We've left the planet

We arrived at Tongariro in a rain storm, the 3 volcanos completely obscured from view by mist.  Optimistic the next morning, we hopped on the shuttle bus at 5:30 am, only to be told our transport was cancelled due to high winds at the top. It took us awhile to regroup (although we should have gone into the small village to consider a different transport company), and then decided to go to the trailhead at the popular starting point, hike up until it got windy, and then turn around. It was a glorious day, sunny and clear and hundreds of people were beginning the ascent; every other transport company seemed to be operating.  We started up and ended up doing the whole track!  Luckily a shuttle service, driving back and forth to both trailhead parking lots, transported Chad back to our car for $30 and he returned to get us!  19 km, 11.4 miles, 8 hours, 3 people who could barely move at the end, but were extremely proud!

The track varied throughout...at times we were trekking up steep black lava rock steps; sometimes we crossed over flat moon-like craters, at the highest point we passed the red crater that recently erupted; we struggled down the sandy lava ash from the eruption (each of us falling it was so unstable and slippery).  At the windy spot, we used thick wire ropes attached to the mountain to pull ourselves over rocks.  Thank goodness for the trekking poles which most trekkers did not have.  I thought my earrings would pull out of my ears from the wind. We descended from the peak over the lava ash to 4 glowing lakes in the distance; 3 were varying shades of brilliant, glowy, milky green and another bigger lake across the central flat crater was blue with wind whipping across it, trying to pull us in.  The lakes are beautiful, but are toxic sulfuric acid. Steam is shooting out from blowholes and the area has a slight rotten egg smell. We still sat by one of the lakes in a moonlike setting and ate our lunch. The last (boring and tedious) part was the traverse down for nearly 3 hours across rocky (moonlike) terrain slowly making our way down, one lead foot at a time!

But were we ever proud!  What a day!  What an experience!  It made our trip!