The mountains in the park play a big part in the mythology of the Maori people, the indigenous people of New Zealand. The story goes that Mount Tongariro and Mount Taranaki battled for the love of Mount Pihanga, the only female mountain in the area. Tongariro eventually won and Taranaki left with his tail in between his legs. Taranaki now stands along the western coast, far from Tongariro and Pihanga.
To learn more about the Maori legend click here.
We started very early on Day 2 and got going just as the sun was rising. The second day took us through the alpine crossing. We had to climb up the mountain and back down the other side to get to the next hut. This trail is also offered as a day hike and there were a lot more people on the trail than the day before.
The terrain changed drastically as we approached the ascent. What was once grassland turned into a barren wasteland. The volcanic activity in the area has continually suppressed the plantlife and only grass and some shrubs are able to grow.
The climb was not easy! It wasn’t only a matter of the elevation gain, which was roughly 500 meters. The trail itself was not stable. A lot of loose rocks and sand which made getting a proper footing difficult at times. We had to take it slowly to ensure we didn’t hurt ourselves. Carrying a pack with three days worth of equipment doesn’t help the cause either.
But boy, were the views worth it. It is a bit odd that such a wasteland could be beautiful but it absolutely was. At times I felt like I was on Mars. It was hard to figure out where to look as we approached the Red Crater and the Emerald Lakes.
The lakes are almost green in color, due to the minerals found in the water. It reminded me of Iceland because the whole area smelt of rotten eggs. Oddly enough I found the smell quite pleasing. By the time we reached the top, we had been trekking for close to five hours and we stopped by a larger lake nearby for lunch, promptly called Blue Lake.
After taking a rest we moved on. The other side of the mountain was even more like a desert. It really felt like we were walking through Mordor. It took us about another 2 hours to reach the Uterere Hut. Sarah and Shelley were staying there but I had to go to the next hut which was about another 3 hours away. I rested up for a bit, said my goodbyes, and moved along.
At this point, I was exhausted and was excited to get to the lodge. The track was flatter but like the first day very up and down. The landscape changed until I was finally at a forest with a small stream running through it.
After resting at the stream I had one more large ascent, the hut being in the valley on the other side. At this point, I had wished they had blown a tunnel through the hill because it was a bit of a struggle for me. But I took my time and persevered. I walked for about 11 hours and I slept like a baby that night.