The Tongariro Alpine Crossing - one of the most majestic walks available in the whole of New Zealand, and relatively short besides - only 6 hours to cross some of the most stunning terrain in the world.
As you can see on the map, the landscape is littered with craters here, leftovers from dramatic former eruptions.
The track winds its way up through valleys containing scant vegetation and tiny streams before lifting you up onto a desolate volcanic plain.
This is Mount Ngauruhoe (used as Mount Doom for the LOTR films). Incredible volcanic debris, looking like rocky cornflake clusters, litters the landscape, and nothing grows but stubborn grasses. Climbing it is only for the brave and ultra fit (not us!) as the steep scree slopes leave you taking 2 steps back for every 3 steps forward. And although it looks innocent its a long way up!
The track winds through crater floors and up crater rims, and even the grasses can't grow here.
Off to the west is the Oturere Valley - also used by the LOTR films as a location for Mordor. It's not hard to see why!
The beautiful Emerald Lakes, with clouds of steam venting from the ground:
Although they look blue rather than green here...
A view back over Central Crater:
Finally we start our descent, with Lake Taupo in the far distance.
The vegetation slowly returns, with little alpine flowers, heather and flax.
Home and a rest, in time to watch a gorgeous mountain sunset.
1 comment:
Revisiting your Mount Doom post after climbing it on Saturday. Crazy intense walk/climb/scramble for somebody who is a newbie at climbing/scrambling/hike up volcanoes. Amazing views, but sheeesh, was a long and hard road..!!!
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