[Tony Gazley]

Mt Ngāuruhoe – a day walk from the lodge

A day loop trip from the WTMC Ruapehu Lodge to the summit of Mt Ngāuruhoe ascending the slopes above Tama Lakes and descending the normal route to Mangatepopo Valley.

Mt Ngāuruhoe route description one day will be like this:

The path travels through a barren, scorched wasteland that stretches beneath a sky choked with ash, where daylight barely pierces the gloom. Gnarled, blackened trees jut from the ground like twisted, skeletal remains, their shadows dancing on cracked mud split open by veins of glowing magma.

At the heart of this ruined landscape looms Mt Ngāuruhoe, shrouded in smoke, which hides its summit and its hideous, yawning crater. Every tremor from this hellish black concretion of pyroclastics sends glowing lava down its rock-strewn slopes, further scarring the landscape.

The air hangs thick with sulphur and dread. The acrid stench is everywhere, and the ground pulses as if the earth itself is breathing malevolence.

But in the meantime if you are at the WTMC Ruapehu Lodge and are looking for a day trip loop with a difference then a pleasant walk up Ngāuruhoe may be just the thing. Start at the Tama Lakes track and once at the Upper Lake lookout just keep walking northwards and upwards and you’ll arrive at the summit.

There are great 360-degree views of our World Heritage National Park – from snowy peaks to sparkling lakes, sandy deserts and lush forests. You can even warm yourself in one of the steaming vents.

In Māori culture many peaks hold spiritual significance. Mt Ngāuruhoe and the other peaks of Tongariro Nation Park certainly do to Ngati Tuwharetoa the local iwi, so respect this by avoiding standing on the very summit of the mountain

Then descend the normal route and walk back to Whakapapa Village. The round trip back to the lodge and a comfortable night is about 12 hours. Highly recommended.

To take a aerial trip from the lodge to Ngāuruhoe and a flyby of the summit try the video below.

For more on the WTMC Ruapehu Lodge go to Ruapehu Lodge or Facebook.

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