Experience Out-of-This-World Scenery on a 12 Mile Hike over a Mountain Pass

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand

02.06.2019

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one of the most beautiful hikes in the world. It is also one my favorite travel experiences to date. Quite simply, it is otherworldly and, hindsight, a stunning accomplishment.

Rather than regaling you with my tale of this amazing hike, I’m going to share the things you need to know before you go. These first-hand facts are essential to a successful and enjoyable hike. Sequential hike pictures are also shared below so you can take a leisure scroll through this stunning mountain pass.

First

This hike is 12 miles [19.3 km] long and goes through a mountain pass with rapidly changing weather and terrain. It takes the average person 7-8 hours to complete this hike. You must begin your hike at the Mangatepopo Road End of the hike and third-party transportation must be arranged ahead of time as day-long parking at Mangatepopo Road End is not permitted. Starting at Mangatepopo Road End gives you the advantage of starting at a 1,150 feet [350 m] higher elevation than where the hike ends at Ketetahi Carpark. The shuttle company we used was called Summit Shuttles and they were punctual and courteous in helping us be better prepared for our hike.

Second

This hike requires a carefully planned pack containing, at a minimum, the following items.

2 liters of water per person. This is by far the most essential and heaviest thing you will need to carry with you. We don’t typically drink a lot while hiking but we drank every drop we had on this hike.
Rain poncho. Odds are, there will be wet weather and it’s best not to get you or your gear wet. We experienced mist just past the summit and an all-out downpour at Ketetahi Hut.
Toilet paper. While there are outhouses located 1-2 hours apart throughout the entire trail, none of them offer toilet paper. You are expected to bring your own.
Non-cotton layers of clothing. Expect to be too hot and too cold at some point throughout this hike. Please don’t be the person in soaked jeans and a cotton t-shirt. Those will not dry out, whether from sweat or rain, and you will get cold.
Food and snacks. As you will be gone for at least 8 hours and walking almost non-stop, I hope this is obvious. We brought sandwiches and on-the-go snacks which really hit the spot.
Fully charged cell phone. On average, two people per week call for emergency help from this hike. I can’t say how available cell phone service is on this hike, as we had our cell service turned off to preserve the battery, but it is available.

Third

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing trail is broken up into 5 moderately marked segments, each of which features vastly different terrain.

Mangatepopo to Soda Springs – 1.5 hours. The start of the hike to Soda Springs is the easiest segment with relatively flat ground, clear trails and sturdy boardwalks. The terrain starts out lush and moves to scattered vegetation and lava rocks.
Soda Springs to South Crater – 1 hour. This segment is often called the Devil’s Staircase. This long, spread out staircase is comprised of over 1,000 wooden steps as well as dirt incline. There are no railings but the views are worth the sweat.
South Crater to Red Crater – 1 hour. This is where things start to look less like Earth and more like Mars. The South Crater is wondrously flat but the climb to Red Crater (the summit!) is slick with loose stones on pounded ground. Even more slick is the descent after Red Crater, overlooking the Emerald Pools. Dig your heels in and go slow, the terrain is about 8 inches of loose gravel. You will fall and you will get rocks in your shoes. But still try to enjoy the rare view of the Emerald Pools.
Red Crater to Ketetahi Hut – 2 hours. In my opinion, this area should be broken into more segments. After the summit and past the Emerald Pools the terrain is more flat but scattered with rocks and the path is narrow. Slick switchbacks with miles of grip mat await the start of your descent down the mountain. Slowly, vegetation and open valley views will emerge.
Ketetahi Hut to Ketetahi Carpark – 2 hours. The vegetation will gradually become taller and the switchback trail will continue until you are eventually in a full jungle woods. The meandering trail will continue, your knees will complain from the constant downhill but you will soak in the beauty as you cross over a few streams and rivers. Cheering cicada bugs will noisily applaud you all the way to the exit!

Last

Slow and steady wins the race and don’t forget to have fun. Take pictures, ogle over nature, and feel alive. After all, you’re crossing the beautiful Tongariro Alpine Crossing! Here is my harried photo tour from start to finish. Happy trails!