top of page

Catagories

Moonlight on Tongariro

Website Website

Location: Tongariro

Author: Martin Lambrechtse-Reid

Participants: Colin Arnott, Will Griffass, Derek Chai, Matt Cudmore, Michael De Wet, Pranav Dixit, Ryan Gilbertson, Miles Nicolson, Shaun Price, Martin Lambrechtse-Reid

Date: 4th-5th May 2024


Do any of these bother you about hiking? Overcrowded trails? Seeing a super steep hill that’s on your path? Getting stuck behind slow people? Do you struggle to get to sleep in your tent at night? Well, let me introduce you to the newest hiking trend; doing it at midnight! 

Our adventure for today was the Tongariro crossing in reverse (Ketetahi to Mangatepopo hut), just before the winter snow sets ins. Leaving the trailhead at about 1am, we got stuck in. The weather was clear, calm and could almost be considered “warm” in the sense that you could still feel your fingers.




The first section of the crossing is a long uphill section of alpine tussock. We made the most of this opportunity to meet everyone in the group, spread a few yarns and smash through some snacks. Nevertheless, we made good progress and approached the Blue Lake well before sunrise. 




The Central Crater greeted us with the iconic volcanic views and provided a well-deserved flat section to observe the Emerald Lakes from. The Red Crater was also visible from our angle, and highlighted the most challenging part of the Crossing; getting up the steep scree hill to the Red Crater lookout. Despite the challenging grade, ice crystals on the ground sparkled in the moonlight made the climb a touch more engaging…




Once we triumphed that notorious hill and the group reconvened, a new plan was formulated. The high-altitude wind kept the conversation brief.  For those that were interested, a small party would split off the main path and summit Tongariro, before meeting back at the hut. And so off we went, determined to outpace the sun.




The ridgeline was frosted over and rocky, but nothing we couldn’t handle. While the sun hadn’t breached the horizon, enough light was given off to aid in our navigation. It was difficult to not stop and admire the view while there were still hills to climb. Soon the final ridgeline was in sight, and we sheltered below the peak as we waited for the sun to reveal itself. A victory chocolate bar was in order.



With the sunrise, this was our queue to get moving (and warm again). From here onwards, there was no longer a defined route or natural feature to follow. So, we did the obvious thing and scree surfed down the side. The steep slopes gave way to a vegetative ridgeline which we followed down toward Mangatepopo valley. Before long we spotted the other group that was just completing the crossing. As we reached the hut we headed straight for bed for a well-earned sleep.




Commentaires


  • Instagram
  • Facebook

©2025 by the Auckland University Tramping Club

bottom of page