Impending Doom: Tongariro Northern Circuit

"Yeah, you won't be going over the pass tomorrow. You'll go up there, get sopping wet, and when you feel the 140 K winds at the pass, you will realize it is physically impossible... yeah, you will come back down after that, hopefully you won't hurt yourself when the wind blows you off your feet, then you'll come back down the way you came pass by here, tell me about it, then repeat the hike ya did today in reverse, back to the visitor center."

The news, delivered in wordy Kiwi style by the weathered looking Mangatepopo Hut host at the end of our first day of a planned four day backpacking trip delivered a heavy blow.  I had been planning the trip to New Zealand for over a year, and among my top priorities was to see and hopefully summit Mt. Nguaruhoe, the mountain which was used to represent Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. I even had a friend gift me a replica ring to deliver.

A significant percentage of backpacking in New Zealand is actually hiking from backcountry hut to backcountry hut, which, as we discovered is probably for safety inasmuch as it is for comfort. In the more popular areas, huts are staffed by government employed hosts, who are expert on the trail and maintain up to date weather forecast data via radio which they share with hikers.

The 43 km Tongariro Northern Circuit is one of New Zealand's Great Walks. Located in the center of the north island, it traverses a range of active volcanoes. In the direction we traveled, the original plan was to traverse the steep exposed volcanic ridge of the alpine crossing portion of the trip on our second day.

We were becoming acquainted first hand with a weather pattern known as maritime weather, which New Zealand is subject to. In general, mountain weather can be quite volatile and quite violent, as we have experienced in various ranges throughout North America. The difference with maritime weather is one of exponents. Where dramatic changes can be experienced in a matter of 30 minutes to an hour in the Andes, Canadian Rockies, San Fransisco Range, Catalinas, Sierras, or Canadian Rockies, turing a warm sunny Autumn day into a thunderstorm or white - out blizzard, the change can occur in 10 minutes or less in the mountains of New Zealand. And, to make matters worse, wind in excess of 100 mph is not uncommon during these events. A not insignificant number people die every year in the mountains of New Zealand because of drastic rapid changes in conditions that either catch them out without proper cloths, or, as is often the case, just knock them off their feet and down the side of some steep icy or rocky cliff.

To make matters worse, it turns out we just so happened to visit New Zealand in one of the wettest, windiest summers on record. That is not to say the weather there cant get pretty nasty even on a good year, but it was actually bad enough in January 2017 to make the front page of the paper, shut down roads, and get the locals aggravated.

So, when the hut host informed me of the impending storm blowing in from the Tasman Sea, I began contemplating other options. I looked up at the pass 3 miles away and 3000 feet above, and, while socked in with clouds, there was what appeared to be an opening. He informed me that the wind had not yet arrived, and that making the crossing would be possible that afternoon. He checked with the host of our second night's hut regarding bunk availability (since our reservation wasn't until the following day), and discovered that almost all permit holders had bailed, leaving us plenty of room. We did some quick math, tried to quantify the gas in our tanks, and decided to make the journey over the crossing, originally planned for day two, on the eve of day one.

Tongariro Northern Circuit, day 1, classic New Zealand Rainforest

Tongariro Northern Circuit, day1

Deep slick muddy ruts marked the first leg of the journey on the latter half between the visitor center and Mangatepopo Hut; I did not want to repeat this section in reverse

Entering the Mangatepopo Valley, Tongariro Northern Circuit, day 1

The landscape became more volcanic as we made our way into the Mangatepopo Valley. This lava field was deposited in recent history from Nguaruhoe, obscured by clouds above.  It is clear that both volcanic deposit and water flow in the dry river bed at the base of the valley. Tongariro Northern Circuit, day 1

The view overlooking Entering the Mangatepopo Valley, Tongariro Northern Circuit, day 1

Sign on the Tongariro Northern Circuit installed in a relatively recent lava field, reminding you that you are on on active volcano, and to run like your life depends on it if the ground starts to shake or smoke 

This circa 1970s lava is on the slopes of Mt Nguaruhou (Mt Doom). The low visibility combined with high winds made the side trip to the summit and caldron both highly dangerous and viewless. The risk of injury from loose volcanic rock sliding down the steep slope is very high in these conditions because gusts of high wind initiate the rapid downhill movement of rocks and the heavy clouds reduce visibility, making them impossible to avoid. Alas, we did not summit.

Tongariro National Park encompasses a particularly active section directly on the Ring of Fire. Tectonic forces from the pressure between the Pacific Plate and Australian Plate dish out earthquakes and volcanic eruptions with significant frequency. In fact, the volcanoes of New Zealand are among the most active in the world, with the volcanoes of Tongariro National Park at the top of the list. Ngauruhoe alone erupted 45 times in the 20th century, and the area has also been subject to numerous minor, and some major earthquakes. Internal volcanic forces create steam vents and mold the landscape on a regular basis. On the opposite side of the Ring of Fire: the Pacific Crest including the volcanic peaks of the Pacific Northwest.

The Red Crater, a volcanic feature higher up the alpine section. Tongariro Northern Circuit, day 1

High point on the main section of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing/Tongariro Northern Circuit

We had made it over the crossing, but it was quite late in the day, about 7 PM and we still had a few miles to go to get down to the Oturere Hut. The upside: we had the place to ourselves. I googled the "Tongariro Alpine Crossing" and found that, at least in the pictures, it is more commonly quite crowded.

The smell of sulfur and warm humid air.... Note the steam emanating from ground in the trail. This has not been noted by others I have spoken to or in any photos I found online. I don't know if this vent which was right in the middle of the trail, just opened recently or is some transient feature, but we made an arc around it. 

Steam billowed from the landscape in this section of the trail.

Just after leaving the alpine crossing section, heavy clouds rolled in, making for an interesting decent to the Oturere in the long dwindling twilight.

On day 2 we hiked from Oturere Hut to Waihohunu Hut, during which time it never stopped raining. By the time we arrived, my Marmot Gore Tex Jacket had taken on water to the point that when I unzipped the map pocket, which is supposed to be water proof, I found my Iphone to be floating in a pocket full of water, never to function again. From the comfort of the Waihohunu Hut, we watched as gale winds blew sheets of water sideways over hunched shaking trees while rattling the rafters endlessly. Sorry, no pictures from day 2. 

On day 3 we woke to gale winds, but no rain. 

Mt Ruapehu

 Mt Ruapehu has erupted at least 60 times since 1945, with major eruptions occurring about every 50 years.

The sky had partially cleared, revealing the larger Mt. Ruapehu. We hiked out about 10 miles directly into strong, but no longer gale wind. Were sprinkled by drops of rain deposited from clouds over five miles to the east. To the south was the summit of shrouded Nguaruhoe, which we never saw. 

Taranaki Falls