Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club
Enjoying the great outdoors since 1947
Coinciding with the first full moon of 2024, this was a weekend dedicated to moonlight Tongariro crossings. The plan was for groups of different grades to start the Crossing at various times throughout Saturday afternoon and evening (either walking or running), so they would each complete the track at night and enjoy the bright light … Read more
Some trip specifics Friday night – 2.45pm left Wellington. Arrived Mangetepōpō hut (1,190m) about 8.30pm (20 min walk in from carpark) Saturday, circa.9am (well hydrated and fed) – Tongariro Crossing track to South Crater. Track started getting icy near the top of Devil’s Staircase. Good place to put on crampons. Met tour group at junction. … Read more
We had this trip on the schedule back in July, only for it to be scuppered at the last minute by rubbish weather. There were only two months this year where the full moon fell on a weekend during the snowy season, and they had now passed. We’d kept this weekend free just in case … Read more
Dan’s Red Crater group pretty much got to do what they set out to do, but didn’t exactly get to see what they set out to see. We left Wellington early Friday evening under an even mix of blue sky and high cloud. By the time we reached Kapiti, there was no cloud, the blue seemed bluer … Read more