New Zealand: Egmont and Tongariro national parks one day hikes
When I was looking for information on hikes in the North Island of New Zealand, there was not too many writeup’s of the experiences, in particular about the Taranaki/Egmont region. I wanted to contrast that to the more popular Tongaririo hikes.
Hopefully this article will explain clearly what you would experience in each hike and which one is right for you.
The DOC guides (tongariro and egmount) are great, you should check them out first. This article should supplement them.
Egmont national park
Pouakai Crossing
This is a 19km hike that goes around part of the volcano, through swamp and forest, needless to say it’s beautiful. Some elevation change but nothing too taxing on your keens. You will get to take beautiful pictures of the Taranaki volcano. Just don’t bother if it’s rainy or cloudy, you won’t see anything. The path is very well maintained with steps and sign posts, with perfect for trail runners too. It will take about 6 hours, if you have good fitness.
Mt Taranaki
This is a not a side hike, it will take you the best part of the day to do it. Starting at the visitor centre there is a long walk up fire roads, conserve your energy during this so called “puffer”. It is tempting to go as fast as possible but you are going to need your reserves for the climbing proper. Make sure to pack plenty of water, at least 2 litres, as there is nothing available on the volcano.
Starting to climb the volcano, there is a lot of scree (see below), much more than on Mt Ngauruhoe in Taongariro, that will really sap your energy. I did see a fair number of people give up when confronted with the scree and the wind. After the scree field there is a set of rocks calls the lizard, it’s a little technical but relatively easy. Don’t follow the folks in front of you directly as they might dislodge boulders onto your head (which will end your hike and likely your vacation), make your own path up.
Both of these one hikes are amazing, I really enjoyed my visit to Egmont, it doesn’t have the crowds on Tongariro so it’s much more peaceful, you will be able to get photos without tons of other hikers in it.
Resources
- For shuttle to Mt Taranaki Cruise NZ Tours 027–497 3908
- DOC guide http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/taranaki/places/egmont-national-park/
Tongariro national park
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
19.4 kilometres taking you through incredible Mars like out of this world geology. The worst thing to say about this hike is how popular it is, on a nice day there is a boat loads of tourists doing it at different walking paces. If you take 2 hours out to do the summit the rest of the hike will be spent trying to get past the slower hikers.
Make sure to bring a wind proof jacket, as it can be quite chilly and windy on some of the more exposed higher parts (I did it in the summer).
Shuttle buses are easily arranged from Taupo, I used Tongario expetitions which was very decent, they have equipment for rent on the bus if you have forgotten anything.
Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom)
Quite a short climb up. You can do it in an hour, again it is scree, you can avoid a lot of the scree but staying left after following the footpath to reach the scree field, there is a outcrop of rocks that are much easier to walk up. This takes you almost all the way there. At the top you come to the edge of the crater, I suffer from pretty bad vertigo so it took me a few minutes to be comfortable on the crater. From here you have wonderful vistas for your photos.
On the way back down you should definitely go down the scree and not the rocks as it is a lot more faster and fun. Wear hardy trousers and gloves in case you fall onto the sharp rocks. Coming down takes about 30 mins, depending how bold you are on the scree.
Resources
- Shuttle from Taupo http://www.tongariroexpeditions.com/
- DOC guide http://www.doc.govt.nz/tongariroalpinecrossing
The Scree
Both volcanos slopes have scree, which can be quite annoying to walk on. They are a mass of loose stones, formed because of the way that volcanic rock is composed. The stones can vary from a 3 cm to 1/2 cm to almost soil like. With some big boulders mixed in. Climbing up it, as you take a step you also slide down, this saps your energy and motivation, but is still very manageable if have good fitness and take your time, with regular breaks.
If you find the right technique coming down can be fun, it took me a while to master it. I used the technique of a big step and letting my feet slide a little bit, you can dig your heels or use the side of your shoe for extra grip. It is also possible to run down the scree, if you have good balance your forward motion will keep you going down the hill and you won’t fall down too much (I didn’t manage have confidence for this, but saw others doing it).
What to pack
- 2 litres of water
- Some food — energy bars, sandwiches, trail mix, fruit
- Gloves, especially for Mt Ngauruhoe where the rocks are sharp
- Wind proof jacket
- Camera
In Summary
For Egmont national park
- Few Hikers, beautiful picturesque landscapes.
- If you are in good fitness and used to some medium size hiking. I would recommend doing both the one day hikes (Mt Tarakanki and the poukai crossing), with a night in the camp house in between.
- If you’re fitness is not quite as good then skip the volcano
For Tongaririo national park
- Lots and lots of hikers, Mars like views.
- Anyone with moderate fitness can do the crossing including the Mount Ngauruhoe summit
- Make sure you take the early 5.30 bus from Taupo and don’t stress you have the whole day, last buses leave at 4.30 and even then there is always folks there driving back to Taupo that are willing to give you a lift.