version planned. Afterwards, the wrong hut turned out to be the right decision, since we otherwise would have to camp 100 meters higher. It was cold enough for the 1360m high altitude hut. The sunset behind the volcanoes of the National Park created the illusion of a fire in which the clouds looked like smoke. After sunset, it was noticeably colder and we finally muttered us into the new 0 ° C sleeping in our tent. Once again we had our Ipod touch with us so it was not too boring in the tent. Exhausted and happy we fell asleep.

Panorama with the sun setting behind the volcanoes of the park (Day1)

Day 2:

The night was very cold and our sleeping bags, which theoretically should give a warm up to 0 ° C but turned out to be not so great. Probably, the issue is again the difference of coldness sensation, which has been between 10-15 ° C. Our tent which did not cope well with the wind and the cold, was probably more meant for cool summer nights instead of temperatures close to freezing, despite its “4 seasons”name. The advantage to sleep out in tents is that we can have our privacy and could stay as long as we wanted. That is to say you don’t wake up with the first hiker in the hut that decided that he wanted to get going at Sunrise…When we at some point got up around 09:00 almost everyone else had disappeared out of the hut. Since all more or less sleep in a room in platform bunk bed, that’s no wonder. The good thing about this Great Walk, we were able to use the hut and the kitchen area, etc. That’s not always the case for other Great Walks and it can get boring and cold in particular campsites depending on the shelter provided.

We took our time and left at 11:00. Today’s stage was only 10km long and should not last much longer than 3 hours so after the previous day that was quite good. We went through a similar landscape as at the end of the first day passed through a forest and reached the hut around 14:00.

 

Strong contrast between forest and desertic lava land

This time, the campsite was located further away from the hut and the ground was quite muddy and wet. We were a bit disappointed and wanted to persuade the “Hut Warden ” to let us sleep in the hut. But he showed us hidden places in the forest where the tent fit just so perfectly and therefore warmer, sheltered and drier. We were relieved. After we had set up our tent we took a small dip in the freezing river. We spent the evening in the hut, which had opened just two days earlier and was therefore of excellent quality. The funny hut warden told us all sorts of jokes and stories about life as a Ranger, the National Park and many other interesting things.

On the same evening, we got to know a Swedish couple Kristian and Ida, who were doctors in central Sweden (Dalarna) and were able to take days off with a little overtime for 3 months. The two were real walking experts and gave us still here and there a few useful tips.

Day 3:

The last day was to be once again long with 18km. We had agreed to be picked up at 15:00 and we could therefore not have so much time in the morning. After a short time we reached the first mountain hut in New Zealand, which was left in its original condition. The road ran in the length and our legs were tired. Fortunately, our backpacks through the consumed food were now a bit lighter.

 

 

Panorama taken on Day 3

To pass the time while hiking we often worked with French vocabulary and we talked over the food that we always missed the most. We made a slight detour to a nice waterfall and finally arrived just at 15 :00 in Whakapapa Village. Shortly after, we saw already the owner of Holiday Park and our car.

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We were glad to have made it and enjoyed the luxury of a proper bed and a heater at the Holiday Park. We booked the Jacuzzi and enjoyed our beer and wine, and thus had the perfect end after three hard days of walking in which we had covered 47 km. Our first multi-day hike in New-Zealand was a success and made us want to do more. We were lucky with the weather and our equipment had also proved to be worthy. The next day we planned to drive to Wellington.

Us at the beginning of the trek

Mount Ngauruhoe: Mt Doom from Morder in The Lord of The Rings

Laid out path in the beginning of the trek

Warning during bad weather

Snack Break

Volcanic landscape and the still active Mount Ngauruhoe

Snow was now covering the area

First Ascent: Check!

Mordor

Kiwis with shorts and T-Shirts…

In Comparison how I was dressed!

The Plateau where we walked through

Probably some British wearing swimming pants by 6°C

Me on the detour to Mt Tongariro

On the way to the top

Me & Lorenz at the top of Mt Tongariro

Mount Ngauruhoe

On the way back

Impressive crater in the foreground

Me admiring “Mt Doom” again

Sulfur steam rising everywhere

Emerald Lakes

Me and the Emerald Lakes

Emerald Lakes

(smelly) Steam in the back

Now we were alone

And finally Oturere Hut for our first camping night

Sunset

Typical vegetation

Looking like a fire behind the volcano

View from the tent in the morning

Our tent and the hut in the back

All packed, ready to go again!

Mount Ngauruhoe in the morning, view from the hut

Suddenly we were deep in the forest

Strong contrast between forest and desertic lava land

Our tent spot on Night 2 with private Bath/Stream (behind)

Enjoying the sun at the new Waihohonu Hut

Sunset on Mount Ruapehu

Indications from the hut warden and a quote from Homer Simpson 🙂

The brand-new-barely-finished hut

Skying in 1916

Small detour to Upper Tama Lake

Upper Tama Lake

Typical view on Day 3

Soon we will be done

Waterfall on the last day towards the end of the trek

Panorama taken from the peak of Mt Tongariro

Panorama with the sun setting behind the volcanoes of the park (Day1)

Panorama taken on Day 3

Tongariro Northern Circuit Map