The Tongariro Crossing

The Tongariro Crossing is one of those walks that every Kiwi should do before they die. It is rugged, spectacular and I understand it is the suicide method of choice for hundreds who attempt it poorly equipped every year. We shall be attempting to survive the Crossing this week.

Overseas visitors flock to walk the Crossing. It is the quintessential Kiwi experience. Where else can you climb up a volcano, walk across the crater past beautiful blue lakes, look out across a spectacular plateau below that stretches right out to sea and break your ankle descending on the other side? Well yes – there is Iceland – but our Volcano can be pronounced when you tell your story to friends (Ton-ga-reer-ro). It isn’t erupting either, which is a huge advantage when walking over it.

Lonely Planet Raves about it, so every informed traveller knows that it is not only a great experience, but above all, cheap. Indeed, Americans are often horrified at the lack of fast food restaurants from start to finish; there isn’t even a place to get Coke and no where to buy a decent souvenir. My biggest worry is that there don’t appear to be toilets either. This is an average 6 hour walk with toilets at either end and thousands of people each day walk the Crossing. Imagine the queues and the state of those toilets. No don’t.

Map of the walk

The Crossing is walked by all ages. I have heard of school parties doing it, women walking with babies and people over 60 doing it as part of their ‘bucket list’. I am vaguely worried that this could be the sort of walk where you come across empty coke bottles, used nappies and discarded Zimmer frames along the track (there are no rubbish bins either).

When we first decided to Walk the Crossing in February, we imagined that it would be something different. How wrong we were. Since then it has been a bit like planning to buy a Cortina car – when suddenly every vehicle on the road seems to be a Cortina. Since February, just about everyone we have told has responded: ‘Yes, we did that in 1996’ or ‘actually, we do that every year’. I have found very few of our friends who have not done it. On the other hand, this varied experience has been great for our research.

Walk from above

I should introduce you to our party. We are six (three couples) Kiwis all over 50. We all like tramping (hiking for overseas readers) and are all completely deluded about our fitness. My biggest fear is looking stupid. Young climbers apparently skip along the track in skimpy tee shirts and ‘Jandles’ (Flip flops for overseas readers) listening to their IPODs. When these youngsters face high winds and snow on the top they simply run through the cold – unless they break their ankle.

We, on the other hand, being older and wiser (and less nimble), have prepared everything with military precision. We have trained for over two months, collected several ‘layers’ of clothing for all eventualities and even listed the best food to take. We have so much equipment (including cameras and lenses) that it may actually slow us down. This is a real expedition.

I intend writing up our experience on this blog with photos. If you are ever thinking of doing this walk, it should give you some pointers; if you don’t it should give you good reason to avoid it. If you have already done it, it could make you feel good about your experience.