Mon 28th Feb - Rick’s Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Reputedly the best one-day walk in the whole of NZ!                                                        

The accepted wisdom in walking mountains is to get up early, get the best views before the cloud and the rabble arrive, and avoid the heat of the day. So having positioned ourselves in the best position to do the walk, Rick was up at 5am and started walking at 6.10

There is however the odd day when clouds hang to the peaks until mid-morning and then clear to give all the late starters all the best views – oh bugger.

The walk was challenging due mainly to the demanding terrain and the strong winds howling around the crests of the saddles. Poor visibility didn’t help but even so the scenery is impressive. Flat paths across craters of different hues, sulphur springs, the evidence of pyroplastic flows and even the odd waterfall. (Not that you’d want to drink any of the water in the streams on these particular hills). The low cloud scudding around the craters gave the feeling that a band of orcs could appear at any moment.

However what didn’t appear was Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom from the Rings) or Mt Tongariro.

                                                          Ah well can’t win them all.