Tongariro Alpine Crossing 03-03-2023
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Route: Mangatepopo Car Park, Tongariro Alpine Crossing Track, Mangatepopo Hut, Mangatepopo Stream, Soda Spring, Devil's Staircase, South Crater, Red Crater, Emerald Lakes, Blue Lake, Ketetahi Hot Springs, Ketetahi Hut, Mangatipua Stream, Ketetahi Car Park
Date: 03/03/2023
From: Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Parking: N/A
Start Point: Tongariro Alpine Crossing - Mangatepopo Car Park
Finish Point: Tongariro Alpine Crossing - Ketetahi Car Park
Region: Tongariro National Park
Route length: 20.4km
Time taken: 06:42
Average speed: 4.1km/h
Ascent: 897m
Descent: 1,255m
Points of Interest: South Crater, Red Crater, Emerald Lakes, Central Crater, Blue Lake
Heralded as one of the best day hikes in New Zealand, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one to be considered if you ever make it to the North Island (also Te Ika-a-Māui) of Aotearoa. Situated in the heart of the North Island, Tongariro National Park forms the edge of the highly active Taupō Volcanic Zone that is home to several large active volcanoes of which Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Ruapehu are the most prominent.
The hike is one-way from south to north, crossing the slopes of Mount Ngauruhoe and its volcanic surrounds. That means you'll need to arrange a transport option to and from the beginning and end of the hike. Fortunately, several shuttle bus companies offer this service. We used Tongariro Crossing Shuttles for our hike and they performed as expected. It is a long hike with little shelter and no reliable water sources so pack accordingly - plenty of water, food and clothes for all weathers. That said, due to its popularity there are some basic toilets dotted along the length of the route - you will need your own paper.
The shuttle buses leave the nearby National Park village at set times depending on your booking, starting at 05:45 in the morning. We opted for a 07:15 pickup which gets you to the start of the hike by around 08:00. As you can see from my photos, the weather was nothing short of perfect for our hike, but the weather can be very changeable, particularly around the summit of Red Crater.
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| Dawn breaks over Tongariro National Park |
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| The shadowy outline of Mount Ngauruhoe |
The hike can be broken into four sections, the first leading from the car park to the foot of the Devil's Staircase. This section has a very gentle gradient that climbs from grassy plains up to the beginning of the arid, volcanic area around the base of Mount Ngauruhoe.
We began with the large group that departed our bus, most heading straight for the toilets or a glance at the large map nearby. We set off immediately to get ahead of the crowd, following the path along the course of the Mangatepopo Stream as it flows around the edge of an old lava flow, crossing it several times via small footbridges. It passes the Mangatepopo Hut, a small accommodation building used by multi-day backpackers tackling the Tongariro Nothern Circuit, one of New Zealand's Great Walks. If the toilets in the car park are busy, there are a couple close to the hut, 20 minutes away.  |
| There is a shelter and information board at the beginning of the hike |
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| Sara leads off |
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| On a clear day, you'll get some views of Mount Ruapehu - these are the only views of the North Island's tallest mountain while on the crossing |
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| Heading towards Mangatepopo Stream |
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| Mangatepopo Stream |
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| A distant Mount Taranaki rises over an early morning cloud inversion |
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| Mangatepopo Stream |
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| Mount Ngauruhoe |
Following the path past the hut leads directly towards Mount Tongariro along the wide Mangatepopo Valley. Despite not being the tallest of the volcanoes in the area, Mount Tongariro lends its name to the entire national park. Geologically speaking, it is a Compound or Complex Volcano, one that is formed of many different volcanic vents and landforms. Tongariro consists of at least twelve cones with Mount Ngauruhoe being the tallest and most active.
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| Crossing the Mangatepopo Valley - the sun rises behind Mount Tongariro |
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| An old lava flow below Mount Tongariro |
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| Mount Ngauruhoe |
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| Soda Springs |
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| The Mangatepopo Valley becomes drier as you climb |
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| Mount Ngauruhoe - hikers on the Devil's Staircase can be seen in the foreground |
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| Crossing the Mangatepopo Stream |
The second section leads up the Devil's Staircase, across the South Crater and then up to the rim of Red Crater. This section has the most elevation gain of the entire hike, rising from 1400m at the base of the Devil's Staircase to 1868m at the summit of Red Crater.
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| Hikers on the Devil's Staircase |
The Devil's Staircase is a steep section that climbs the lower slopes of Mount Ngauruhoe, crossing two lava flows from eruptions in 1870 and two pyroclastic flows from 1975. We took our time, savouring the expansive views to the southwest, including Mount Taranaki, another of the North Islands' conical volcanoes.
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| Views across Whanganui towards Mount Taranaki (on the horizon, just behind the clouds) |
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| Mount Tongariro and the Mangatepopo Valley |
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| The Devil's Staircase |
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| Reaching the top of the climb as it crosses the old lava flows |
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| The Mount Ngauruhoe lava flow |
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| Mount Ngauruhoe |
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| Debris from previous eruptions of Mount Ngauruhoe |
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| The rim of Mount Ngauruhoe |
The climb up the Devil's Staircase emerges at the large, flat expanse of South Crater where you'll find another small block of toilets. Despite its name, South Crater is actually thought to be glacially formed rather than volcanic. The path heads straight across and is flat, almost like a road. Enjoy this easy section as another steep climb beckons.
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| South Crater |
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| The route across South Crater is marked by posts should the weather close in |
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| South Crater |
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| The ridge that climbs to Red Crater |
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| South Crater |
Having crossed South Crater you'll reach the base of a narrow ridge. From here there is another steep climb to the rim of Red Crater. This part of the track is very rocky so be mindful of where you are placing your feet.
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| Climbing towards Red Crater |
As you climb the ridge towards the Red Crater you will get some of the best views of Mount Ngauruhoe and the South Crater below. Ngauruhoe is the youngest and tallest volcanic cone of the Tongariro complex and retains a typical conical profile. Such is its classic shape, it was used as a stand-in for the fictional Mount Doom in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, gaining significant popularity off the back of the movies.
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| There are fabulous views of Mount Ngauruhoe as you climb to Red Crater |
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| Outere Stream below Red Crater |
The volcano remains active and last erupted in the 1970s, initially catching a hiking group unawares before several more explosive eruptions in 1974 and 1975. While a network of volcanic monitoring equipment and warning systems are in place, they cannot guarantee your personal safety should an eruption occur. Eruptions can occur with little or no warning as happened on the nearby Whakkari/White Island in 2019, killing 22 people. Climbing Mount Ngauruhoe as a side trip from the main crossing is not recommended anymore (as requested by the local iwi) and track markings have been removed.  |
| The powerful 1975 eruption of Mount Ngauruhoe (DOC) |
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| South Crater |
Eventually, we reached the rim of the Red Crater and the small summit that stands on the west side of the rim. At 1868m the views are extensive, particularly along the Oturere Stream and the desolate Rangipo Desert. The real stars however are the striking Emerald Lakes which form part of section 3. They are unlike anything I have ever seen before.
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| Red Crater, Mount Ngauruhoe and South Crater |
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| The summit of Red Crater |
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| Sara on the Red Crater |
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| Red Crater |
Section 3 of the hike traverses the most volcanically active area of the Tongariro Crossing, descending from the Red Crater to the Emerald Lakes, through the Central Crater and up to the Blue Lake. The descent from Red Crater demands extra care as loose rocks underfoot can move quickly and easily - most accidents occur in this short section. That said, the descending ridge has the best and most iconic views of the Emerald Lakes so you'll want to take your time anyway.
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| The Emerald Lakes as viewed from Red Crater |
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| Red Crater |
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| Emerald Lakes from Red Crater |
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| The ridge leading down to the lakes is loose and slippery |
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| Emerald Lakes |
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| Red Crater |
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| Emerald Lakes |
The ridge leads directly to the shores of the lakes and some smaller tracks get closer to the green waters than the main track. It is the minerals leached from the surrounding rocks that give the lakes their incredible colour. There is a lot of geothermal activity around the Emerald Lakes with several steam vents (fumaroles) dotted around. Unsurprisingly, the steam is scalding and should not be approached.
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| The largest of the lakes |
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| The vivid colour of the Emerald Lakes is astonishing |
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| Emerald Lakes |
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| An active fumarole |
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| The expansive Outere Stream and Rangipo Desert |
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| Emerald Lake |
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| Looking back to Red Crater |
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| Red Crater has a far more volcanic profile viewed from the north |
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| Blue Lake |
The final section of this hike is the longest, descending from Blue Lake to the northern car park at Ketetahi with the path following the slopes of North Crater. The crater was once filled with molten lava which cooled and solidified leaving a level surface over 1000m wide. Unfortunately, this is not seen from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
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| Leaving the Central Crater |
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| The last of the arid conditions on the Tongariro Crossing |
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| Clouds piled up on the northern slopes |
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| Into the clouds for a short while |
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| Descending towards Ketetahi |
The path descends a series of wide zigzags to Ketetahi Hot Springs and the remains of the Ketetahi shelter. The springs are off limits after a tourist was scalded to death in the 1990s while the Ketetahi shelter has been closed since 2012 after it was damaged when the nearby Te Maari craters erupted. These two events clearly the continuing dangers associated with the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
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| The track winds here, there and everywhere and takes longer than you think |
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| The Ketetahi Hot Springs |
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| Still descending |
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| Lake Rotoaira |
While there are fabulous views of Lake Rotoaira and Pihanga, the ending of the hike does start to feel a bit tedious as more zigzags eventually get you to the wooded slopes on the north side of the volcanic complex - the Ōkahukura Bush. We were in a bit of a hurry at this stage as we were keen to catch the shuttle bus back to National Park. If you bought a return ticket, the buses depart the Ketetahi car park at set times each afternoon and we were on track to get back to the car park in time for a 14.45 departure. If we missed that, the next bus was at 16.30.
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| Looking back to the Hot Springs |
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| Reaching the end of the long descent to Ketetahi |
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| Ōkahukura Bush |
e hustled along through the wooded section which was a welcome change in scenery and a far cry from the lunar-like landscape behind us. The path reaches Mangatipua Stream and then follows it for a short distance. There are several signs warning about lahars, violent and destructive mudflows that can form during a volcanic eruption. Hikers are encouraged not the linger.
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| Entering the hazard zone |
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| Ōkahukura Bush |
Eventually, we made it to the car park at the Ketetahi end of the hike, completing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and, with a few minutes to spare before the shuttle bus back to National Park. The hike is far and away one of the best I have ever done and it is rightly popular - I hope some of the photos inspire you to give it a go. You should try and pick a dry, clear day for your hike as the scenery is sensational and it would be a shame to miss the views. We were fortunate with the weather on our day (thanks to a bit of forward planning three days prior) but New Zealand has been kind to us so far. Long may it continue.
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| The sign at the end of the crossing |
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