Hike to Mt. Doom



Partway up the trail...



On New Year’s Day we took the ferry to the north island of New Zealand (we figured new year, new island!).  Our first destination was the volcanic area in the center of the island, specifically Tongariro National Park.  Another of New Zealand’s Great Walks is located here – there is a three to four day hike as well as a long dayhike that only hits the best part of the trail.  Since we didn’t book six months in advance for a hut along the trail, the dayhike was our best (and only) option.  Not a bad option either, since this hike is rated the best dayhike in New Zealand (and some say the world!). 

Daron and Mt. Doom

Tongariro National Park encompasses three volcanos:  Mt Ruapehu (9,144 feet), Mt Tongariro (6,457 feet), and Mt Ngaruhoe (7,513 feet).  Mt Ruapehu is an active volcano with multiple summits, and had volcanic hiccups in 1969, 1975, and 1988.  In 1995 Ruapehu spurted vocanic rock and cloaked the area in ash and steam.  The next year, over the winter months, it rumbled some more and thrust ash clouds high into the sky, effectively ruining the ski season (there are three ski fields on its slopes).  Mt Tongariro last erupted in 1926 and is basically just a crater, but still active.  Mt Ngaruhoe is a conical, single vent volcano, and is much younger than the other two.  It looks like a stereotypical volcano, which is why it was chosen to star as Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies.  



Beautiful (but smelly) pools

Our hike would traverse the park near Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngaruhoe, staying plenty clear of Ruapehu (not like that would help us if it decided to hiccup again!).  The hike is 12 miles one way, which meant we needed to arrange transport from one end of the trail to the other.  One of many things New Zealand does well is trail transport.  We had plenty of options to choose from, and it was very easy to set up transportation to take us there and pick us up.  We took the earliest shuttle, at 7am, and got to the trailhead with about 1,000 other people (maybe not quite 1,000 although it sure seemed like it!). 


The first part of the trail crossed a huge lava field on its way up the side of Mt Doom (we loved the Lord of the Rings movies so it will always be Mt Doom to us – we can’t pronounce it’s real name anyhow!).  Another thing New Zealand does well is trail maintenance.  This one had quite a few long boardwalks to make it easier to cross the uneven lava field.  The trail went up around one side of Mt Doom , where it then veered off towards Mt Tongariro.  There was a side trail up to the top of Mt Doom, more of a steep scree scramble than a real trail.  After traveling for three months with my hubby, I considered huffing and puffing to the top of Mt Doom, only so I could throw in my ring that binds and break the spell (inside joke for you LOTR fans! J).  In reality, we chose not to take the side trail to Mt Doom, knowing we had a full day of hiking ahead of us.   We did, however, take the less strenuous side trail to the “top” of Mt. Tongariro, which was really just a high point along its large crater (great views though!).  Amid the dry and desolate landscape were a few blue-green pools, quite beautiful if you ignore the sulphur smell.  On the other side of the volcanoes the trail wound its way down into a nice shady forest, much appreciated after being exposed on the hot rocks all day.  It took us about seven hours to complete the hike, and we were tuckered out at the end.  Trail transport picked us up as promised and took us back to our campground.  We celebrated with not one, but two ice creams each!  Yum!