Wednesday afternoon. I catch the Nakedbus at 1:30pm from National Park village and ten minutes later I'm in Whakapapa. I start the walk along the lower falls walk and then take the turn off on the Northern Circuit towards Mangatapopo hut.
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| The start |
It's a hot day and the sun is out with a few wispy clouds. I pass a few other trampers coming the other way, on the final leg of the same walk but going anti-clockwise. There are some well made paths, boardwalks, steps and where the path is a little bit rough it is well marked by stakes.
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| The track, Ngauruhoe on the right |
I catch up with a couple of swiss girls and chat with them for a bit and then head off at my own pace. I make it to Mangatapopo hut in just over two hours so I have a long time to kill. The hut is basic but still has gas stoves and water (from the roof) and a seperate toilet block. I hang out and play cards with a very international group consisting off swiss, Israeli, Canadian... before heading to bed.
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| View from the hut |
Thursday morning, I wake at about 5am and set off at 5:30. Its light and both the summits mount Ngauruho and Tongariro are clear as there is very little clouds around. I start up the track and start ascending after the soda springs.
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| Mount Taranaki in the distance |
I pass two guys working the tracks (even earlier start for them) and they point out mount Taranaki (highest mountain on the north island, also sum 100 miles away). I carry on and as I near the crater I see the turn off for Mount Ngaurahoe, so I do.
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| The foot of Mount Doom (Ngaurahoe) |
At the foot of the imposing volcano I drop my bag and just take my emergency kit and head upwards. It was a long ascent up a steep incline, with very loose scree. After reaching the summit, I walk to the top and enjoy amazing 360 views and also get an impressive look into the crater.
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| Ruapehu from the top of Ngaurahoe |
I head back down the scree slopes and perfect my ski technique so i'm back down to my pack in no time. I then carry on along the track and as I cross along the flat bottom of South Crater i'm walking past masses of people doing the day walk , the Northern Crossing. After going up past Mangatapopo Saddle I turn off to the summit of Mount Tongariro where eat some Camembert, bread and nuts.
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| From the top of Mount Tongariro |
I then continue back along the track passing the Red Crater and Emerald lakes. The track then leaves the Northern Crossing and down Oturere Valley where I don't see anyone until I come to Oturere hut where I share a chat and tea with a French Polynesian man.
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| Emerald Lakes |
After tea I then had a three hour walk along what felt like a desert and then an uphill and downhill through a forest to come to the Waihohonu Hut, where I was rather worn out. Its still only about 3pm so I read, sit in the sun, walk to an old historic hut and wash in a river to pass the time before eating and going to bed.
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| River by Oturere Hut |
Friday morning I wake having had loads of sleep. I get off about 7 and head to Whakapapa. I walk along a flatter section through volcanic wasteland with Mount Ngauruhoe on one side an the higher Mount Ruapehu on the other.
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| Back on track |
It's another dry day but is cooler as the sun is behind cloud. After a couple of hours I come to Tama Saddle and I take the route off to Tama Lakes, first coming to the lower lake and then after an uphill to the upper lake viewpoint. I realize I have loads of time so I continue along a ridge off the track and up a steep uphill to the top of an unamed peak.
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| Upper Tama Lake |
After getting a good view of the lava flows on the southern slopes of mount ngauruhoe I head back down to the main track. I rejoin the Northern Circuit track and head towards Whakapapa. The track was long and this part had a lot of undulations.
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| Taranaki Falls |
As the track neared its end I passes Taranaki falls and then finished in Whakapapa with a three hour wait for the 3:45 bus back to National Park village.
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| Me on top of Mount Doom |
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