Tongariro Northern Circuit
13 – 15 Feb 2021
Tongariro is the first National Park in New Zealand, and fourth in the world. It also became a UNESCO dual World Heritage Area, and in 1993 was the first in the world to receive cultural World Heritage status.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing is probably the most hiked Great Walk due to its easy accessibility. You can also hike the multi-day Northern Circuit, taking 3-4 days. I hiked the circuit with Jess and Rene, and the Alpine Crossing during Te Araroa. I recommend the multi-day loop, I thoroughly enjoyed the landscape after the famous lakes, towards Oturere Hut. We hiked this in the middle of Covid, so we were able to book huts just one week prior (I kind of miss those days!)
Day 1 – Mangatepopo Hut
I booked the huts for us all and chose anti-clockwise after reading a blog recommending it this way. Initially, our first day would have been a big 8-hour day to Oturere Hut. We parked our car at Whakapapa village, and walked up to the first DOC sign that said “Tongariro Northern Circuit”. Without much thought, we started hiking excitedly after taking photos with the sign.
2.5 hours into the walk, we came across a hiker from the opposite direction, and informed us the hut was only 15 minutes away. Jess and Rene were whooping and hooting, but I immediately realised shit, we started walking the wrong way! We ended up at Mangatepopo Hut at 11 a.m. without a booking. We had a long discussion about whether to push on or not, up and over Mangatepopo Saddle, Red Crater, the lakes, and down to Oturere Hut. It would have been a big day, but we had the stunning weather for it. We decided against it, and luckily I had one bar of reception here to call the info centre and change the bookings of huts.
Day 2 – Oturere Hut
We woke up at 4 a.m., walking on the trail by 5 a.m. to avoid the rush of day hikers at the top by the lakes. We heard that the first shuttle drop-off was around 6 a.m., at the Mangatepopo road end.
The path followed the Mangatepopo stream up through the valley, with Ngauruhoe towering above. Because it’s a Great Walk, the track is well-formed, either on boardwalk or compacted gravel. You can take a detour before the climb to see Soda Springs, which we skipped this time round.
The climb starts after an hour of gradual walking. From here it’s a steep ascent on black volcanic rocks. Despite the steep climb, the track is still well-maintained so we were able to keep a steady pace, looking back often to admire the view.
Hiking the Tongariro felt like being on another planet. Not much vegetation growing, with lots of weird formations of rocks. The colours at the top of Red Crater were just grey, brown, black, and red. It really felt like we were on deadly volcanic territory. I read that eruptions started more than 275,000 years ago and continued to shape the region into what it is today.
The track became completely flat after the Saddle, as we walked on South Crater. I read that this is not a real crater but a basin that may have been glacially carved, and has since been filled with sediments from the surrounding ridges. The lava seen from Ngauruhoe dates back to the 1870 eruption.
The track takes you between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. The morning mist was only lifting off as we reached this section, so we were fortunate enough to have this dramatic mystical effect.
Now for the final climb!
The last steep section takes you up on slippery loose rocks up to Red Crater (1886m), the highest point of the trail. From the top, you can see Emerald Lake and Blue Lake behind it. We started smelling Sulphur from here (evidence that Red Crater is still active). Jess and I actually love the smell of sulfur. I know many hate it as it smells like a fart or a rotten egg but for me, it smells like Earth being Earth.
Above the clouds!
Volcanic Ngauruhoe. The red colour is from high temperature oxidation of iron in the rock.
Highest point of the trail, right before ski-screeing down
We’re at the top! After observing the view of the lakes and taking pictures, we descended down a scree slope to Emerald Lake. The best way to get down is really just to jump and ski down until the bottom.
“The Lakes in Tongariro are products of past volcanic activity. They were formed inside craters from a mix of mineral deposits and melted snow and ice. The alpine lakes and the mountains are sacred to the local Maori tribe Ngaiti Hikairo ki Tongariro. Respectfully, they ask that summits of mountains not to be climbed, waterways not touched and lakes not to be entered.”
Photo on a different day – a year later
The Maori name for Emerald Lake is Ngarotopounamu meaning greenstone-hued lakes. The water is cold and acidic, and they freeze in winter. It’s the magical combination of volcanic mineral and sunlight that gives the Emerald Lakes their beautiful green glow.
The colour is created when sunlight reflects off a layer of calcium carbonate (marl) settled on the lake bed. The marl is made when dissolving limestone reacts with the calcium naturally found in the water. Also contributing to the layer of calcium carbonate are diatoms, a form of algae. If you look closely at the marl layer, you’ll see tiny snail-like shells embedded in the lake bed. – the Park
After the lakes, the Northern Circuit diverges from Alpine Crossing. Before the turn-off, we walked a 30-minute detour to see Blue Lake. It’s much bigger than Emerald Lake, and it is again a Tapu, so it is prohibited to touch or eat around this area.
From the turn-off, the track descends down overlooking this amazing dry scenery of rocks. It was another 2-3 hours to Oturere Hut from here. The Red Crater and the lakes were breathtaking and nothing like you’ve ever seen, but this particular section was my favourite bit I think. We parted with the busy day hikers and had the scenic view to ourselves.
Maybe this is what Mars would look like.
This trip was my first time wearing my new hiking boots. I had bought a somewhat cheap pair from Kathmandu. I immediately started having blisters from Day 1 (which is normal on any new pair of shoes) and the pain progressively increased each day. To this day, even after they’ve been worn in, my experience with these boots is nothing but awful. Kathmandu. I just can’t recommend this brand for anything.
Though it was accidental for us to be walking this loop clockwise, we eventually liked it this way and were glad to have made the mistake. It all worked out in the end.
We reached Oturere Hut at around 5. It was a busy hut! Unlike Kepler Track, we brought pots this time round so we could have hot meals for dinner. There is a small waterfall a couple minutes’ walk near the hut, and some were having a freezing cold shower there.
I stretched my body for a long time that night – I remember feeling no tightness or any pain in my body the next day (except for my blisters). Stretching makes all the difference in the world.
Day 3 – Back to Whakapapa Village
The last day had the longest distance of the 3 days and was forecasted to rain a little. The track links up with the ‘Round the Mountain Track’ from Waihohonu Hut. It’s another trail that I would love to hike, a loop around Mount Ruapehu that takes 4 – 6 days.
We started the hike with a gradual descent until the last 2 km to Waihohonu Hut. We hiked in the misty clouds which was quite cool to be immersed in.
The track took us down volcanic ridges on a crusty trail. Ngauruhoe was now behind us, but we could faintly see Ruapehu in front of us.
We soon descended enough to reach the treelines of Beech Forest and hiked up and down to Waihohonu Hut, where we had lunch. We checked out the hut and it looked really neat. Unfortunately for us, we were trekking on further and had another 5 hours to reach the car park.
Somewhere along the trail from Waihohonu Hut, you can take a 20-minute detour to Lower Tama Lake. We were tempted, but with the pain I was dealing with in my ankle and blisters, we decided against adding extra walking time. My feet were getting excruciatingly painful and I had to walk sideways / backward at times to relieve some tension. This experience is partially what made me vote for trail runners over hiking boots to this day.
Around 40 minutes before reaching Whakapapa Village, the track arrives at a fork. Both trails end at Whakapapa village and take 40 minutes, but the northern trail takes you to the Taranaki Falls. I don’t have any photos since entering Beech Forest before Waihohonu Hut, but I’m sure we chose the Taranaki Falls route and observed the pretty waterfall. Or perhaps my memory is blinded by the agonizing pain I was in.
Jess and Rene walked ahead of me and finished up the trail before me. At last, I arrived limping and hopping in the rain at Whakapapa village. My sister couldn’t help but laugh. I was laughing too, but my God I was in agony. Not even on Te Araroa had I felt pain in my feet like I did on this day.
We ordered some food at the cafe and got in the car, continuing our journey to Wellington.
Despite the pain from my hiking boots, this was a beautiful, incredible multi-day hike. I loved the different feel of this unfamiliar landscape, it didn’t feel like the New Zealand that I knew. It just shows how packed this country is with remarkable scenery.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing – Te Araroa
26 Feb 2022
We started from Ketahi Road end, early in the morning. This direction is not the mainstream direction, but we were walking Te Araroa southbound. We started walking while it was still dark in a beautiful forest, then climbed a zig-zag ascent on a well-formed stone track.
By the time we almost reached the top, the fit hikers from the first shuttle drop-off had started descending from the other side. It also happened to be a Saturday and I think I saw about a thousand hikers on this day.
We walked past Blue Lake and descended down the loose dry rocks towards Emerald Lake. Almost every single hiker we walked past commented “You’re going the wrong way!”. We seemed to be the only 2 hikers walking in this direction (actually I don’t think there are any shuttle services that drop hikers off from Ketahi Road).
We had lunch by Emerald Lakes, and the hikers continued to fill the place. I could see them descending down the scree like ants. If I was to catch covid for the first time, it would have been here.
UP the scree slope. One step forward three steps back. Hikers continued to yell at us that we were going the wrong way. It was fascinating to see these views again but from a different direction. Overlooking the South Crater, remembering the time I was here with Jess and Rene. I was hiking with Rick this time round who I’ve met on Te Araroa.
We eventually arrived at Mangatepopo Hut, and ironically the only bunk left was the exact spot I slept on last year. To add to that, the only backcountry meal I had left was the exact same flavour as I ate last year. Deja Vu!
We arrived at Whakapapa village the next day, though there were no cars waiting for us there. We continued to travel onwards on foot, until Wellington.
Some thoughts…
Rant #1: I remember encountering two young boys who looked lost. They didn’t look right, one was wearing a leather top, and another had jeans on. When I asked if they were alright and where they were staying the night, they told us possibly somewhere up the summit or near the lake. I got a little annoyed as this area is sacred to the Maori Iwi and any hikers taking on this trail should know this. They didn’t have any clue about their water source for the night or the upcoming weather. I told them camping up here is prohibited and to hike on until Oturere Hut (which they had never heard of), or back down to Ketatahi Road end. I worried about those brainless boys for the rest of the day, as I didn’t believe their tiny packs could have had enough warm gear or water supply if they had foolishly camped up top. It was also freezing as I was hiking during the day, and the temperature would have dropped drastically at night.
Some people aren’t meant to be hikers.
Rant #2: The long drops at the crater had become a rubbish bin for these hikers. In the hole, I saw literal rubbish from milk cartons, to lolly bags, to diapers. I know that DOC’s most costly operation is helicoptering out the long drops throughout the country. I started wondering about the sustainability of this trail, especially since there are no requirements for payment to DOC if they are day hikers and are not staying at any huts. This is a unique breathtaking trail and its popularity will only increase after the pandemic ends. I believe perhaps DOC should implement some form of payment or this track will be abused by disrespectful clueless hikers who also care little about the environment or the sacred land of Maori Iwi.
That’s all for my rant!