Tongariro National Park

  Tongariro, New Zealand
Wednesday, October 17, 2007

We arrived in Tongariro with high hopes of doing the Tongariro Crossing, which were quickly shattered by a heartless DOC ranger in merely seconds.  We discovered that at the moment it was referred to as the Tongariro ALPINE Crossing.  Did we have crampons and ice axes, NO, then we weren't going.  We did manage to find out about another long hike that was possible to the Tama Lakes, and since the day was supposed to be beautiful the next day, we decided to brave the cold, and stay the night.  

Beauty of a river walk

Before heading to camp we took a two hour track up the river to some rapids which contain a high amount of limestone, giving them the color of muddy milk.

Rapids

It was a bit cold, but once we were moving not too bad.  We were enjoying some crackers and cheese, and admiring the scenery as well as the seemingly rising temperature, when, to our suprise, snow began to fall.  Just lightly at first, a snowflake here or there, but we packed our bags, and began walking, quickly.  Ten minutes later the temperature had dropped again, the wind was blowing in our faces, and snow was hurrying down from the ever more dark grey sky.  We finally reached the road, which we were to walk down for a few kms, and began to try and hitch a ride.  Though, we were mostly unsuccessful to our dismay.  Finally an Italian couple stopped to pick us up, and though we were in their car for only a half a km or so, ahhh!! How warm it was!  Then back out into the cold, into the van, and off to the campsite for dinner, and a hasty retreat into our sleeping bags, under the duvee, reading our books, and off to sleep.

Mt. Doom

In the morning, the van was mostly a shell of ice, although that proved to be much warmer than outside.  A quick breakfast, and we were on the trail again.  Billed as a tough 6-7 hike, we were ready, or so we thought.  We both had all the clothes we had, ON.  The sky was gorgeosly clear, and we got some fantastic views in all directions.  The wind, was bitter cold, and biting, even through all the layers.  But well worth it.  The track on the way up was basically a river of snow melt, and as we got higher, merely ice.  The ground became cluttered with snow, yet we pushed on.  As we turned off the track leading onto the Northern Circuit, the trek we dreamed of doing, 3 days off in the wilderness, we overheard a tramper talking with his mate about how he wouldn't return for 5 days or so.  Maniac!  

Entering snow

The climb up the the lakes was truly spectactular.  Clear, dark blue lakes nestled into brown hearth, framed by jagged snow bound peaks.  The wind was even more persistent at the highter altitude, and we didn't stay long to relish in our achievment, but still, what beauty.

Lower Tama Lake

 

The Hut

  During our descent, hordes of people were on thier way up, and we were glad to have gotten an early start.  We had lunch down by the waterfall, with our hats and jackets off, seeing as the wind had died, and the sun was stronger still.  All in all it took us 5 hours or so, with some sore bodies to show for it.  We rang the Beatties, the family of someone we met in Ofu, and they said to come on by.  Off to Napier we were.