The Tongariro Alpine Crossing in Tongariro National Park is one of New Zealand's
most spectacular tramping tracks, designated one of the "great walks" by the
Department of Conservation and might very well be the best one-day walk in New
Zealand. The crossing passes over volcanic terrain along the slopes of the active
volcanoes Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro, which can optionally be climbed in a side
trip.
The crossing takes about seven hours, and although it is certainly not extreme, it does require a basic level of fitness. A steep 45 minute ascent – the most difficult part of the track – comes soon after the start.
Until 2007 the crossing was called "Tongariro Crossing", but this was changed to "Tongariro Alpine Crossing" to better reflect the terrain. The Department of Conservation resorted to this to warn the many poorly equipped visitors of potential hazards. In 2006 two people of an estimated 65,000 users had died on the track
The Tongariro crossing, a crossing of Mt Tongariro near Turangi, Central North Island is extremely popular. It is crowded in summer with often over 200 people in one day. It is a great crossing in winter but due to snow, alpine skills, ice axe and crampons are essential. In winter, a high standard of navigational skill may be required as the poles marking the track may be buried in snow and mist may reduce visbility to 10m or less.
This is a lengthy day walk from Mangatepopo road end to the Ketatahi road. Steep
climbs, good views, volcanic terrain and colourful lakes. This is an alpine crossing,
dangerous in bad weather. The only water en route is at two huts; one at the start of
the track and the other at the end.
A side trip to the summit of Ngauruhoe adds two hours of mostly hard, steep walking, but provides excellent views on a good day, and a great run down the scree slopes on the way back. A short and easy side trip (one hour return from Red Crater) can be made to the much less spectacular summit of Tongariro.
Red Crater can be entered from near the Emerald Lakes by walking up the steaming
slope south of the lakes. Frodo and Sam walked up this slope during their vacation
in Mordor. Blue Lake is sacred to Maori and is tapu, so treat him with respect.
A short scramble off-track leads to North Crater and a sidle around the massif from
near Ketatahi takes you to the Te Maari craters.
A better option than the one-day walk is to do the three-day northern circuit. This begins at Mangatepopop or Whakapapa, heads over the crossing (Camping is possible in the north end of South Crater, there is usually water flowing from a spring here, but not in very dry weather), then makes a short detour to Blue Lake, then down to Oturere Hut. Lava formations make Oturere Valley fantastic in miserable weather. Oturere Hut has a great waterfall nearby.
From Oturere head across desert, then through beech forest to Waihohonu Hut. Another side trip leads to the stunning Ohinepango cold springs (15 minutes from the hut), then the track heads over the gentle Tama Saddle and back to Whakapapa. A side trip on this section leads to two deep explosion craters which form Tama Lakes.
There are good free camping spots by the stream or cold springs (to the north of Waihohonu Hut, not Ohinepango Springs, which are to the south) in Waihohonu Valley, and beside Upper Tama Lake (a bit hard to get to)
If hitch-hiking, the easiest way to the circuit is from the Desert Road (State Highway
One, the main Auckland-Wellington road), taking the track to Waihohonu Hut (1 to 2
hours). You’ll need a map to know where to find the start of the track.
In good weather it’s possible to complete the circuit in two days, but three or four is
more sensible.
