With the decision taken, chosen the optimal day and our backpack made, we went to sleep without knowing if that will be our last night in this world ... die so many km from home, 2,000 meters high, with a burger from the Burguer King as Last meal and a van as the last bed ... at least we earned a little piece of heaven!
And, we have to recognize it, it was the right decision, and we say it now, two days later, with a pair of three pairs of noses that make us look like ducks when we walk. It was hard, yes, and painful ... but it was worth it. Up there, surrounded by snowy mountains, exhausted by the effort and the wind, we contemplate one of the most beautiful landscapes of our lives.
If we had to do it again we would say NO! We don't want to tempt our luck again, but if we had to recommend it, we would say YES! Absolutely!
With the decision made, chosen the optimal day and our backpack made, we went to sleep without knowing if that will be our last night in this world ... die so many km from home, 2,000 meters high, with a burger from the Burguer King as Last meal and a van as the last bed ... at least we earned a little piece of heaven!
And, we have to recognize it, it was the right decision, and we say it now, two days later, with a three-pair pair of nostrils that make us look like ducks when we walk. It was hard, yes, and painful ... but it was worth it. Up there, surrounded by snowy mountains, exhausted by the effort and the wind, we contemplate one of the most beautiful landscapes of our lives.
If we had to do it again we would say NO! We do not want to tempt our luck again, but if we had to recommend it, we would say YES! Absolutely!
It is a one-day trekking, unlike the Tongariro Northern Circuit which is 4 days. It has a distance of 19.4 km that runs between 6 and 8 hours. The normal starting point is the Mangatepopo car park, at 1,111 meters, and ends at the Ketetahi car park, 750 meters away. The highest point is reached in the Red Crater and is 1,886 meters. The trekking passes through an active volcanic zone, between the Tongariro Mountains (1,967 meters) and Ngauruhoe (2,291 meters), better known as Mordor in the Lord of the Rings.
Here we leave you a “mountaineer's diary” where we explain, without any professionalism, how we took the walk and that you will find if you are thinking about doing it:
From Mangatepopo Carpark (1,150 m) to Soda Spring (1,400 m).
- Easy stretch
- Km 4.4 km. 1 hour and 30 minutes.
It is a part that tends upwards but is very simple. There are sections of road on land and others on wooden walkways. You walk near a creek and through plains with volcanic stones as you approach Mordor.
From Soda Spring (1,400 m) to the crossing to Ngauruhoe (1,660 m)
- Difficult stretch
- Km 6.4. 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Basically they are the devil's stairs. A stretch of ascent by path and stairs, is steep but the road is in good condition and making stops can be done. Above all there is a road to the top of the Ngauruhoe, the highest mountain with 2,291 meters, the ascent and return (by the same route) takes 2 to 3 hours (we did not, obviously).
Plain to South Crater and the start of a new ramp (1,660 m)
- Easy stretch
- Km 7 approx. Three hours.
A plain between the two climbs with very cool landscapes. It was where we began to walk some sections on snow. At the moment there is neither cold nor wind.
From South Crater (1,660 m) to Red Crater (1,886 m)
- Difficult stretch
- Km 8.1. 3 hours and 50 minutes.
It is the most difficult climb of all. Very steep, there is practically no path and you have to walk on clothes and sand, which in many cases are quite loose. There is a stretch where you have to help yourself with a chain to climb. The wind and the cold begins.
From Red Crater (1,886 m) to Blue Lake (1,780 m) through the Emerald Lakes.
- Middle section
- Km 10 approx. 5 hours and 20 minutes (lunch stop included)
The Red Crater is the highest point of the trekking, here comes a path to make the top of Mount Tongariro (1,967 m) in 1.5 hours (we pass). From the Red Crater to the Emerald Lakes is a very slippery descent of about 200 meters, we fell on our asses and we were not the only ones! But here the views are impressive, are the typical trekking photos.
From the Emerald Lakes to the Blue Lake is a little path that tends upwards but is simple. We find this part with more snow and we are quite late.
From Blue Lake (1,780 m) to Ketetahi Hut (1,454 m)
- Middle section
- Km 13. 6 hours and 15 minutes.
The difficulty we encountered was snow. There were quite a lot of snow-covered sections and we had to take it easy, mostly because we could have gone down the ravine in a bad step! The weather also changed, with fog and humidity.
Weather
Before making the decision it is best to check the predictions of the following days. On this website you can do it. Keep in mind that the weather changes very fast in New Zealand, and even more so in the mountains!
Where to start
There are several options, from leaving the car in a nearby town like Turangi or National Park (or even Taupo!) And hiring round-trip transportation (more expensive option, but safer for the car), to parking in the Mangatepopo parking and become halfway (cheaper option since you save transportation). We chose to park in the Ketetahi car park, from where we took a shuttle that took us to the other end, to Mangatepopo, from where we started the trekking. This option can be done in reverse, that is, park in Mangatepopo and return in the afternoon in a shuttle (in high season there are several a day, from 3.30 to 5.50).
There are several companies that provide this shuttles service, we did it with Mountain shuttle (yellow buses), managed by Kerehana, a very nice Maori man, and his daughter. Virtually all companies have the same prices, NZ $ 35 per person, but they are about to open a parking lot safely, so that theft problems disappear. The parking will be 900 meters from Ketetahi, where they can take you when you arrive at no additional cost. They are also building hot showers and a spotlight. His idea is to offer more for the same price as the competition. The idea is that you can also spend the night in your van at no additional cost if you contract with them.
- Transportation from Ketetahi carpark or Ketetahi security park to Mangatepopo (several times in the morning)
- Transportation to the security park (900 meters from the end of the trekking, several schedules in the afternoon)
- Hot and cold showers.
- Possibility to spend the previous night in the parking lot with your van
- They lend boots and canes (ask in advance to see if they have available).
Equipement
It depends a lot on the time you do it. In winter it will be covered with snow and you will need some hiking boots. In summer, surely walking shoes would be enough. We did it in mid-October and there were stretches of snow that were not insurmountable for our shoes but that delayed us somewhat. You also have to wear a raincoat, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and, even in summer, some shelter because it is usually quite windy above.
Food and drink
They recommend 1.5 liters of water per person. As for food, as typical (we suppose), cereal bars, some chocolate, nuts, some sandwich ... Nor do you have to load as if you were going to get lost for three days in the bush!
For more information here we leave the DOC page and the official page.
And if you want to see our video here you have it !! (We have one more "informative", which we will hang in the future, because it is more than 20 minutes and with this connection ...)
