Climbing on Mt Ruapehu summit

Since our last hike in the Tongariro National Park, we just spent two busy working weeks trying to content the crowd of happy tourists that invades Taupo in summer time. Still interspersed, it must be said, with relaxing moments, such as when we went to a cruise to the Maori Rock Carving on Lake Taupo. Both having off in the same day, we took our chance to go on a day-trip to discover the mesmerizing Mt Ruapehu.

Sunrise on the Tongariro National Park

We get up at 5 this morning to witness the awakening of the giants. It’s freezing cold! In the dim early daylight, we discover the little paradise where we decided to park the car yesterday night, in complete darkness. The only source of light was the beautiful glitter of the Milky Way! Just before dawn, we catch a sight of a nice stream flowing near by and of a very pretty little waterfall that quench the thirst of hundreds of wild flowers.

 The freezing wind wakes us up instantly! On the road to our “challenge of the day”, the sun makes it theatrical entrance. It arises from the volcanic plain, framed by Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu, and warms the tips of our numb fingers. But our noses remain stubbornly red and frozen! Our car, poor Léonie, suffers a bit from the steep morning climb we inflict her as we drive on Bruce Rd, which winds its way up the slope of Mt Ruapehu. But the more we rise, the more our eyes marvel at the sight of the sunny valley. We finally park our steaming and suffocating Leonie on the deserted car park of Iwikau Village and start our resolute climb to the top. Our goal, the summit! 2797m high, about 1000m in altitude to climb from the car park through the scree and glaciers! Let’s go!

Climbing Mt Ruapehu up to Te Heuheu summit

The exercise of the climb ends to warm us. Of course, we stop on our way up to visit the places where they filmed the Lord of the Rings, just to see if we “recognise” them (We’ve seen the Emyn Muil, and the wall where Gollum attacks Frodo and Sam). The scenery is breathtaking and the height is dizzying… It’s really steepy steep! We circle Knob glacier (one of the eighteen glaciers on Ruapehu) on its left side, following a ridge offering us an endless view of Mt Ngauruhoe and the valley. It’s really stunning! We climb and climb and climb. Mt Ngauruhoe now looks like a giant anthill! We try our best to take pictures that will reflect the magnificence of the panorama.

After 4 hours of climbing, here we are at the top of one of the three peaks of Mt Ruapehu, the Te Heuheu summit. Feet deep in the snow, we are delighted as we fill our lungs again and again with pure fresh air. The view overlooking the incredible frozen summit plateau below let us amazed and not believing our own eyes! We are totally alone! How awesome! But kind of weird. The weather is so perfect; there should be other hikers around! Where are they all? Taking a closer look around, we sight tiny figures in the distance, making their way on the other side of the plateau. Then we realise that we took the wrong track from the very beginning!!! Indeed we should have gone our way around the right side of the glacier, not around the left! Oh well… Too late! And finally all the better! Thus we can witness a pristine snowy panorama were no human had left any footprints, from a very unique point of view!

Knob glacier, and the way down Mt Ruapehu

It’s still early, so we decide to follow the crest along the summit plateau to come down the mountain by the « official » track. As we approach the summit plateau, we have a good view of the summit we just left which curls toward us like a giant rock-wave, tormented by the wind.
We feel so small and tiny… The silence is extreme, only the calm wind whistles between the rocks from time to time. As we follow the crest, we have to walk on the top of the steep glacier. We are extremely careful. Delighted, but not feeling very safe… We know that glaciers tend to be unstable at this hot time of the year. We also are puzzled by the quantity of dead insects of all kind that covers the crisp white snow around us, for an unknown reason. The eternal snow is a great cemetery of midges!

Quentin’s knee and my hip suffer a lot but no way we are going to stop now!! At last, we spot a reasonably practicable natural path to start making our way down. But the rocky ground reveals itself to be treacherous and extremely brittle and a lot steeper than what it seemed from the top!! Terrified, we progress at “snail-speed” while the unstable rock is crumbling beneath our feet and creates mini-scree on the descent!

But, with relief, we finally manage to reach the first row of chair lifts, that we had snubbed this morning when we started the climb up. But now, with the pain in Quentin’s knee deepening, we wouldn’t mind (at all) to go our way down effortlessly! An adorable mountain guide takes pity of the limping Quentin and gets us a free ride down!! Awesome! And we even have the added bonus of a breathtaking view!

When we get down, the small deserted village of this morning is crowded with people and Léonie found many car girlfriends to make conversation with, during our absence. It was a good idea to live early this morning. We are knackered after these 8 hours of adventurous walk. But it was well worth the effort!! What a crazy amazing day!

Cheers

Tintin & Riette

Tips :

Hiking on Ruapehu :

• From the parking, a 10mn walk will take you to Mead’s Wall a Lord of the Rings film location for the Emyn Muil.
• Following the chairlift, you can walk up to Whakapapa skifield in 1h30/2h. Here you’ll find the highest pub in New Zealand !
• From Whakapapa skyfield, you can follow 2 tracks :
  • Skyline Walk : climb on the crest on the left side of Knob glacier. You’ll have a amazing landscape over Tongariro and more Lord of the Rings locations. That’s the way we took to climb up to Te Heuheu. This is an unmarked climb, and it took us around 4 hours (one way)from Whakapapa skyfield.
  • Mt Ruapehu Crater Climb : Another non marked track to the crater lake, passing on the right side of the galcier. Allow around 7 hours return from Whakapapa skyfield.
  • Chairlift trip from Iwikau Village (return) : 30$/adult – 17$/enfant
• Car park in Iwikau Village : Free !

Before you climb please be aware of the hazards, and read the DOC warnings. Prepare yourself with enough food and water, and take some warm clothes, even in summer the wind can be cold up there.