We are up at 5:30 and this is the earliest we have crawled out of bed in a long time. First thing we noticed was that the sky is blue and it is going to be a great day. We headed over to the camp kitchen to learn that we are not the earliest up after all.
We were concerned about whether or not we would be able to get on the shuttle bus since it is not long for us to notice that everyone (and there are a lot of people here) are getting up and talking about going to the crossing today. Several people have been waiting here at “base camp” for several days and they were not going to miss this first opportunity. We had our ticket for the bus and we were ready to go when the bus arrived and so it was not a problem for us, but the people kept coming. It was a relief to see a second bus arrive.
We did a short drive to the trail head and got off the bus along with the other bus loads to start up the trail. While we were on the bus we were told that sunscreen was an absolute must since the burn time is 7 minutes without. We put on sunscreen and I even got out my Tilley hat (which I have not worn for years but tossed in my pack for some reason) which totally shades my face and neck. On the trail again!
The trail is very busy and for the entire 19.4 km trek up to the volcano caldera over the top and down the other side was lined with hikers. At no time were we out of sight of someone. The first part of the hike is across the alpine plateau that headed to the base of rise between Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings). The path is well defined and well maintained.
As we started to climb up the path snakes back and forth with switchbacks giving you a view of people climbing above and below you reminding you that you are not alone. Most of the trail is well maintained but since there has been a lot of rain lately, there are places where the gravel has been washed away leaving large rocks that means footing has to be watched. However, in the areas where the slope is too steep steps have been set up. Everyone we talked to agreed that climbing steps is more tiring than just climbing up a slope. People seemed to be coming constantly and we passed and were passed based on the speed and lung capacity of those on the trail.
The first location of note is the Soda Springs which has a waterfall. As we travelled on from here we started to climb up to the South Crater. To get to the top of the South Crater we climbed the Devils Staircase (appropriately named I should add). When we got to the top of the South Crater we had to choose about whether or not we wished to take the sidetrack to the summit of Mt. Ngauruhoe.
The Mt. Ngauruhoe side track is signposted to the base of the mount only. There is no marked track up this mountain and it is very steep. It is considered and marked as EXTREMELY Difficult and should only be done by people who have found the Devils Staircase easy. It is posted as a 1 ½ hour climb up and a 30 minute decent. We opted to pass on this climb even though Wes was really tempted. Me - not so tempted.
From the South Crater is very easy and flat and at the far side was a small lake which we are calling Green Lake (not really sure of its name). From this point we started up another ascent to the Red Crater Ridge. We were cautioned that this section of the track is steep and has big drops on either side. Boy did they have that right. In addition the winds up here can be extreme and dangerous. We had some mild winds which I considered refreshing but did force me back into my jacket.
At the top of is the Red Crater which is the summit of the main track is a good spot to take a breath. On a clear day we are told you can see coast to coast and even though it is sunny today, there is a hazy in the distance in all directions so seeing coast to coast was not possible. In addition there is a side track to Mt Tongariro summit trail. It would add 1 ½ hours to the trek and can only be done on good days. We were not sure about the distance to meet our bus so we opted to continue on the main trail.
When we left the top the track is almost all down hill. We had a stunning view of three lakes below us which are called the Emerald Lakes. When we reach the bottom we will be inside the Center Crater which is flat and easy through the crater to the Blue Lake.
The final decent takes you from the Center Crater and Blue Lake to Rotopaunga valley and down the north face to the Ketetahi Hut. Coming down the north face was interesting since it seemed the hut was only a couple hundred feet below you position on the trail, but the zig zag route of the trail was a couple of km long. At the hut we could sit and have our late lunch and marvel at the views. Since there were so many people around the were plenty of people to talk to and chat about the trek we had just finished.
In particular we had a really pleasant chat with a family from England and enjoyed talking about all types of topics. The mom and dad are Doctors and the kids are both very intelligent and friendly . Our lunch time went very quickly because of the social aspect of sitting in the sun and relaxing with friendly conversation.
However, the day is not done since we still have to complete 3 ½ kms to the end of the trail and it is primarily downhill still. We were able to enjoy walking by a hot springs with the plumbs of white steam floating upward and noted a waterfall with hot water flowing. The last 2 km of the trail actually are through the forest and we are totally shaded and sheltered from any type of breeze. Finally just before the end of the trail we find a side track that lead a waterfall which is gushing water (not too surprising considering the amount of rain in the past week).
Back at camp we really felt we earned a bit of a rest and relaxation time. As others returned we sat in the camp kitchen and talked about the trek we all enjoyed and shared pictures. We are finding that this campsite has a very social aspect and the camp kitchen is where everyone sits down to chat. In most camps a few people will come and go to the kitchen but seldom do they do more than have a quick social chat before heading back to their campsites. Perhaps the rain or the common interest in hiking is the difference here.
What a wonderful day this has been and both of us are not hurting physically – just tired, so all is good. However, we have to decide what we are going to do tomorrow and where we will plan to be on Christmas Day. The weather for tomorrow is calling for rain again and we have been told that the crossing will not be permitted because of the high winds and rain. (This means that we really lucked out in getting such a great trek today since if it does not go tomorrow and will not be available on Christmas Day, that the trek only went one day in 8 days and we were on that one day.)
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