Take me to the place I love, take me all the way

We survived.

We began our first great walk, the Tongariro Northern Circuit early in the morning. We left the backpackers, walked five minutes to the main road and stuck out our thumbs. We were soon picked up by a girl who used to live in Calgary and dropped off in Whakapapa Village. The lady at the DOC office told us we needed ice axes and crampons in case, gave us our tickets, pointed out a couple possible routes and said good luck. We filled out a backcountry intention form so they would know to come looking for us if we didn't make it back and check in on time. The routes she showed us on the model of the park in the visitor centre seemed easy enough. To quote Mark, "What is this a great walk for ants? It needs to be at least...3 times the size for me to enjoy this".

It was much more then 3 times the size.

The first day started fantastically. We were climbing but nothing too steep, the sun was out, we saw waterfalls and had lunch on a high ridge between two crater lakes looking down on a rainbow over the lower crater. After lunch however the weather turned and the next 6 hours of tramping were in the pouring rain and wind. The rain caused the pleasant mountain streams to swell so we had to take off our boots and socks and go barefoot through the frigid streams to cross as they came to about knee height now. There were two options for huts, one only a few hours in and one about 9 hours in from the start. We opted to push for this second hut as then we would have two days to attempt the pass (Saturday morning was supposed to be hail storms and gail force winds, so we wanted to try it Friday). We arrived at the first hut after coming up over a mountain plateau and circling the east side of the mountain just as the sun set. We spent a couple hours drying out our stuff and went to bed.

The next morning we were up early but the wind and rain were creating some rough weather outside. We packed in the hut, waited a couple hours and left when there was a break. We crossed an old lava field acrossthe plateau and made it up to the first of the 3 highest crater lakes we would encounter. As soon as we left that lake we encountered the steepest, narrowest portion of the track. It began fine but after only a few minutes of climbing a hail storm and high winds came in. The hail was blowing from side to side it seemed and at times we had visibility of about 15 feet. What should have been the best view turned into an impossibly steep and windy spine that we just needed to get over. We fought the weather for a couple more hours and eventually finished the crossing before the steep descent towards the other side of the Volcano. We reached the hut and holed up there for the night.

The two days of crossing was possibly the hardest thing I have ever done both physically and mentally (although the whole "if you stop you'll die" thing helped) but I am so glad we did it. It was the most physically beautiful place I have ever been and to be perched on the side of a volcano looking out over a lava filed and lakes and seeing nobody else around was an amazing experience.

When we woke up this morning we weren't sure how we were going to get back but there was a man of about 80 wandering down the path. He stopped to chat when I went out to use the bathroom, I told him our plan and he offered to drive us into the village, saving us a 5 hour walk. We called ahead to the Whanganuni river DOC but they aren't allowing anyone down the river for at least 3 days, and there is more rain expected so probably more. We decided to head for Wellington and began walking to the main road to hitch. Not halfway to the main road a car pulled over and told us he would take us to the next town. Turns out he was going further south towards Wellington and he drove us an hour and a half (almost halfway there). He is an MP in New Zealand, is playing in a parliamentary rugby game and offered me a spot to play (I didn't bring my cleats and he didn't have an extra pair, I was very disapointed). He called the local MP as we got into Wanganuni for advice on a good hostel and here we are. We're off to go watch the rugby game this afternoon and will keep hitching towards Wellington tomorrow. A couple days in Wellington, then South Island for two great walks that are apparently all on a beach....rough stuff.

Until next time, keep on keepin on