Hordes of Tongariro

(steve)

****We posted three rapid-fire blog entries so there's lots of new stuff!!****




Just finished the Tongariro Northern Circuit. 49 kilometres of volcanic landscape with loads of pumice and eerie lunar-style rock formations (seen recently as Mordor in Lord of the Rings). We swear we saw a couple of orcs at one point. This trip felt very different from all of the previous, since we spent almost no time immersed in the familiar beech forest. Instead, we got to experience a large dose of wind and with rain and hail mixed in for good measure (parts of all three days). This was the first time that I felt truly cold the entire trip so far. In fact, I hadn't worn my thermals, gloves, and fleece hat until this week. You know it's cold when you look at Karen and she has ice in her eyebrows (apparently I had ice in my hair).






The walk took us between a trio of volcanoes including Mt. Rupehu (Mt. Doom). Both huts we stayed in had great views from their front porches (when not completely buried in the clouds), making the afternoons easy to sit and contemplate your existence. The most spectacular part of the walk was the climb through the craters and lakes created by massive eruptions, complete with thermal vents (like those found in Yellowstone). The entire area is very geologically active with the last eruption occurring for Rupehu in 1997. The landscape was filled with bits of rock thrown about and lava flows to make the jagged formations we walked through. It was amazing.




The most annoying part of the trip was the last day, known as the Tongariro Crossing. This segment was billed as the "best day hike in New Zealand." Unfortunately for us that meant about 250 of our closest friends to share the trail with (mostly compacted in a 2 km stretch). The annoying part was that we were walking in the opposite direction, making inevitable stops at every switchback to let 10 more people go past. Funny enough, we looked so dirty (and cold) to scare some of the day-hikers into asking if we had turned back in defeat. Since some of them were walking in 60 km/hr winds (essentially through a cloud) in shorts, cotton sweatshirts, and tennis shoes, the question was justified. We even saw a couple carrying two infants in kid-backpacks!! Can you say kid-sicles?



Despite the weather and stares, the trip was enjoyable and ranks among our favorites during our time here (do we keep saying that?). It's hard to get over the other-world feeling of walking through a volcanic area.