The Tongariro Alpine Crossing has a harsh environment, combined with highly changeable weather.
With winter coming on, hikers should eye the Tongariro Crossing with the utmost caution, Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) group support officer Steve Signal said.
The crossing is one of the country’s most popular walks, but it also has one of the highest rates of search and rescues of any tramping track in the country.
“You need to know the weather forecast, and to be aware of how quickly the weather can change up there,” Steve said.
“You can get five seasons in a day, experiencing sunshine and blue sky one minute, only for the cloud cover to come down rapidly and remove almost all visibility the next.
“Because it is an alpine crossing people must be prepared for extremes. Especially if there is an injury in the party and a helicopter can’t get in.
“In that case it’s going to be a good two-and-a-half hours, three hours even, before a rescue team can be with you.
“You must be able to stay out of the elements, to keep warm and sustain yourself while you wait.”
Steve, who is Taupō based, said it was essential to follow comprehensive information the Department of Conservation (DOC) made available to hikers who wanted to walk the crossing in winter conditions.
This information includes:
- To allow 9-11 hours to complete the walk and take a head torch. Also, realise the Red Crater will be 5 degrees colder than the start of the track and expect ice on the track between April and October.
- Being aware of the risks from avalanches, volcanic activity and changeable weather.
- Wearing appropriate layers of warm clothing to keep the cold wind out, and carrying alpine equipment (crampons and ice axes if required).
- Leaving early enough to complete the trip within daylight hours, and turning around if conditions no longer allow you to carry on safely.
Steve said it was essential for people to gather information on their expedition ahead of attempting the Tongariro Crossing.
“There is such a lot of good material out there, it’s just a question of looking. There is no excuse for learning what you need once you’re there.”
Being 19.4km in length, the trek takes day walkers on a journey across rugged volcanic landforms surrounded by dramatic alpine scenery.
The most common incidents rescuers see on the crossing are people over-estimating their abilities and under-estimating the high level of fitness and time required; this supported the NZ Mountain Safety Council’s in-depth analysis of incident data.
The safety council noted people took longer than they expected to complete the day walk and so could be exposed
to harsher conditions than they had envisaged.
They became tired quickly due to lack of fitness, which led to muscle cramps and rolled ankles, blisters – often because they bought new boots the week before.
They received broken toenails due to the steep downhill, and some had inadequate clothing for the alpine environment.
During Easter there was a more serious incident.
A hiker dislocated his knee and had to be carried down below the cloud line to where it was safe for a helicopter to land.
A tramping safety video made by the NZ Mountain Safety Council in partnership with Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro, DOC, Police, LandSAR, Tourism NZ and members of the local tourism industry highlighted the key information a hiker needed to know before attempting the track.
It included what to pack, key hazards and decision-making points.
The video advised how best to descend the rocky scree from Red Crater and provides information on how to manage key risks and difficult sections.
It had been translated into Mandarin, Korean and had subtitles in six other languages.
For more information, download the Mountain Safety Council’s Plan My Walk Plan, plus the council’s three training videos titled Ready Set Go.
