MG 3990

A summer holiday: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing

An early start to a successful day. By 6am we were just about ready to start walking, preceding this had been quite a bit of driving to leave a car at the end of the crossing so Keryn and I would have transport once we were done. Travis and Sophie were only going halfway (having done the complete crossing earlier in the year).

MG 3990Photo by Brendon & Keryn

The start.

It took Keryn and I about 10 hours to complete the walk including a side trip to the summit of Tongariro. There had been concerns about fitness and strength of knees before the trip but we both coped well with only a couple of little blisters, sore feet and mild sunburn to complain about once done. The full description of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing track can be found on the DOC website, I’m just going to show a few photos rather than write a step by step description of our walk.

MG 3998Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Looking across to Mount Ruapehu.

MG 4014Photo by Brendon & Keryn

The Soda Springs waterfall.

MG 4023Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Looking back near the top of the Devils Staircase (otherwise known as “The steep climb from the valley to Mangatepopo Saddle between Mount?s Ngauruhoe and Tongariro”).

MG 4030Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Time for a photo having reached the Mangatepopo Saddle.

MG 4037-2Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Walking across the Tongariro south crater.

MG 4049Photo by Brendon & Keryn

The top of the track.

MG 4063Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Walking along the crater rim to the Tongariro summit.

MG 4069Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu from the summit of Tongariro.

MG 4077Photo by Brendon & Keryn

The Red Crater.

MG 4084Photo by Brendon & Keryn

The emerald lakes.

MG 4087Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Taking it slow and careful heading down to the emerald lakes.

MG 4093Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Keryn gets to use the camera.

MG 4115Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Following the track beside the blue lake.

MG 4120Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Mountain buttercups (Korikori).

MG 4124Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Switchbacks on the downward leg.

MG 4125Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Tussock.
A stream of mineral rich grey water flowing near the Ketetahi end of the Tongariro Crossing.

I’m glad we had dropped off the car at the Ketetahi carpark, having to wait for a bus would not have been a fun end to the day. Now we’ll have to get ready to do the walk again when there is more snow around, but I think that’ll be a few years away.

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