Did the crossing on Tuesday - a fantastic walk. I picked up the bus at 0530 and was walking by 7, where we wandered through low cload for a while.
After the initial gradual climb, the cloud broke and I got my first view of my challenge for the day - Mount Ngauruhoe. This doubled as Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings and is 2300m of loose scree and rocks. THe initial ascent is hard work as you slip down the scree trying to get up, but once you are 1/3rd of the way up theres a lava flow you can get some grip on. The climb took me 2 hours, but netted me some fantstic views as I walked round the snow filled crater. Parts of the crater walk are very like striding edge, with quite a bit of exposure, but well worth it. There was a small steam vent that was active just to remind you that this is a real volcano……
Descending the Volcano was by the classic scree surfing move - through clouc with loose rocks flying down the hill just to keep you alert. By the time I found my pack in the cloud, I realised that i was about an hour behind schedule and in danger of missing the bus, so from then on in I was walking pretty fast.
The walk takes you past some stunning views, like the Emerald Lakes, Red Crater and more. All these unique features are caused by the volcanically active nature of the area, and although the hot lakes look inviting, the sulphur etc can cause you to pass out and drown, and some are too hot to swim in anyway, plus they can contain arsenic ;-).
I made the bus just about - with 10 mins to spare. I hope to do the crossing again in a month or two with friends, but without the extra climb and taking it slower. I also would not carry 12kg of kit next time either!
