Day #9. Tongariro Crossing.

My feet are killing me.  This is no exaggeration when I say that I am literally hobbling around tonight.  

The Tongariro Crossing is maybe a medium difficulty trail.  All ages from 10 years old to 70 were out there hiking today.  The bus dropped our huge group off at the base around 7:45 and we were told we had 8 hours to walk the 20 km crossing.  More than enough time, even at a slow pace.  If I had just stuck to the trail, I probably would have been ok.  But I didn't stick to the main trail.  What really kicked my butt was the "optional" trek to the summit of Mt. Ngauruhoe.  This is the fiery crater in Lord of the Rings where Frodo went to end all evil on the earth.  (He threw the ring in crater, for those of you who haven't watched the movie.)  The bus driver said that only the very physically fit should attempt this summit as it was steep and slippery.  Plus it would add on 3 extra hours to the crossing and he didn't think many people would be able to get back to the bus by 4 pm.

The weather was perfect.  Blue sky with just enough cloud to keep the hot sun off, and just enough breeze to keep you going.  I had packed my bag the night before with all of the essentials: dry-fit wicking pullover, fleece jacket, rain shell, hot chillies leggings, sunscreen, water bottle, Powerade, camera, apple, PB&J, 2 "Meal in One" bars (rivaling Clif Bars in their delicious taste), a map, some cash, and my sunglasses.  The ladies who ran our hostel told us to be prepared for ANYTHING.  Wind, rain, heat, cold, dehydration, hunger… everything.  I hadn't slept well the night before - only got 5 hours.  So I made up for that before the hike with a big bowl of oatmeal with bananas and yogurt.

Like I said, the Tongariro Crossing is not too difficult and really can be done easily in 6 hours.  But darn it, if I am only going to be possibly hiking this trail once in my life, I am going all out!!!!  The climbing of Mr. Ngauruhoe was indeed steep.  Missy and Meg will know what I'm talking about… remember that sunrise volcano hike in Bali?  The last 30 minutes to the very top were killer cuz it was sand and small pieces of lava.  Every step you took forward, it seemed like you slid 2 steps back.  Well that is exactly what this was, except instead of 30 minutes of this stuff it was over 1 1/2 hours, and instead of pebbles it was much bigger, sharper pieces of lava.  I finally made it to the top and stared in awe at the beauty below me.  

The crater was magnificent.  The view of the mountains and lakes on the other side were also incredible.  Luckily there was already a group up there, so I asked them the best way to get down.  They wanted to walk the ridge and descend on the left side.  I thought the right side looked better.  But I didn't want to be alone so I stuck with them.  BIG mistake.  The left side was treacherous.  Very steep with barely any rocks secure enough for foot holds.  We were just sliding out of control.  I tried to scale to the right side over some white slanting rock, but I got stuck in the middle.  It was actually pretty scary for me.  I was holding onto a knob of rock with one hand, couldn't move forward, was trying to figure a way to go backward, but if I lost my grip on that rock I knew there was no way I could get any traction for my feet.  I would tumble over the gravel and rock for about 20 feet before there was anything to grab onto again.  I was starting to panic, but I kept sliding my feet around in the dirt, searching frantically, and somehow I found a foothold and was able to get back to where I had started out.  After about an hour of painful decent, we as a group made it down.  Turns out the right side was actually the way we should have gone.  We went the "hard way."  I am so grateful that we all made it down with only minor scrapes and sprains!  The hot chili's long Johns I had on saved my legs from being shredded… thank goodness I put those in my backpack!!!  I know some of you are freaking out… mom, dad, Penny, Missy, Rich… but please don't.  I promise to be more careful.  Promise!

The rest of the hike was absolutely stunning!  I think the most beautiful part was the valley's three aqua colored lakes.  And of course the views of the surrounding mountains were phenomenal.  I took lots and lots of pictures! :)  The last hour my legs and feet were really starting to hurt.  Was so glad I didn't miss the bus… got there @ 3:30 pm and departure time was 4 pm.  Whew!

Now I've got to get to bed.  Absolutely exhausted.

Plan:  Take the bus to Wellington and see the city for an afternoon

Budget:  $30 transport to/from the crossing