In autumn, which takes place in March in New Zealand, the volcanic landscape in the national park is particularly colourful.
As tour guide Joe Easley prepares his latest group of hikers for an excursion crossing the Tongariro volcanic plateau in New Zealand’s North Island, they learn that it is a serious business.
“If you hear a bang as we’re walking, please look up first for rock fragments that could fly towards you,” he says. “If lava flow then pours into the valley, you’ll be safe on the mountain opposite.”
The hikers, all from different parts of the world, are preparing to set off from Mangatepopo car park.
“Well, an eruption is highly unlikely, but statistically long overdue. After all, we are travelling in New Zealand’s most active volcanic area,” Easley says.
Before handing out packed lunches and hiking poles, he briefly runs through the history of New Zealand’s first national park, dating back to 1887.
A Maori legend about the Tongariro volcano dates back to the 14th century, when a priest was caught in a snowstorm while climbing the mountains.
He called upon the gods of Hawaiki, his original homeland, to save him from freezing to death.
Hearing his plea, they sent fire demons, protecting him and unleashing volcanic forces throughout the region.
Ever since, the mountains and lakes around Mount Tongariro have been among the sites sacred to the Maori.
The three active volcanoes Tongariro (1,968m), Ngauruhoe (2,291m) and Ruapehu (2,797m) – the highest volcano in the country – are located on a high plateau.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is just under 20km, which may not seem long but the altitude is challenging, with walkers having to climb some 1,200m. The hike takes seven to eight hours and its official website recommends participants should have a “high fitness level”.
The first 90 minutes of the hike are fairly easy, from the end of Mangatepopo Road to the Soda Springs. We walk along boardwalks that lead over long stretches through alpine wetlands.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, one of the most beautiful hikes in the world, takes you through spectacular landscapes. — Photos: MICHAEL JUHRAN/dpa
After reaching Soda Springs, the trail gets steeper as it heads out of the Mangatepopo Valley, carved by ice-age glaciers.
The path leads up the Devil’s Staircase to the South Crater.
At this point, two Chinese hikers and an Australian couple turn back, missing out on the impressive spectacle across the crater plateau.
Dense clouds of mist drift across the pumice-strewn lunar landscape, with only the occasional hiker appearing like a shadowy shape. It feels enchanted and unreal.
We climb the edge of the caldera to a terrain resembling the formation of the Earth’s crust aeons ago, with pitch-black lava fields on one side and the almost perfectly formed volcanic cone of Ngauruhoe on the other.
What more could Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson have wanted? It’s easy to see why this landscape was perfect as a location for the trilogy.
In the films, the lava fields around the towering volcanoes became Mordor, the dark realm of the villain Sauron. Mount Ngauruhoe became Mount Doom, the mountain of fire where hobbit Frodo’s ring falls.
While in Tolkien’s story the volcano obeys Sauron’s commands and erupts at the end of the Third Age, “Mount Doom” seems to be in a peaceful mood today, with the clouds shifting occasionally to reveal the view.
The volcano has been resting since it last erupted in 1977.
Mount Tongariro also seems to be in a deep sleep. “That can change quickly,” says Joe, describing the mountain’s last minor eruption in 2012. It only lasted minutes but that was enough for rock fragments to smash the roof of the Ketetahi shelter.
A short steep ridge leads to the highest point of the hike at the Red Crater, at an altitude of almost 1,900m. A wide, deep red mouth rises out of the cauldron which once hurled masses of lava. In the background, clouds of steam rise from the Oturere valley. It smells of sulphur.
The steep descent starts across slippery scree. You can’t help but stop, again and again, to gaze at the impressive views of the Emerald Lakes below and the volcanoes and valleys all the way to the Blue Lake.
Once at the bottom, it is high time for lunch, on the shore of the lake. The hikers jump at the chance of a rest, undeterred by the smell of sulphur emerging from springs and crevices.
When it’s sunny, thousands of people come to Tongariro National Park – especially New Zealanders opting not to travel due to the pandemic.
Meanwhile there are special tours dedicated to Lord Of The Rings fans, to see all of the film locations in the park.
The films led to a significant increase in visitor numbers, angering some, especially the Maori. There has been talk of limiting access to the area, as the crowds rob the sacred Maori sites of their once sublime tranquillity.
Joe is annoyed at the sight of a group of hikers eating on the shore of Blue Lake, calling the behaviour disrespectful, given the fact that the lake is absolutely “tapu” (sacred) for the Maori.
Grey mists descend, almost as if the gods are also angry. Usually, on clear days, the views of the park’s mountains are impressive but today, they are covered in thick clouds. – dpa
