Peak performance on Mount Ngauruhoe

By PHILIPPA JONES

It was early spring weather and good conditions on the snowy slopes of Mt Ngauruhoe when we settled in for three days' camping on the lower rim facing west. Partner Martin Hill and I were up there to create a snow sculpture.

Our arrival on the rim the day before had been dramatic. On these northern slopes we'd been oblivious to the gale howling up the southern side, but when we reached the crater rim it was roaring over the top. It pounced on us, screaming and tearing at us frantically. We threw down our heavy packs, unclipped the lightweight snow shovels and set to work on the first priority: to make a snow wall to shelter behind.

This done, we could level a space and put up the tiny, single-skin, alpine tent in the lee of the wall. With a footprint just big enough for two sleeping mats and barely enough head room to sit up, we decided to enlarge our encampment by building a snow cave as well. Dug into the slope in deep snow, it provided a sanctuary where we could shelter from the ravaging wind, cook meals and brew tea.

Early that morning, we'd set out on the two-hour trek from the road's end past the Mangatepopo Hut and along the valley beyond, alongside the stream. The climb up the track through lava rock to the saddle between the volcanic cones of Tongariro and Ngauruhoe was familiar ground - it's the first leg of the Tongariro Crossing. Rated in the guide books and brochures as the "Best One-Day Walk in New Zealand" the crossing goes across South Crater to the left at the saddle. A sign indicates, to the right, the way to the base of Ngauruhoe and the route up to the summit.

To look up to the top of Ngauruhoe from here is to marvel at the near-perfect symmetry of the volcano's 30-degree slopes. Not steep by mountain standards, it is prone to iciness in the prevailing sou'wester at this time of year. We had been lucky to climb it in relative shelter.

Zigzagging up a snow route is kindest to aching calf muscles. One person breaks the trail, the next follows in the footprints. We took turns, alternating 10 steps to the left, 10 steps to the right. To each side the identical profiles of the mountain led straight as a ruler to the top.

The satisfying crunch of the snow and the easy angle of ascent meant the crampons stayed lashed to our packs but our ice axes acted as walking aids, though their real purpose was to arrest a fall if we lost our footing on slippery ice. The sun was shining and the snow absorbed our footsteps willingly.

Stopping to relish the view down to the saddle was a chance to catch my breath. Looking up to the summit was to measure in my mind's eye how much closer we were to it. It took roughly two hours to make our way up. The clouds streaming north told of quite different conditions up top.

The wind hit us at the edge of the outer crater gully. Left, towards the west, was the way to the highest point on the outer crater; to the east was the top of the inner crater rim. Any further and we would have been even more exposed. We removed our helmets and pulled on balaclavas and hoods and got out the shovel to start building a wall.

The wind shrieked over the tent all night but stopped suddenly, just before daybreak. Our first visitor arrived later. He was a strapping young Brazilian, in New Zealand on a school exchange trip. As if it was quite natural to find people preoccupied with shaping snow into a sculpture, he took out a harmonica and played us a tune. He marked his ascent by tying a tiny flag to his ice axe to plant in the snow and headed down, mission accomplished.

Second to reach the top was an energetic middle-aged Japanese couple. When invited to peer down the tunnel entrance into our snow cave they remarked that it was "like where a bear sleeps".

Others came and went. Someone cellphoned their family from the top, someone else was ticking off Ngauruhoe as one of the trio on their list, and the most daring had brought up a plastic dustbin lid for a fast ride down. Too worried to watch his crazy descent, I trudged back to camp to brew up a coffee.

Conditions have to be right for climbing Ngauruhoe's shapely cone. In summer it's a scree scramble, each step loosening the shingle, so that it feels like two steps forward, one back - all the way up. It's often climbed as a side trip by Tongariro Crossers but even in summer the weather is unpredictable and can turn nasty quickly. Plummeting temperatures, wind chill and low cloud that reduces visibility drastically, can change your experience of this spectacular place. With a covering of snow Ngauruhoe's scree stays put, but another hazard can occur: ice.

At 2291m above sea level, it is part of a volcanic chain that sits astride the Central North Island and extends eastwards to White Island. To stand on its rim and look down into the hissing crater, or in all directions over the extraordinary volcanic landscape, or way out west to the pimple of Mt Taranaki is to grasp its place in New Zealand's volcanic drama.

Ngauruhoe is the most continuously active volcano on the mainland and is said to erupt every nine years or so. It's well overdue.

Its last spectacular eruption was in 1975 when ash was sent 14,000m into the sky.

These revered mountains are held as sacred by Maori, and most European would-be "conquerors" were deterred from venturing on to their slopes for many years, but Ngauruhoe was climbed in 1839, by John Bidwell, a botanist and explorer. On his return he was subjected to the wrath of Chief Te Heuheu for ignoring the tapu.

Bidwell's climb was in March when there would have been no snow. Some think a winter ascent is more desirable. Certainly it gives a great sense of accomplishment. However, the conditions have to be right. Ngauruhoe's a great climb - as long as you know what you're doing. Be patient and pick your time.

www.thetongarirocrossing.co.nz/tongariro.htm

Where to start:


The Visitor Centre and park headquarters is at Whakapapa Village. It's the place to get track information, maps, weather conditions and, importantly, to write your intentions in the book. Ph (07) 892 3729

* Email whakapapavc@doc.govt.nz

Advisory:


The road end at Mangatepopo is an unsafe place to leave your car. You can park your vehicle more safely at Whakapapa Village and either walk the 2 1/2-3 hour track that begins behind the Grand Chateau to Mangatepopo or use the transport services. A shuttle service runs for around $15. The first bus of the day leaves at 8am.

More information:


Interested in learning mountaineering skills? Contact John Salisbury at the New Zealand Alpine Club (Auckland Section).

Email Salisj@xtra.co.nz