Tongariro
Three large volcanoes dominate the skyline of this rugged
area: Mt. Tongariro (the smallest), Mt. Ngaruahoe (the cone-shaped mountain
on the right is thought to be a vent of Mt. Tongariro) and snow-capped Mt.
Ruapehu (see photo on next page). Our plan was to complete the Tongariro
Crossing, an eight mile, all day hike before heading north. The weather,
as usual played a critical role.
According to the DOC, "Although deservedly famous
as the best day walk in New Zealand, the Crossing is a potentially treacherous
tramping route, very exposed to poor weather." Though we arrived on a very
"fine" day, the weather for the next two days was to be miserable: low clouds,
very high winds (over 100 km/hour) were predicted. The rain was not an issue.
Shuttle companies canceled their scheduled departures and pick-ups. There
was simply no way to do the trek the day we were there (February 14th) or
the next for reasons of poor weather.
