The trail is normally 20km (further, in our case, to the car), starting around 1,100 m, rising to a maximum of 1,886 m, and descending to around 800m
0 Tongariro Crossing
It starts with amazing views of Mt Ruapehu (2,797m) - the main winter ski fields of the N Island, 5 hrs drive N of Wellington
1 Mt Ruapehu
Lord of the Rings was filmed here. These hidden gullies are reminiscent of those in which Sam and Frodo sheltered en route into Mordor
3 Soda Springs trail 2
2 Soda Springs trail 1
Fairly soon the landscape becomes seriously volcanic, from which lava spires eerily arise
4 Lava
Vast, wasted fields of ash and lava prohibit any green or living thing, it seems. The lands of Mordor, indeed.
10 Beyond S Crater AK
More lava spires
11 Beyond S Crater JdeB
The South Crater is at 1,660 m
9 S Crater AK
The trail passes beneath Mt Ngauruhoe - Mt Doom in Lord of the Rings. The summit is 2,291 m and a very steep side trip is possible for the brave or those who need to destroy any rings
14 Mt Ngauruhoe
Red Crater and Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom) beyond
30 Beyond Red Crater
At 1,886 m the Red Crater is the high point of the trek
19 Red Crater rim 3
Red Crater and Blue Lake beyond
16 Red Crater
23 Red Crater rim 5
22 Red Crater rim 4
24 Red Crater rim JdeB
A giant and mysterious vent issues forth from the inner side of the Red Crater. Whom knows what volcanic compounds once flowed from it.
25 Red Crater vent
The landscape is littered with mysterious, coloured, melted stones, reminiscent of dragon fire damage
27 Red Crater blue stone
It is possible to pick some quite dangerous routes and to go seriously astray
28 Red Crater scree slope
From the Red Crater the path leads down toward Emerald Lakes
33 Emerald Lakes path
The lakes appear beautiful but (i) are probably full of sulphuric acid, due to all the sulphur vents, and (ii) are sacred to the Maoris - hence they are not to be touched
39 Emerald Lakes
The trail leads through sulphurous gasses issuing from the vents of these not-so-dormant volcanoes
35 Emerald Lakes sulfur 2
Christmas festivities in the sulphur gasses
38 Emerald Lakes sulfur AK & JdeB
Next, pockets of snow remain here in the vast Central Crater in late summer
40 Central Crater
Finally, the long descent to the Ketetahi Shelter yields great views of Lakes Rotoaira and Taupo, beyond
41 Descent to Ketetahi Shelter
