National Park
The view from a very high ridge down to Emerald Lakes
Riding a train car up the west coast of the North Island, drifting first through beautiful seaside and later the green hills and rivered gorges, I was still on the fence about tackling the famous Tongariro Crossing (Tongariro National Park) during my stay in National Park village. Known as perhaps the best hike in New Zealand, it is also considered among the best in the world. The path goes between Mount Ngauruhoe, a gorgeous, classically Platonic, cone-shaped volcanic icon, and Mount Tongariro, a mountain whose eruptions have created a dramatic landscape of huge craters and iridescent lakes seemingly at the edge of the sky. The Crossing is a 12.4 mile (20K) one-way hike of about 2600 feet of vertical - up, then down. Shuttles from nearby resorts, villages and the parking-lot endpoint are the only access. (see, "How to Do the Crossing", below.)
I was still on the fence for three reasons: one, I questioned my physical ability to make the trek. I knew that walking 12 miles was doable; it was the vertical that had me concerned, as I'd never attempted any hike so challenging in that way. Not only that, but there was a defined timeframe to complete the mission; the shuttles stop running at 5:30 p.m. I began as early as I could at 8:30 am (again, the shuttles during an offseason week), and I just didn't know how to predict how long that kind of trail might take me. I'd called a local guide company a few weeks earlier to see whether I could join a group, and when I mentioned that I tend to walk a little slowly, I was told not to join a group, told that I "wouldn't want to hold up the group", would I? And it was a clear implication that I was no longer eligible. Wow, that hit me in the gut; it was that hard to hear. Couldn't even pay to join a guided group. It seemed to me that solo walkers and novice hikers like me would be the typical candidates for a guided group. She advised me to try it on my own, given that there would be plenty of others along the trail if I got into trouble. That sounded pretty iffy to me. I was very discouraged and it took about a week before I thought seriously again about giving it a shot.
The second hesitation was the potential conditions on the ground: would the ice and snow of winter be gone, or would early spring storms maintain conditions that required ice climbing gear? The latter would be an automatic self-disqualification for me; I am no ice-climber. The third hesitation was the weather forecast on the day I planned to hike - any storms or cold fronts could easily take anyone planning to hike out of the running on a given day. Regularly the trail, and any trail in New Zealand, may be closed due to poor weather conditions. One of the hardest things in long-term travel is to synch up good weather with the days it is needed. I had four nights, three non-travel days in National Park to get some good weather and attempt the Crossing, still a tight window.
The train pulled into National Park village at 10 a.m., and it was nothing like I'd pictured it. I'd imagined a busy little honky-tonk tourist town, with multiple shops, bars, restaurants and service businesses for tourists. What I found instead was a tiny, diffuse settlement with no business signs within view, no cars on the streets, and no people in sight beyond the few of us getting off the train.
The view from the village of Mount Ngauruhoe
I walked a few blocks down some desolate streets and arrived at my hostel to find that I was the only guest that night, a symptom of this shoulder week. There are limited places to stay in National Park, ranging from small resorts to hostels. This is where a travel buddy would have made a difference for me; the expensive rooms in town would be more affordable to share. Also, when I booked, there wasn't much available, perhaps because some places close down between seasons. So, I wound up in a hostel. Kiwis seem to be highly accepting of hostel conditions - a little rundown, a little less comfortable, a little rustic though fairly clean - to the extent that at this hostel I became acquainted with an Auckland family who came there regularly for access to nearby skiing, so much so that they had a regular room that they seemed to consider their "cabin". The hostel worked well enough for me, and the staff, originally from Fiji, were extraordinarily welcoming and friendly. (Pipers Ski Lodge, free toast-and-cereal breakfast, prix fixe dinners available in their dining room for about NZ$20. Beware of the bunkbeds, not easy to navigate.)
After dumping my bags, it was time for some food, and I set off for the pub, Schnapps, almost the only game in town. Along the short walk, I met up with two women who'd disembarked from the train at the same time, and asked if they'd like to have lunch together. It was a great afternoon getting to know two younger professionals from Austin, TX, on a two-week "Amazing Race"-style gonzo tour of Australia and New Zealand. Two very impressive people.
Eventually, I was able to locate some important services in town. National Park had another restaurant or two with limited hours. There is a gas station convenience store that is a fair grocery, and also a hostel's convenience with snacks for purchase. There is one outfitter for equipment rental; skis, hiking and more. Beyond that, the town had a few blocks of houses for families residing there, and some sort of mysterious warehouse or light industrial space that seemed to employ people, and that was it; about ten square blocks in total. On a flat, the views of the mountains nearby were outstanding.
Testing out Tama Lakes
The next morning, my first full day, I'd gathered the key intelligence that the weather for my time there was looking not just good, but spectacular for that time of year - sunny and 10-15 degrees C (50-60 F). As my Crossing target date of Saturday approached and the conditions seemed likely to be perfect, my confidence grew. I would never be as young again. I would likely not ever be in better shape to tackle this challenge in the future. It was unclear when I might make it back to New Zealand. Acknowledging all of that, and the thousands who do finish the track every year, I booked the Crossing (risk-free; no need to cancel if I decided not to go, said the website). I also booked a shuttle for the Crossing two days forward (cancellable/refundable 24 hours in advance if I changed my mind) and a shuttle for that day to Tama Lakes for a test hike. The Tama Lakes trek is put forward by the Department of Conservation as an easier alternative to the Tongariro Crossing, in hopes of diverting the folks not up to a more serious hike, regardless of reason. I thought it would be a good test for me; the trek and landscape of Tama Lakes would give me a sense of the Crossing.
It WAS a good test, because I didn't realize that "easier" did not mean much shorter; it was only about a mile shorter than the Crossing, with a lesser, but still substantial, 1700-foot vertical on this in-and-out, roundtrip track. I managed it well enough, despite trail sneakers that were not quite up to the task, with two stream crossings requiring challenging rock hopping (my feet did go in the drink once). The track goes past Taranaki Falls (tall and beautiful) and through majestic landscapes that included great views of the nearby mountains.
I'm not sure if I've ever breathed cleaner air than in NZ.
On this track, I learned to expect extremely steep, unprotected, narrow, loose-rock slopes up to high ridges, the likes of which I'd never seen before and that make up most of the Crossing. The first one I encountered going up to the second Tama lake, I stopped for a moment at the bottom, not believing my eyes that the trek continued UP THERE. It was so steep and exposed, I almost instinctively turned around to go back. But, seeing others at the top, and noting a finite distance, I thought, "just one foot in front of the other"... and was rewarded with stunning views.
I highly recommend the Tama Lakes track, and I don't think that many people bother with it. It is extremely beautiful in a different way than the Crossing, a gentler way. Afterwards, I was very tired and and sore. By the time I got back to the hostel, I went to bed without dinner.
The next day was a recovery day, a good thing. I checked the weather one last time and a perfect day was forecast for the Crossing the next day. At that point I was fully committed. In the afternoon (The Alpine Center outfitters, wonderful service and unexpected hours, check first) to rent poles, sturdy hiking boots, and a headlamp just in case I didn't finish the Crossing by sundown (about 6:45 pm).
Starting out on the Crossing
The next morning, I caught one of several shuttles leaving from a "transit center" (large bus shelter) on the edge of town. I noticed among the groups assembling just one guide-led group, climbing into their own van; I assume that was the group I did not join. On my shuttle, I met a member of the US Embassy delegation to Wellington who was there with several co-workers who I also met during the day. Small world, she is originally from Boston. Once dropped off, I hit the trail with about 150 friendly strangers, mostly 20-somethings in groups. I felt lucky to be there in the off-season because, even so, there were a lot of people around, and I would guess in the summer it may be much more crowded. We were encouraged to plan our walk and our toiletting needs around the six locations for facilities along the trail, nice-ish porta-potties that had been helicoptered in to prevent the crowds just going out in the bush. In the end, between the lines at each of the stops and the exertion that kept me dehydrated, I was happy to skip all six locations.
The sun shown brilliantly, the sky was nearly cloudless and there was only a light breeze. Both mountains were exposed, a rarity as they are usually shrouded in mist. As I write this December 2, 2023, the high temperature at Red Crater will be 7 degrees C, and the low 3 degrees C; this matches the conditions for my walk October 4th, but that was unusual for that time of year - especially the clear skies. The weather has not warmed over two springtime months.
Looking back across the Red Crater
The trail starts on a constant slope up (of course) through fields at the base of the mountains. There's about ninety minutes of this, with the views getting more and more incredible, until the Devil's Staircase begins. This is over an hour of steep, winding, narrow stairs where every step is a giant step. I recall a passage from one climb to another which consisted of a path less than a foot wide, requiring climbing over boulders while trying not to fall down the extremely steep, long slope on the left. All parties were stopping to rest regularly; if you go, just assume that will be part of the trip. It's a big climb.
Along the staircase, I kept company with a friendly family from Auckland: Shahid, his wife and teenaged daughter. We tag-teamed our way up, resting at similar intervals, and letting the fast folks fly on by. It was a pleasant, distracting conversation and good company for a tough challenge. Once at the top, a ridge-top resting stop showed off amazing peaks, gorges, and craters all around.
Then, the Red Crater begins, a long, dead-flat crossing through a high caldera, matching imaginings of the moon. As I stood in the middle of the Red Crater, a group walked up and began assembling for group photos; I recognized them as the guide-led group. I moved on.
The climbing began again, and the temperature dropped into the 40s F while the wind picked up. Here, people grabbed their puffers out of their backpacks. Eventually this trail reached the highest ridge of the walk, and the views of more mountain peaks, calderas and gorges with the newly revealed two Emerald Lakes down below, glowing a brighter green-blue than one would think possible in nature. It felt way up there, the top of the world. This was the highlight of the trip and a place for a long (20 minute) rest.
A break at the top; view of Mount Ngauruhoe
The next phase was the long, steep, loose-scree downhill. Every step was an unavoidable downhill slide with a uncertain end. Those who weren't athletes or daredevils and lacking poles fell regularly. This is an area to be careful to avoid injury. It was about 20-25 minutes downhill. When the flat at the bottom was reached, the shores of the Emerald Lakes were nearer; they are sacred waters to the Maori and touching the water or walking to the shore is not permitted.
Continuing across a small flat, there was one more uphill push, and then the long downhill started. It wound up being more than half the walk's distance in this final downhill, a fairly consistent grade for the next roughly three hours. The views of mountain hillsides, steaming volcanic vents, and a lake in the near distance (counted in miles), ever changing with constant switchbacks, were still gorgeous. There were two locations where the snow on the trail lingered, making for challenging crossings next to a steep drop-offs. It wasn't long before my tired legs began to ache while resisting the downhill, and then my feet begin to hurt. This is a segment with high potential for blisters. I'd run out of the 3 liters of water I'd brought, and was getting really thirsty. This part of the walk seemed long and as if it might never end.
The guide-led group passed me along the way; I passed them later at a rest stop. In another hour they passed me again.
I reached the endpoint, a parking area and shuttle bus pick-up zone, and found dozens of people awaiting late shuttles. Turns out the previous shuttle had filled to capacity and people had been left to wait for the next one. I didn't mind a bit, excepting that I was surprised to find there was no water available. I was just so grateful to have reached the end, 90 minutes before the last shuttle was scheduled.
The guide-led group came in about ten minutes after me.
Between conquering the physical challenge and the breath-taking, other-worldly scenery along the way, the Tongariro Crossing was my favorite event in New Zealand, with the Milford and Doubtful sounds coming in just behind. Still, I am confident that it will be the people I met along the way that I'll remember more.
How to Do the Crossing
Plan for several days in the area to maximize the flexibility to adapt to the weather forecast. The alpine environment along the Crossing may be subject to storms and strong winds, even snow at anytime during the year. Taumarunui, Taupo, Turangi, Ruapehu and several resorts and small villages are within striking distance, while National Park village is the closest. As of this writing, shuttles may be cancelled by 6pm the night before, and on-line bookings with the NZ Department of Conservation (DOC) do not require a cancellation (at the time of this writing). Check out the DOC website for great information and a video that lays out very explicitly the challenges of this walk:
Its length, order of difficulty, and inaccessibility (facilities or roads) along the way
The unpredictability of the weather, and the potential for extreme conditions. This includes the sun, if you are lucky enough to have a sunny day; similar to Australia, the New Zealand sun is formidable no matter the season. (To me, winter sun in NZ felt like the sun in New England on the 4th of July at 1pm. Maybe worse.) Sunburn, dehydration and sunstroke are real risks.
Substantial portions of the trail are difficult beyond the typical US National Park expectations: narrow with steep drop-offs, rocky, a "Devil's Staircase" with hundreds of steps and inconsistent rises between 12" and 28", some bouldering, and a long scree downhill that must be surfed rather than walked. No railings ever.
The spring and summer, conservatively mid-November to mid-March, is a popular time to attempt this walk for the slightly milder, more predictable, better-chance-of-sunshine-weather (one learns during six weeks of travel in NZ that sunshine is the exception, not the rule). Wintertime attempts mean ice and snow underfoot and thereby crampons, ice axes and a required guide. My timing brought me to National Park, the residential/commercial village just outside of the park boundaries, in the last week before the start of the spring/summer season. This meant that, while the worst of winter was in the past, the weather and conditions were still fairly unpredictable and I had to watch the evolving conditions very closely, checking weather reports several times per day for the five days in advance, plus any daily posts on Facebook by people who'd been on the trail that day and report conditions. I was very lucky to get the weather I did at that time of year. I'm glad to have missed the potential heat of summer, in addition to the ice of winter.
There is a newly-instituted NZ Department of Conservation booking system to gain access to the track, which will limit permits to 2000 per day eventually (approximately April of 2024). Because it is new, it remains to be seen how far in advance to book, but know this is an extremely popular hike.
A shuttle is the only way to access the trailhead. There are two options: roundtrip transport from accommodations, or, a one-way trip after parking at the end point. I had little luck navigating the online shuttle booking systems, perhaps because it was the last week of the off-season and one of the quietest times of the year, not to mention that Kiwi websites are often a challenge. In a pinch and in National Park, call Tongariro Crossing Shuttles at +64 (or 0 if you are in country with a local SIM) 27 257 4323 and they will be gracious in their assistance; also, you will be supporting a family-owned, Maori-owned business. Allow flexibility in your transportation timing, as the shuttle companies have limited resources and there may be delays in service.
Gear you will want includes:
Rentable at local outfitters:
Walking poles (saved my a%% on the scree downhill, and they also help out with balance, especially if you are tired)
Firm-soled hiking boots. I learned at Tama Lakes that the hiking sneakers are NOT sufficient unless you are a twenty-something.
Personal items:
Clothing layers to prepare for anything from snow, rain, heat, and/or wind. I wore two base layers (polyprop and wool), a puffer and a rain shell; once I warmed up, I spent most of the hike in just the two base layers. Don't forget hats (for warmth and also for sun protection) and gloves.
Minimum 3 liters of water (it was not enough for me)
Sweatproof, high-SPF sunscreen. Reapply every 2 hours. Not kidding. I did that and still got a good burn.
Bandaids and other treatments for blisters. I am not prone to blisters and got them on the downhill segment. I was also able to share with other hikers in a bad way.
Tissues and TP, a plastic bag for the clean stuff and another for the trash that you must carry out with you. TP does not go into the porta-toidies.
Energy bars for light snacks, because so much strenuous movement kills the appetite but nutrition is needed, and a banana to fight cramps. NZ has amazing, tasty, inexpensive, truly all-natural energy bars in the "Nice and Natural" brand at New World groceries; never buy ANYTHING "Pam" brand because it all contains a lot of chemicals.
