Besides really wanting to do the canoe trip, one of the top things that I hoped to do while on the North Island was hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing which is frequently rated one of the best day trips in the world. Unfortunately, since the crossing is so high and exposed, it's prone to harsh weather conditions that can often prove fatal for trekkers. All over the lodge there were newspaper clippings of past hikers who had died because of a lack of proper equipment, bad planning or extreme weather. In addition, 70% of the time the crossing is stuck in the clouds and you can't see anything making the exhausting long day not worth anything.

To make matters even more interesting, we had arrived right on the cusp of the change of seasons from winter to spring. The days before our arrival it was mandatory to go with a guide, crampons and ice axe (and also some hefty prices). In good and warmer weather anyone with enough water, warm clothes and proper shoes can attempt the hike. Sean and I really didn't want to have to pay the high prices for a guide but we also didn't want to be risky and stupid or miss out on a chance to do the crossing. So we waited for a day and hoped that we would get lucky and that the weather would improve and that conditions would not require a guide.

Amazingly, we got lucky and on our second day of waiting the DOC opened up the first day of the spring season of doing the crossing when you didn't need to go with a guide. We were also fortunate that a couple of the canoe guides wanted to do the trip as well. I was happy about this because they had done it before and knew what we were in for and also because it meant that we could drive ourselves; we left one car at the end of the hike and all drove back together in another to the start.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is so famous because it's so dramatic. One minute you're walking along volcanic desert and then suddenly you're in snow practically atop a volcano. It's a rush for the senses but definitely requires some preparation in terms of clothing, food and liquids. To start the hike at around 8am we all got up around 5:30 am and after some last minute packing and breakfast we took off toward the trail head.

The first part of the hike was flat and offered awesome views of the volcanoes we were going to walk around. The second part was the toughest - heaps of steep stairs that never seemed to end. But the effort was worth it because once we reached the snow it really started to feel like an alpine crossing and I began to see what all the fuss was about (more to come tomorrow).

 

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