Tongariro Alpine Crossing

The Tongariro Crossing is a famous hike in New Zealand. It's actually the area where Mordor from "The Lord of the Rings" was partly filmed.

While traveling, I realized that many fellow tourists, including myself, had quite a lot of questions regarding this hike since you get a lot of different opinions from people about it.

Here are the questions I asked and now know the answers to:

How long does the hike take?

It took us around 8 hours (and we took quite a few breaks).

Is it possible to do it as a beginner hiker?

It is not the best hike to start with if you have never hiked before, but it is still doable since the path is pretty well maintained. Only during the winter can it get a bit slippery at the top if there is snow or ice.

How hard is the Tongariro Crossing hike?

I think there is not just one answer to this.

• If you are an experienced hiker, this hike could be quite easy for you since there is a big part of the hike that doesn't have a lot of elevation gain. It is just really long overall, and as mentioned, the path is really well maintained, and there is no part where you have to climb.
  

• If you are an intermediate hiker, meaning you hike occasionally but not regularly, it will be exhausting, but I don't think you will reach your limits.

• If you are a beginner and this is your first or second hike, or you haven't hiked for years, this could be quite challenging for you. You will still make it, but just plan a little extra time so that you won't miss the last shuttle. Take a lot of breaks and don't forget to bring food and water.

Which shoes should I wear?

I would wear hiking shoes during the winter, but otherwise, the path is really easy and not dangerous, so you don't necessarily need them.

Do you have to take the shuttle even if you are in a group with multiple cars?

This is quite complicated. We tried to avoid taking the shuttle and have a car on either side (the start and the end of the hike), but apparently in summer, you can only park there for around 4 hours, which is too little time to complete the hike.

In winter, I guess it would be possible, but it seems like they do everything to prevent people from doing this so that you have to pay for the expensive shuttle.

In the end, we also chose the shuttle since we didn't want to risk a fine.

How much water and food should you bring?

I brought 2 liters of water, a few protein bars, nuts, and 2 sandwiches, and I ate it all!

What should I wear for the Tongariro Crossing?

As long as you are walking, you will normally feel warm, but since you will start early in the morning, it will be cold at the start, and then again when you take breaks and at the top.

I personally think layers are the best option.

I wore my sport leggings, sports bra, long-sleeved tight sports shirt, warm fleece sweatshirt, and a puffer vest, as well as gloves.

All in all, it was a really cool hike and I would definitely recommend it to everyone. Just be prepared and plan a lot of time if you are a beginner!

If you want to know more about New Zealand head over to my overview page:

- North Island of New Zealand 

- South Island of New Zealand