So this month it was all about checking weather reports & working schedules to finalise a time to do the great Tongariro Crossing... We still were pretty last minute though. Decided on the Thursday & were off down south on Saturday. Walked Sunday...
This is what we're gonna do, right?
Up & into it...about 8.30a.m. Beauty day....
Upgraded track means lots of boardwalks. (Not all with fit blokes like this one though...)
Getting my puff going. This went on for a bit. Thought my diaphragm was going to meet my throat a couple of times. Not much of a gradient but it goes on... Slow down that man!
One of my favourite bits. Southern Crater. A 'moonscape'...so quiet & yet full of Lord of the Rings promise!
Not tired...just didn't want to get in the way of the scenery. Getting higher...
While we're at it, why not not put in a little extra & do that spur? (Off to the side of Mt Tongariro, nearly at the summit)
And the view from the end of that spur was worth it. A quiet Mt Ngauruhoe.
Time for elevenses before heading back onto the main track.
Another view from the same vantage point.
The peak. To the right of this pikkie is...
Red Crater. Quite remarkable & not a lot of breathing space to walk about on...
(To the left is Red Crater) This is as far as I'm gonna go, right?!
Once up to the top, it's shimmy shimmy down the 'scree' to this....
And this.... (Yes, there are people on the other side having a wander about. Ridgey bit on the left...)
View from our lunch place. Dots on the scree are folk 'shimmying' down...
A blue lake in amongst the Emerald Lakes. Interestingly enough the water was quite chilly. I though they'd be warm..hm. Parts of the ground around the track were warm with wisps of steam about...
Around lunchtime (12-1pm) it came over all chilly-like. Cloud from nowhere just like they say it does. So the polyprop was back on & we were walking with intent...down to the warmth!
Winding down...& around...& down...After all, we had to lose some altitude as the summit is 1,900m.
Once we had completed the main part of the descent, (which included a lovely sunny 3/4hr break mixing with the tourists @ the Ketetahi Hut) we entered a delightful section of bush which meandered on...& on...& on...
Worthy calendar shot...
Are we there yet?!
Yes. Picnic bar time at the Ketetahi carpark pick up point before boarding the shuttle back to the camping ground @ Tokaanu (3kms from Turangi). Hot mineral pools & tiny but comfy cabins.
Stats: Pick up @ Tokaanu 7a.m. Drive & pickups on the way to the Mangitipopo starting point 8.20a.m. Summit (incl extra spur) @ 12pmish. 1/2hr lunch. Ketetahi hut stop around 3/4hr. At the carpark by 3.40p.m. To Tokaanu & on the rug spread out on the lawn outside our cabin with beer & chippies around 5pm in the SUN before a shower & hot mineral pool soak. Don't ask me why we neglected to take pikkies of all this... duh! Nemmine...beauty day & experience. Better than we imagined. Next event...Oxfam Trailwalker of course!! April here we come....
