Hiking the Tongariro crossing in winter.
While hiking the Tongariro Crossing the wind was brutal, the visibility was low and the cold was penetrating after any amount of time sitting still. After the first few hours of hiking, I waited for as long as possible in the wind and cold for the weather to clear to get a photo from the summit but unfortunately for me, the clouds did not break. I had seen perfect photos from just two days earlier but luck was not on my side this time. The cold broke me, my fingers were aching and I was swinging my arms around like an idiot to try and get any kind of warmth back into them but it didn’t seem to matter. Eventually, it cleared up a little to give me a tiny glimpse of what might have been but alas it broke me and I started down the mountain.
You’re obviously looking for hikes so check out this list of some of the best hikes in New Zealand.
Once the clouds actually cleared a little the views were amazing!
Personally, I really dislike crowds, so as a result I try to do a lot of my travelling in the offseason, which are normally the winter months for most things. This always comes with advantages and disadvantages.
The first advantage for me and the one that normally drives me the most is the fact that most mountains look so much more incredible when they are covered in snow. The disadvantage to winter hiking can also be the amount of snow, making it harder to hike, the visibility and the cold. But if you can nail the perfect day it is so worth it! The other main advantage for me is the distinct lack of people! I have seen photos of the Tongariro Crossing in summer and it is so crowded it actually looks like there is a trail of ants heading down the mountain. Where as we had times when we could not see anyone besides just us.
The hike back down past the cabin.
The Tongariro Crossing is basically broken up into 8 different stages. I read a lot of reviews saying that the hike was terribly hard and people wanted to kill themselves a few times and so on and so on and I was worried that it was going to be extremely difficult but it was actually a pretty easy 20 kilometres. It does have challenging sections and you really want the right gear like hiking boots and warm clothing but if you have this and a basic level of fitness you will be fine. You will also be fairly fine if you don’t have these things and are not that fit. I saw pretty clearly out of shape people doing it in converse sneakers or Nike frees and a hoodie with jeans. They made it and it was all good but I can only imagine it was a far less pleasant experience than it should have been. I will add here now that mountains in New Zealand can be dangerous and you should always be prepared. While I saw people do the hike in these clothes I would never recommend it. If they had have sustained any kind of injury and couldn’t move for a prolonged period of time I can imagine it would not have been long till hypothermia kicked in. I am not trying to tell anyone what to do, you should go for it but you should also always be prepared.
The Tongariro Crossing broken down
Most people start from the Pukeonake side because it has a higher elevation and therefore is less of a climb. We did this.
The 8 sections and rough times for the hike go like this.
- 1. Mangatpopo to Soda Springs is an easy walk and it takes about an hour.
- 2. Soda Springs to South Crater also takes about an hour but is probably the hardest section you will have to cover.
- 3. South Crater to the base of Red Crater is an easy 15-minute walk.
- 4. Red Crater Ridge is the next hardest ascent and takes about 30 minutes. Red Crater is also the highest point on the main track standing at 1886 m and it is almost all downhill from this point onwards.
- 5. Red Crater Summit to Emerald Lakes is all downhill and not difficult and takes about 15 minutes.
- 6. Emerald Lakes to Blue Lake is also easy and takes 20 minutes.
- 7. Blue Lake to Ketetahi Shelter is an easy descent and takes about an hour.
- 8. Ketetahi Shelter to Ketetahi Car Park takes two hours but is an easy downhill the entire way.
Emerald Lake living up to its name.
From start to finish it took us 7 and a half hours and this was spending at least an hour and a half waiting around and taking photos and eating. But they say to allow about 8 hours which I think we would have taken if the weather had have been slightly nicer.
If the weather had have been nicer we probably would have spent most of our time at the Red Crater Summit. It is the main viewpoint and there is natural underground heating as the crater is active there are also hot spots to sit on if you can find them. On a clear day you can apparently see coast to coast views but unfortunately, we did not get that.
Getting to Tongariro Crossing if you have your own car.
Getting to the start of the trail is easy with your own car, as Google maps or maps.me will have it covered. But logistically there are some things to think about.
We had our own car and the hike is only one way, so the day before we went into the tourist information centre in Taupo and booked a shuttle from the Ketetahi car park to Pukeonake. We used Tongariro Expeditions. The transport for the Tongariro Crossing from Ketetahi to Pukeonake cost $30 per person. It picked us up at 730am and we had started hiking by 8.
The other option you have if you do not want to pay for the shuttle which a few people didn’t is to park at Ketetahi and walk up to the summit and then return the same way back down. I think the views from this direction are a little more spectacular and there is a bit more to see. So this is an option if you are on more of a budget and you will still get the best views of Tongariro.
Either way, you need to decide on something because we ended up picking up 5 people that had not thought about their transport and could not get back to where they had parked their cars. As we were shuttling these people back we passed several others walking in the dark that we could not fit in our car. This is not a pleasant walk either, especially if you are wet and cold already. It is a long way so try and sort something out beforehand because after 20kms over a mountain you will want to just have a hot shower, eat food and go to bed, not walk along a basically deserted road in the dark.
Getting to Tongariro Crossing.
It is more than likely you’re staying in Taupo so if you are not driving yourself you will have to sort out how to get there, as previously stated there are two sides to the trail and it is not an out and back hike meaning you will need to be picked up on the other side. Your hostel should have transport that will drop you off on one side and pick you up on the other 9 hours or so later. You can also book this through the company mentioned above which is the one we took, I am sure they are all pretty much the same price and the same experience though.
The tourist information centre in Taupo will have weather updates and suggested dates for the hike as well as booking options for transport companies.
If you are not in Taupo yet there is a regular bus service that runs from Auckland to Taupo. It takes 5-6 hours and they run regularly from Auckland Central.
If you are in Auckland also you might want to think about checking out this list of some of the best thing to do in Auckland while you’re there.
I plan on doing this hike again, one because it was amazing and two because I didn’t quite get the view I was after. But either way, it should be high on your list of things to do in the North Island.
This is supposed to be actual Mordor from Lord of the Rings.
Sometimes the walking conditions were not perfect.
Where to stay in Taupo
YHA Taupo is a newer hostel run by a couple of young guys, it has a new fresh modern feel to it with all the things you would expect from a new hostel including Netflix, laundry service, big kitchen, and multiple areas to chill in.
Dorms start at $17 USD per night.
Private rooms start at $26.70
Haka Lodge Taupo is a little more of a bougie experience, the focus on luxury, they have an incredible view over Lake Taupo, they even have a hot tub… So fancy. The rooms look super cool with clean lines and nice design and they have a large outdoor patio, not great for winter but still nice.
Dorms here start at $19.30 USD
Private rooms are from as low as $34 USD for a single private.
Rainbow Lodge Backpackers was Taupos first purpose built hostel and has been running since 1985. Huge features here are the underfloor heating and the free sauna, yes sauna, yes free. The owners have been in this area for a long time and will be able to answer any quetions you might have.
Dorms start at $14USD
Private rooms are starting at $44 USD
If you are interested in a few other winter hikes in New Zealand you can read about some others we did here.
So if the Tongariro Crossing was not extreme enough for you, you may want to have a look at something a little more wild. If you were thinking about trying to Skydive Taupo you will find everything you need to know here.
