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Active Volcano Tops My Destination of the Year List

Jan 28th, 2010
by WanderingJustin.
5 comments

In the middle of a never-ending, steep, dismal scree slope, I paused to catch my breath. Just a few hundred feet more, I thought. That wouldn’t get me to the top. That would just get me to a collection of rocks where I hoped I could actually get some footing. I was burning tons of energy as my heart hammered and my legs burned. All for seemingly nothing, as I seemed to lose half the distance I’d gained with each step. I kept my eyes locked on the ground in front of me, because a glance in any other direction would reveal how far away I was from solid ground, how far I’d already climbed, and how far I still had to go – all before descending and hiking another eight miles or so.
Some people might want this day to end, and to never have to think about it again. But me … I think about climbing New Zealand’s Mt. Ngauruhoe every single day. There are three photos of it in my cubicle at work. It’s my Twitter page background. I would climb it every week if I could.
Mt. Ngauruhoe, and the Tongariro National Park surrounding it, is nothing less than completely bewitching, and they are the combined winner of my 2009 Destination of the Year Award.
I’ve given you practical tips for climbing Mt. Ngauruhoe in this blog before. I’ve fustigated National Geographic for bungling a story about Tongariro. But this time, I’m just offering a homage to a fantastic [...]

A Practical Guide to Hiking Mt. Doom & Tongariro Crossing

Mar 7th, 2009
by WanderingJustin.
4 comments

 

From nz1

Mount Ngauruhoe is a rocky and barren place upon which your feet will find little purchase. The land surrounding it is a blasted hellscape devoid of much flora or any fauna. All that’s alive here is the earth, as proven by the number of vents gushing steam and shooting crystalline sulfur pellets from its fiery depths.
But walk a few miles, and the stench of sulfur will abate. A verdant rain forest will reappear.
As nice at is to see signs of life again, it’s the lava-scoured lunar surface that truly makes the Tongariro Alpine Crossing by far the most incredible single-day hike I’ve ever done. According to most guide books, just hiking the crossing should take 6-8 hours, not including a side-trip up Ngauruhoe, which starred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as Mt. Doom, the hangout of bad guy Sauron. One look at it, and you’ll understand why it filled the role so well. It adds about three hours to a typical hike along the crossing.

I’m ready for a nice little walk.                                                                      From nz3

A QUICK TIME LINE – Just remember, Tongariro’s weather is highly variable. This was on a sunny and perfect day without much wind.
Hour 1: The hike starts off going between lava flows for Mangatepopo Car Park. You’ll pass dripping springs and a turn-off to one of the huts.
Hour 2: You’ll start up The Devil’s Staircase, which is where things start heating up. The reward once you get to the top is choosing whether to climb [...]

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