Team: Emily, Nick, Kate, Amelia
This was almost a disaster of a trip. Adam was supposed to come and then couldnt, Emily, Kate and Nick were all supposed to car pool and then couldnt. In all honesty, I was amazed that this trip ever even happened at all. Anyway, into the car I eventually got, off on the road north out of Wellington on a Friday night at rush hour. 2 hours later I finally got to Levin, where I had the WORST McD's ever. It was a long drive and a dark night, but eventually I got to Whakapapa Village, where we were all meeting. Nick and Kate were already in their pits in the DoC Centre, Emily was still at the bar. By midnight we were all in bed, sleeping as best we could on small mats, on a cold wooden floor with no insulation (cant complain too much, the accomodation was free and the toilets were nice).
Then comes about 1.30am. The local volunteer fire brigade alarm goes off - RIGHT behind the shelter we were staying in. It woke up every single person staying in the village I would say at a guess, by the number of people out roaming the streets after that. Of course, everyones first concern was that it was the emergency evacuation alarm... At least, thats the first thing that ran through my mind...
Saturday morning dawned COLD and a little overcast, but a quick chat with a local shuttle driver informed us that things should clear during the day, which cheered us up no end. We took all three cars around to the other road end, had some breakfast while the shuttles came in to pick up people leaving their cars at that end, and then took my car back to the start of the track. Spending just enough time dawdling around, getting organised, meant that we were right near the back of the people starting the track when we finally got on it at just before 9am. We managed to time it perfectly - hitting just a nice quiet spot and avoiding most of the huge crowds that tend to ruin the track for many other people.
Nick and Kate powered off away down the track so that they would have time to climb Ngaruhoe and still make it out in time to drive home to Auckland that evening. Emily and I continued at a more leisurely pace, stopping every few minutes to take photos and bemoan our large, overnight packs, which were carrying more food than most others, and also sleeping bags, eating and cooking gear. We stopped near the toilets at Soda Springs for our first "meal" of the day - a good size snack to give us energy to really attack the hill ahead of us.
Once we were at the top of that hill, it was time to take a break, have some more food (it had now been well over an hour since we last ate), admire the view and take some photos. Then it was off across the crater to the next climb, passing the turnoff for Ngaruhoe (we decided we were carrying too much stuff for a summit attempt) and wombling onwards.
Once we got to the summit of the track, there was an option of a side-track to the summit of Tongariro, which we decided to take. Emily and I were both feeling the effects of carrying overnight gear and food, as well as being a long way above sea level (1700-odd metres feels like a lot when you usually live right near sea level). So we dumped our packs, each put something warm to wear on (the clouds were rolling in somewhat, making it misty and cold), grabbed our cameras and wandered off. The photo above is Emily from halfway to Tongariro, looking over blue lake.Summiting was a neat feeling, as this was the highest I had ever been. We took the obligatory summit photos, spent a few minutes hanging around, played in the crusty snow that was there and wandered back to the main track. Once we got back to our packs, it was decided that 1.30 was a great time to finally have lunch (a real meal, not like those massive snacks we had been eating). We looked over to the main track and thought we saw Nick and Kate at the junction, also stopped to have some food, so we wandered over and (lo and behold) it was them indeed. Nick promptly dropped the crackers all over the ground, while Kate packed up the transiever and headed towards where Emily and I had just come from. Nick decided that one summit in a day was enough and came with Emily and I towards the hut.
It was a good walk to the hut, with a nice steep patch of scree to negotiate alongside the emerald lakes and red crater. We had some fun conversations, and eventually made it to Ketetahi hut, only about an hour before Kate joined us. We had hot drinks, chocolate, corn chips with salsa dip, and crackers and cheese for a couple of hours, playing tennis on the deck with others who were there. Eventually there was a great sunset, through the steam of the ketetahi springs, and we all decided it was time to eat. Emily and I had nachos, while Kate and Nick had a thai green curry and rice. Kate and Nick then headed off, and after another couple of hours of crazy games Emily and I went to bed.
My alarm went off at some rediculous hour the next morning (I think about 6.30). I stumbled about in my sleeping bag and managed to get outside without having to get out of the bag, and was rewarded with the most stunning dawn:
Soon enough it was time to tape yesterdays blisters, re-pack the pack (it still seemed to have as much stuff as the day before... and it turns out the raincoat and overtrou were completely unnecesary). Off down the track we headed, me storming off ahead for a few minutes at a time, then waiting so Emily could catch up. With her much shorter legs, Emily was a much slower tramper than me, and trying to walk at her pace caused a huge amount of pain in my knees going downhill.All of a sudden, we were at the end...
And it was time to clamber into Emilys car and head back around to the track start and my car, get changed and head home. I stopped on the way for food in Ohakune, which was average, and then to take a look at the recently re-damaged Tangiwai memorial...
All in all it was a great trip and I am now looking forward to doing it again - but this time in Winter!
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