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Know before you go: Even experienced trampers have come unstuck in this extreme environment. The weather can be especially unpredictable in winter, with big temperature drops and heavy downpours that can make streams and rivers dangerous or impassable. There are also volcanic hazards, so it’s vital to obey all warnings and signs. Check in with the Visitor Centre at Whakapapa for advice, forecasts and hut bookings. The Walks in and around Tongariro National Park brochure has further detail on these tramps and others in the national park. A topographical map is essential for longer walks. Above and right: Hiking in the Tongariro National Park - Image compliments of Visit Ruapehu Day Walks: Tongariro National Park’s spectacular day walks venture into all corners and will keep you occupied for a solid week. Tongariro Alpine Crossing: 7–8 hr Snowy surrounds and low crowds make winter a fabulous time to hike the Crossing, but you’ll need to go with a guide unless you’re an expert alpine tramper. This challenging track starts at 1120m and winds up the Mangatepopo Valley to the saddle between Mts Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. You’re into crater territory as you reach the crossing’s highpoint at 1886m. The descent is via a rock scree track to the vivid Emerald Lakes/ Ngā Rotopounamu (greenstone-hued lakes) and Blue Lake/Te Waiwhakaata-o-te-Rangihiroa (Rangihiroa’s mirror). The track then sidles around the northern slope of Tongariro to descend via a zigzag track past Ketetahi Shelter and down to the road end. Attempting the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in winter is a very different experience than during other times of the year. From May to October, snow and ice mean alpine skills and experience are essential. Therefore, the best and safest way to enjoy the Crossing in its full alpine glory is to go with guide. Two Tongariro Alpine Crossing guiding companies, with decades of experience and approved by the Department of Conservation, operate from National Park Village - Adrift Tongariro and Adventure Outdoors Tongariro, and can guide you safely across this incredible, yet risky, wintery wonderland. Multi Day Walks: Round the Mountain Track: Tama Lakes Tramping Track: Lake Surprise: There are two classic multi-day tramps in Tongariro: the Northern Circuit Great Walk and the Round the Mountain Track. The Tongariro Northern Circuit: 3–4 days One of New Zealand’s Great Walks, this tramp can be completed in the winter months by experienced trampers with all the right gear, preparation and favourable conditions. It’s usually started in Whakapapa Village and walked clockwise, winding first to Mangetepopo Hut to join the Alpine Crossing with its craters and surreal lakes. The circuit then continues down the spectacular Oturere Valley and around Mt Ngauruhoe’s foothills towards historic Waihohonu Hut. The final day sees you hike over Tama saddle between Ngauruhoe & Ruapehu – with a possible detour to the must-see Tama Lakes – before heading past the tumbling Taranaki Falls to return to Whakapapa Village. 4–6 days A more remote and advanced adventure than the Northern Circuit, this unforgettable tramp traverses a variety of landscapes from mountain beech forest, tussock country and alpine herbfields, to desert lands and glacial river valleys. As much of the track passes through alpine terrain, it is recommended that winter trips are completed with a guide. The rest of the year it can be walked by experienced, well-prepared trampers when the weather is favourable. Starting at Whakapapa, it heads clockwise around Mt Ruapehu taking in many of the park’s most famous sights: Taranaki Falls, Tama Lakes, Waitonga Falls, Lake Surprise and Silica Rapids. It also takes in the Rangipo desert, with its barren and peculiar beauty. Six huts along the way each have their own character, too. 5–6 hr This memorable walk starts at Whakapapa Village along the Taranaki Falls Track with all its interesting landforms and gushing streams. At the top of Taranaki Falls, the track branches off through rolling tussock country and alpine herbfields towards Tama Lakes. Beyond the lower lake viewpoint (1240m), the track climbs steeply to a 1440m-viewpoint of the upper lake. Tama Lakes occupy several old explosion craters on Tama Saddle between Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe. In winter, it’s essential to check in with Whakapapa Visitor Centre on the current trail conditions. Old Blyth Tramping Track: 4–5 hr Starting on the Ohakune Mountain Road, this track partly follows the historic route up Mt Ruapehu through significant vegetation including mixed beech forest. When Blyth Track was constructed in the early 1900s, much of the route was through alpine bog; you can see the remains of ‘corduroy’ laid across the muddy surface. Return the same way or walk out to the Mountain Road via the Waitonga Falls/ Round the Mountain Tramping Track, and then walk back down the road – the views are epic. 5 hrs Few walks are as aptly named this, but a hidden lake isn’t the only surprise on this amazing day out. Starting high on Mt Ruapehu, this advanced trail heads through epic boulder fields, bluffs and scree slopes with alpine gardens boasting a colourful array of flowers, lichens and moss. A climb into Mangaturuturu Valley follows a waterfall flowing over an ancient lava cascade. You’ll also pass a 70-year-old tramping hut, nestled amongst stunted forest. Ever-changing views stretch from Ruapehu’s peak to the edges of the volcanic plateau. The lake itself is tranquil and untouched. The trail starts 20 minutes’ drive up Ohakune Mountain Road. Historic Waihohonu Hut: 3 hr It’s well worth the half-day return hike to see this historic hut, especially as you’ll get up close to the strange terrain of the Rangipo desert, deep beech forest, and tussockland. Built in 1903/04 as a stopover for stagecoaches, it’s constructed of a double layer of corrugated iron with a layer of pumice between. No longer used for accommodation, the hut is preserved as an historical building and is classified by the Heritage New Zealand. This track starts off the Desert Rd (SH1), signposted 35km south of Turangi. 54//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#220 ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ 55
RUN2302 HOMEGROWN CENTRAL PLATEAU Short Walks: A series of short nature trails in Tongariro National Park take in the various habitats home to fascinating and diverse native flora and fauna, and are a great way to get to know the park’s places and stories. Taranaki Falls: 2 hr A popular short walk form Whakapapa Village, this track’s upper and lower sections form a loop and cross a variety of landforms along the way. It also offers spectacular long-range views, and takes in various alpine vegetation types including pretty alpine shrublands and beech forest. On a clear day Ngauruhoe’s symmetrical cone and the older, eroded mountains of Tongariro and Pukekaikiore can be seen. There are plenty of lovely sights along Wairere Stream, too, including Taranaki Falls tumbling 20 metres over a 15,000-year-old lava flow. Silica Rapids: Plenty of beautiful scenery to be found in the Tongariro National Park - Image compliments of Visit Ruapehu 2 hr 30 min This is a slightly longer outing, also starting near the visitor centre in Whakapapa. It begins along Whakapapanui Stream, meandering through beech forest to meet the turn off to Silica Rapids. The track soon crosses a bubbling stream with a gold coloured bed caused by iron oxide clays from upstream swamps. There’s some lovely alpine vegetation along this walk and some delightful birdlife, too. Skyline via the Sky Waka: 1.5–2 hrs A ride on Mt Ruapehu’s new state-of-the-art Sky Waka gondola is a must for any visitor to the national park. It whizzes you up in six unforgettable minutes to New Zealand’s highest café, on Knoll Ridge (2020m). Depending on snow conditions and your level of alpine experience, it may be possible to head further up the mountain, but check with the Whakapapa Visitor Centre or local guide companies first. Whakapapanui Walking Track: 2 hr Another good leg-stretch from Whakapapa Village, this trail begins just beyond the visitor centre, following the gorgeous Whakapapanui Stream through beech forest to reach the road 3km below Whakapapa Village. Take in the epic mountain views as you walk back up to the village via the highway, or return back along the forest trail keeping an eye out for the endangered whio/blue duck. 56//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#220 Waitonga Falls Track: 1.5 hrs You can walk to the national park’s highest waterfall on a well-formed track through mountain beech and kaikawaka (mountain cedar) forest. The track also passes Rotokawa, an alpine bog where the reflection of Mt Ruapehu can be seen on still days. The Falls themselves are 39m high and quite the sight! This track begins high on Ohakune Mountain Road, around 11km from town. Timber Trail, Pureora Forest DISCOVER MORE AT VISITRUAPEHU.COM
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