Tongariro Crossing

Why is this woman smiling? First, because she has conquered the mountain behind her (Ngauruhoe, 2287m), and second, because she has no idea of the further rigors that lay ahead. As far as first summits go, scrambling up the steep and trackless volcanic scree of 'Mt Doom" is certainly a bold, if less than ideal, choice. Goodonyeh, mate!

It takes very little imagination to envision Mordor in the this harsh landscape (is that an Orc lurking in the background?)

Here's the view from the summit of Ngauruhoe, high above the clouds. To get some idea of the scale, click on the photo to enlarge and follow along: the mountain lake (Blue Lake) at the center of the photo is over a kilometer across and nearly ten kilometers away. The flat top of Mount Tongariro (1967m) can also be seen edging through the clouds at far left. Although it appears to be in the same plane as the lake, it is actually mid way between.

As the sun rose the following morning, Kristen captured this pic of snow-capped Ruapehu (2797m, at right) and Ngauruhoe (far left) from outside our chalet. 

The reason Ngauruhoe is not also snow covered is that it is an active volcano, and erupts on average every decade or so (last in 1975, so we are well overdue). At the summit, the biting winds are from the ascent are tempered by abundant thermal venting.

The Tongariro Crossing (19.4km) is widely regarded as the best one day hike in New Zealand. It is certainly one of the most challenging (and most popular). Hopefully, our legs will recover in time for next week's bike trek along the Eastern reach of the Bay of Plenty.