Round the Mountain - Day 2

Day 2.  A 15km track in a predicted 5 hours.  According to the sign at the start.

I hadn't expected a level path around the mountain, but neither was a anticipating just how much rising and descending would be required.

From Waihohonu Hut there would be almost no defined path.  Instead the route would be identified by wooden or steel marker poles strategically placed in visual sight. 

The initial 25 minutes of walking was through tussock before following a dry riverbed.  The ground was covered with loose very coarse grit.  It was like walking uphill in sand.

Leaving Waihohonu Hut

An easy start. 

Looking back to Ngauruhoe over my right shoulder

After 40 minutes we reached the end of the riverbed and had to cross the ridgeline to the next gully/re-entrant/ravine/gorge.  Yes, as the days passed I started to think the terrain was getting steeper.  They started as gullies and at the end I was thinking gorge! 

I went looking for a map showing the track elevation.  Day 2 and we are walking the yellow line.  This was likely to be our most difficult day for ascending and descending.   The steep drop is down to; and out of; the Whangaehu River.

You can see Day 1 (red line) was relatively easy. 

You may have noticed in the above photo that the pack isn't a good fit on my back.  The pack weight should be on my shoulders and back.  Instead the additional weight in pack is causing it to drag back on my shoulders.  Moreover the pack shoulder straps are too think for the additional weight and cut into my shoulders.  This isn't a design fault but rather my decision to tie additional gear to the back.  I should have purchased a new pack for the walk but as I'm unlikely to ever do anything similar again it would have been an unnecessary expense.  

The walk was a steady succession of climbing up only to have to descend.

It was on our second descent I had my only fall.  It seems that we 'older' people don't lift our feet as high as we used to and my left heel caught a 'apple' sized smooth round rock whilst descending.  It rolled under my left boot and I stood on it losing my balance staggering to the left with the top half of my body falling forward.  I was frantically attempting to get my feet back under my body and gain my balance when I realised a 2 metre cliff and steep slope were rapidly approaching.  Rather than tumble over the cliff I elected an early fall rolling to a stop just above the top of the cliff. 

I was slightly sore and had a cut on my left shin.  A brief stop to apply a plaster and we carried on.  The fall reinforced to me the need for me to be particularly careful when descending and crossing obstacles. 

Taking Jan's hiking stick on the walk was invaluable and greatly assisted my balance.  The bottom section fell off on Day 1 and the top of the rubber handle broke off at the start of Day 2.  Day 3 saw the wrist strap fall off.  I wore a glove from Day 3 to avoid the top of the aluminium tube wearing a hole in my palm.  It wasn't until I returned home that Jan informed me she had noticed I had selected her expensive pole and she had quietly exchanged it for her cheap pole she purchased from Trespass in the UK.       

 

Way in the distance I could see a tiny structure on a ridgeline.  It was very small and I initially thought it might be a tower for the Tukino Ski Field. tow  As we continued on over undulating terrain and got closer I realised it was more likely a mobile phone tower.

Eventually we climbed to the top of that ridge and reached the Tukino Road which runs from the Desert Road in the east up to the Tukino ski field on Ruapehu.

At this point we were more than halfway to our destination for the day, Rangipo Hut.  However, ahead was the steepest gully on the walk.

Looking back to Mt Ngauruhoe

Up and down…. up and down….  Until we reached the northern ridgeline of the ravine containing the Whangaehu River.  This is the hazardous Lahar area. 

A steep descent to a wire suspension bridge across the Whangaehu River

Just as steep an ascent on the other side.  More undulating ground as we traverse the Rangipo Desert

After five hours we reach Rangipo Hut with spectacular views to the east.  Two walkers arrived travelling in the opposite direction.  They only stopped for lunch and then headed towards Waihohonu Hut.  Obviously they are completing the circuit in 3 days.  Oh to be young and fit !!

From the hut front deck I point out to Carlin the various hills and other features in the NZ Army Training Area away to the east.  In 1960 my father took me on my first deerstalking trip out there on the desert.  I remember how excited I was when he shot a deer on our second morning.  I got to carry out the venison back steaks whilst my father walked out with the hind legs.  Six years later I had enlisted and was back in the training area.  

Carlin still has plenty of energy and wandered around the area.  I check the long drop….. No toilet paper!  No trees to find leaves

Dinner was another 'delicious' freeze dried meal.  From memory Lamb and mixed veg with a sachet of instant mashed potato.

There was very little firewood at the hut.  This is probably unsurprising as it's the most exposed hut on the walk and consequentially probably gets very cold inside.  One of the local trampers we met at Waihohonu Hut the previous evening mentioned all the firewood is flown in by helicopter.  That seemed rather expensive.  But then there is no road so everything (including the hut) either gets carried in on a back or flown to the location.

 

 

Round the Mountain - Day 1

 The signed time to complete the Tongariro Cross track is five hours.  In order to almost ensure we were able to get a bed space at Waihohonu Hut we needed to be walking by 8.00AM at the latest. 

Both of us were up early and sat down to have a big cooked breakfast.  Sausages (I’m saving the savaloys), eggs, baked beans and toast.

Being a popular and well used track it has a well formed surface with gentle rises and descents.  

Mt Ruapehu was visible on our right shoulder and Mt Ngauruhoe to our half left.  The terrain is mostly open tussock covered alpine desert. 

Ngauruhoe with Upper Tama Lake in the middle ground

It was cold at the beginning however our brisk walking pace soon had me warmed up and I found myself removing my rain jacket and woollen beanie.  Actually this was the only time I wore the beanie during the day. 

We had been steadily overtaking slower walkers and as they weren’t carrying packs I assumed they were doing a day crossing.  Three hours into the walk we started to meet walkers going in the opposite direction.  None of them were carrying packs either.

Ngauruhoe is now behind us

Waihohonu Hut is the largest in the National Park and one of the newest.  It’s nestled in a sheltered location against the edge of an alpine Beech forest.  The Hut has three dormitories and 30 beds.  Mattresses are supplied and there is a wood burning stove.  Water is captured off the hut roof and stored in a tank.  Signs state all water should be boiled.  I noticed the water had a slight carbon taste, probably due to volcanic ash settling on the roof!  There is a long drop toilet.  Before leaving the caravan park I decided it might be prudent if I took a small quantity of toilet paper in a plastic bag.  My plumbing is weak and noisy and I might get caught short on the trail.

Carlin took some video footage which I’ve roughly edited and inserted below. 

If any of our readers know how to insert a video into Open Live Writer I would appreciate instructions

We reached the hut in just under four hours finding three others already there.  By 3PM all the beds had been taken and more hikers were arriving.  By 7PM there were 50 people at the hut making for an interesting night.

I had a conversation with one of the group of three that were at the hut when we arrived.  She informed me there were 50 in the hut the previous night which she though unsurprising, given it was a weekend and school holidays.  The other interesting fact was only three people had entered their details into the hut visitors book!  Perhaps some people weren't buying the hut tickets?

Dinner was roast beef and vegetables.  The meat was sliced thin and then diced.  I assume that makes it easier to dehydrate and reconstitute.  I wasn’t particularly enamoured with the taste… but then it’s only fuel. 

A surprise awaited me at the long drop.  No toilet paper!  That’s when I realised my small emergency supply would have to last six days.  Particular care would need to be taken with personal hygiene.  I would also need to ensure my dehydrated food was fully reconstituted.

Hell... my goal is to walk around THAT!

It was a noisy night as the hut occupants included two separate scout groups.  Not only did they talk at the top of their voices but most of them were born in a tent.

We woke early exiting our dormitory into the main hut area to discover the late arrivals from the previous day sleeping on and under the tables and spread across the floor.  Six very late arrivals had slept outside on the deck and were covered in frost!

Carlin had porridge for breakfast whilst I ate a freeze dried sausage and eggs with hash browns.  It just looked like mush.

We were one of the first groups to leave and from what we could establish we would be the only people heading around Ruapehu. 

 

Bucket List – Day 6

There are two sealed roads into Tongariro National Park.  The oldest is the northern road which was completed in 1925 with help from labour provided by Wakapapa prison camp.  

In 1929 a 100 bed hotel was constructed adjacent to the northern road.  It was named The Chateau and remains the most imposing structure as you drive into the park.

 

The road continues through Wakapapa Village before going up to the snowline and the Alpine Village, which contains numerous ski lodges.

Tongariro National Park is New Zealand’s oldest national park. The land was gifted to the people of New Zealand by the local maori paramount chief.  Te Heu Heu Tūkino did this to ensure the area's protection for all time.

The park contains three mountains in an active volcanic area.  Mt Tongariro is the  northern most and smallest.   It has at least 12 cones and has erupted 70 times since Europeans arrived.  Basically it is the remains of a large volcanic mountain that exploded.

Mt Ngaurahoe is the youngest of the three and is a secondary cone of Tongariro.  It has that classic cone shape.  Peter Jackson used Ngaurahoe as Mt Doom in Lord of the Rings.  In 1961 I attempted to climb Mt Ngaurahoe with a group of boys.  We were members of a party of St John’s Ambulance boys on a visit to the park.  I recall the climb was quite steep and we only got 2/3 the way to the top when we noticed the crater was spitting out rocks that were rolling past us.  We wisely turned back.

Ruapehu is the largest of the three and the only one to have ski fields.  The mouth of the crater is full of water and known as Crater Lake.  I’ve walked to the lip of the crater on a number of occasions.   There is an ice “plug” in the side of the crater and if the water temperature in the lake rises the plug can melt resulting in the water draining out of the crater then rushing down the eastern side of the mountain forming a Lahar.  This has occurred on several occasions.  In 1953 it resulted in the Tangiwai Disaster when the Lahar destroyed the rail bridge at Tangiwai during the night and an express passenger train plunged into the Whangaehu River.  151 people were killed.

There are two major walking circuit in the national park.  The northern circuit is shorter and more popular.  It circumnavigates Ngaurahoe and Tongariro.  The southern circuit goes around Ruapehu.  It’s longer and less frequently walked.

 

Both circuits share the cyan coloured line between the ends of the purple line.  This common track is part of the “Tongariro Crossing” which is a popular tourist day walk.  Usually walkers start at one end and are collected at the other.

If you look at the brown contour lines in the above map you will notice the southern circuit has far more gullies and streams.  Not only is the route longer, but more physically challenging.  The green shaded areas to the west and south are an indication that these are the “wet” sides, with the eastern side being the “dry” Rangipo Desert.

During the ‘Peak’ season (ie, summer) the huts around the mountains are staffed by rangers and the popular huts (on the northern circuit require pre-booking.  All other huts are on a ‘first come first bed’ basis.  During peak season the hut rate is $54 per person per night.  Off peak the rate is $15.  We were there during the off peak.

I had already decided to walk the longer and more difficult southern circuit.   Every year an annual challenge know as ‘The Ring of Fire’ is conducted around this circuit.  It’s a one day solo event to traverse the 73km.  The current record is 8 hours, 30 minutes and 25 seconds.  I plan on completing it in six days!

The next decision was deciding on going clockwise or anticlockwise.  The bulk of the river crossing are to the west which would likely mean wet feet for six days.  However it would mean the last 1½ days would be easier terrain.  Going clockwise would mean starting easier and gradually getting harder with potentially wet feet on the last two days.  We would be tackling some difficult terrain towards the end whilst being (me) potentially exhausted.  However our packs would be lighter as we would have consumed the bulk of our food.

Weighing everything up I decided on a clockwise direction.  This had the additional advantage that we would be staying in the popular Waihohonu Hut on our first day.  If we walked the Tongariro Cross track fast we could reach the hut by midday thus improving our chances of grabbing a bed.

Carlin and I had our second dinner of savaloys <Yummm>.  I had the vaguest suspicion Carlin might have been looking forward to freeze-dried dinners.

 

 

Bucket List - Day 5

We woke to frost on the windscreen.

Nothing new for Carlin, however I last saw frost in the UK.  The caravan park showers were interesting.  The mixing valve gave you the option of scalding hot or freezing cold.  Nothing in between!  Undeterred I managed a shower; albeit briefly!  We then headed back to Matamata to shop for a stove gas canister.  I’d forgotten to buy one the previous day.

You may be thinking “Why go to Matamata?”  A hint can be found in the town information centre.

 

We were there on ‘party business’

Just outside Matamata is Hobbiton from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Sir Peter Jackson was flying around the area in a helicopter looking for film locations when he noticed a small part of Russell Alexander’s 500ha farm looked an ideal location for Hobbiton. 

Peter Jackson asked the NZ Government for financial assistance with the production of the film.  The government declined, stating they didn’t have the funds.  However they subsequently offered the services of the NZ Army Corps of Engineers to construct a road to the site.  This was accepted and the army engineers built the road.  Some of the soldiers also had cameo roles as Orcs.    Apparently they didn’t require make-up!  Having been an army engineer for 24 years I can quite believe this.

Hobbiton was constructed to be a temporary film location and after the filming of The Lord of the Rings it was demolished.  Subsequently Peter Jackson decided to film The Hobbit trilogy and Hobbiton needed to be reconstructed.  This time Russell Alexander reached an agreement with Peter Jackson that the film set would be permanent as he (Alexander) had realised the future potential of the site.

We parked at The Shire’s Rest and bought entry tickets.  From memory it wasn’t cheap at $86 each.

Access to Hobbiton is via a private road and all visitors are required to travel on one of the company buses.  It’s a group guided tour with each group on a separate timetable.  No wandering around on your own!

One of the trees in the above photo is a fake!  It’s the one on the skyline in the middle of the photo directly above Bilbo’s home.  By the time Peter Jackson started filming The Hobbit the original tree had grown.  A new tree was sourced.  However it wasn’t an Oak tree and Peter Jackson demanded an oak.  Overnight a crew stripped all the leaves from the branches and wired 40,000 fake oak leaves in their place.  Unfortunately after several weeks in the sunlight the fake leaves faded silver.  The process had to be repeated with non fading plastic leaves.

Each of the homes has a different theme.

The vegetables are real.  A team of gardeners are employed to keep everything original.  They even peg out the laundry in the morning and take it in at the end of the day.

That is the fake tree in the top middle of the above photo.  In the foreground is the Village Green

The lake is artificial, created for the set.  On the far bank to the left of the bridge is The Green Dragon pub

 

The tour ended at The Green Dragon with a complementary mug of beer, stout or ginger beer.  I chose the latter as I was driving.

Leaving Hobbiton we headed south to Taupo where Carlin wanted to buy a couple of items for his canoe.  Mid afternoon I telephoned the caravan park at Wakapapa Village in Tongariro National Park to make a booking for the next six nights. 

    

The road down the eastern side of Lake Taupo is quite scenic and I was reminded this is where my parents had their honeymoon in 1950.   Jan will tell you she never had a honeymoon.  It’s nonsense of course.  I tell her every day with me is a honeymoon!  Modesty prevents me from writing more.