Tongariro Alpine Crossing

On the morning of the hike, I had to get up quite early because the shuttle from the end of the hiking trail, where you can park your car, left for the start of the hiking trail at 7 AM. Additionally, I had to drive from the campsite to the parking lot first. While I was waiting for the shuttle, I met Catrina from Liechtenstein, who was also traveling alone, and we decided to hike together.

The half-hour ride on the shuttle bus, passing by forests with blooming gorse, the volcanoes, and snow-covered mountains, to the starting point in Mangatepopo Valley was simply amazing. After most of the people from our shuttle had started their hike, Catrina and I also made our way and covered the first 5 km to the Soda Springs with a slight incline.

After that, it got challenging: On the Devil's Staircase between Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe, we gained 200 meters in altitude over 1.3 km, but the view back over the landscape and Mount Egmont, which seemed to float above the clouds, made the effort worthwhile. On the next 2.8 km, another 300 meters in altitude were added, with Mount Ngauruhoe - aka Mount Doom - always beside us until we reached the Red Crater. In between, we took our first break and enjoyed a superb view of the mountain.

The Red Crater does not have its name for nothing and looks absolutely phenomenal with Mount Ngauruhoe in the background! Just a few steps further, we caught sight of the Emerald Lakes, where we took another break with a view of the lakes, Mount Ngauruhoe, and the Red Crater. From there, we continued past the Blue Lake for 13 km downhill back to the parking lot, where our cars were already waiting for us.

Exhilarated by this incredible hike and the good fortune we had with the weather, I got into the car and drove back to the campsite. While I was waiting for the shuttle in the morning, I had checked the weather forecast again, which stated that it would cloud over between 12 and 1 PM. Luckily, that didn't happen!

Fun Fact: After about every hour of hiking, you come across a series of pit toilets whose design fits the surrounding area. Clearly, someone put some thought into that.