Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand: Day 95

Day 95: Tongariro Alpine Crossing 

I didn't set an alarm, but woke early in excitement anyways. If any shuttles were running, I'd have to arrive by 9am. I rolled in just after 8, ate a quick peanut butter sandwich, and checked in at the security car park - the only running shuttle for the day (NZ $30). She looked at me, knowing that I didn't know what I was getting myself into, warning me of the harsh weather conditions.



If it gets too hard... just crawl, but keep moving. Thanks.

The trek is rated in the top 10 one day hikes in the world, and also happens to be a Lord of the Rings shooting location. Behold - Mt. Doom! If you're feeling ambitious and have good weather, you can add on to your day and climb to the summit of Mt. Tongariro, aka Mt. Doom. By the way - the volcano is active and last erupted in 2012. Hence the keep moving bit.

On the shuttle I met a guy from the US and a girl originally from France, also backpackers, who kindly allowed me to join them. In spite of the cold and the clouds, we are off to a good start! The shuttle takes you to the beginning of the 19km hike, so that you end at your car.

So glad I met these two! 

The sun was actually shinning on this side of the mountain! Thick clouds hovered firmly on the volcano, surrounding the path. It wasn't long before the pleasant mist on our sunlit faces while we marveled over the complete rainbow turned into chilling, unrelenting drops in the unstable winds as we climbed up into the fog. For about half the trek, it wasn't so bad, even with the signs advising to turn back if you feel unfit and instructions on how to react to a volcanic eruption.

However, once we climbed up a ledge with the assistance of a metal chain the winds picked up and rain became heavier. The path became steeper with loose rock, making it a bit more tricky to maneuver. Mt. Doom sat directly to our left, according to the signs, but we saw nothing. No point in trying to make it to the summit: too dangerous and all ou see is white anyways!

We arrived to a part where the thick cover prevented you from seeing anything save the path immediately in front of you. I have no idea how far the drop would be if you were blown off course. All I saw was white on either side. This is the part I'm supposed to crawl through if I can't make it. Got it.

This did happen to be a fun part of the path, too. Small loose rock on a fair decline makes it feel like you are skating. Gliding down the path, I did fall once, but it was a good, non scary fall. Suddenly, the clouds thinned just enough for us to see two crater lakes, Emerald Lakes, to our right hand side. They literally appeared out of nowhere and disappeared almost as quickly, but not before we got a few pictures.

Now you see it...

Now you don't!

Back on another incline, we decided it was about a good time to have some lunch, 3.5 hours or so into our journey. I picked a spot next to a large rock, hoping it would somewhat protect us from the wind. Now that we stopped moving, I realized just how cold I was. I didn't have proper rain gear and was completely soaked.  Near the beginning i had wrapped a long sleeve shirt around my head to protect from rain. At some point I pulled out my umbrella before lunch, but with the wind it didn't do much good.

After lunch, the wind and rain came down even harder. I grabbed both sides of my umbrella and broke it, pulling the material over my head to at least keep my head and shoulders somewhat dry. It was too risky to pull out cameras or phones now, so I tucked it inside my bra, as that was it's best chance to not get water damaged. We trotted along now at a quicker pace, anxious to get dry and warm again. Simply moving again made me feel better. France had a great trick of extending your arms down and back, with fingers spread wide, shrugging your shoulders repeatedly to gain warmth.

A small sheltered offered a quick break from the elements. We briefly stopped in before continuing our trotting down the path, noting how beautiful the surrounding plants and bushes were and how nice it would be to take your time on this hike. After all, it's supposed to be one of the most beautiful in the world, when you can actually see it!

We came across a girl who was crying and hyperventilating with a confused guy helpless next to her. The girl from France gave her comfort, and once she started speaking German, the girl instantly responded positively to her. It was really quite impressive - not only does she speak 5 languages, but she simply showed human kindness. She carried the German's bag and chatted with her encouraging her to finish the hike. Turns out the girl had lost her friends on the hike and was really sore from a hike several days before. The five of us stayed together for last 6km.

It was more or less down hill the rest of the time. Hope of getting to the car subdued any uncomfortable coldness. For the first time, trees hovered above the path, offering the first protection from the sun if you were to do this on a cloudless day.

A couple bridges and we made it.

I returned to my Little Booger car to find it had a flat tire. Well - it was on my New Years resolutions list to learn how to change a tire! Fortunately, a nice man showed me how and I was on my way to the nearest town, not going above 80km/hr on my tiny spare.

The girl who lives in Tongariro, who I met last night, had invited me to come over for tea after my hike, so I found some Internet to message her.  As I was about to set out, my car failed to start. I'd been sitting with the engine off, charging my phone. Bad luck with the car today! A nice man from the bar across the street gave me a jump. Back on track!

I arrived to her cottage in the middle of the forest. What an unbelievable way to live. Adorable studio with a front porch, surrounded by trees. Quiet and hidden away in one of the most beautiful places in the world. And lucky me - not only did I get a cup of tea, but dinner, a hot shower, and a place to sleep. I've said it before and I'll say it again - New Zealanders are the most hospitable people out there.