Mummy and the mountain

Many of you will know by now that I am pretty uncomfortable at altitude and also scared witless of heights or, more accurately, of falling off them. So, I decided to confront my pretty stupid fears and take a hike. One of the great hikes of New Zealand, it turns out, on a beautiful sunny hot day – the first in weeks.

The Tongariro Crossing is a 17km tramp (as the Kiwis call it) across volcanoes, scree, forest and craters. Having read about it, we knew there was no way the kids would make it, but I really wanted to see Tongariro National Park. Luckily, Joe fancied flying over the area, and the kids were entranced by the idea when it was mentioned. Rhys in particular wanted to do it, and for one reason alone – this is where they filmed much of The Lord of the Rings. Mount Doom and Mordor are right here, instantly recogniseable to any fan (and Rhys is a major fan!). Rhys had asked to see where they filmed LOTR for his birthday, so this was to be an early present. I will of course leave them to blog about their adventures, but this left me free to do THE WALK.

At 7.30am I was picked up in gorgeous sunshine by a shuttle to the start of the hike. But as we neared, the fog dropped like a stone, confirming what I had read about the weather changing shockingly fast. My heart did sink: I had talked to a lady who had done the crossing 2 days before who had seen nothing through fog and rain. Our driver, however, reassured us it was due to burn off during the morning. And so at 8.30 I began, and the walk was really easy for the first few kilometres … to a lovely spot called Soda Springs, with waterfalls and a stream running through the otherwise daunting volcanic landscape. “This is a piece of cake!” thinks I, but then I noticed where the poles that mark the route were heading. Straight up. From about 1400m we had to climb vertically to 1800m, over volcanic, hot rocks. I say “we” – there were 300 people walking the track that day, but luckily the shuttles stagger the arrivals. I had set off straight away so that I would not be right in the midst of the crowds, but once we started the ascent we did all bunch up somewhat. I adopted a little and often approach: walk little, stop often. Even so, my legs were like jelly by the time I reached the Mangatepopo pass; it was proper climbing, hand over hand, looking for good footholds, thinking “how on earth I am going to get to THAT pole?” I felt distinctly unfit. But, as always, it was worth it. A vast flat expanse of barren rock lay before me, and to my right towered the unmistakeable, looming, dark and brooding Mt Ngauruhoe. From the photos, anyone you has seen Lord of the Rings (LOTR) will instantly recognise it as Mt Doom. As I walked, I looked up at the scree slopes all around and also realised this was Mordor in the film, where Sam and Frodo had slid down the sides and hid under the elven cloak, pretending to be a rock. It was a wild place, with the wind whipping through you – just what’s needed when you are soaked with sweat from the climb!