Nov. 15 - Tongariro

This was the day of the Big Hike - the famous (or infamous) Tongariro Crossing, said to be one of the ten best one-day hikes in the world.  It is a 20 km (12 mile) hike across a volcano, and it was beautiful and hard and worth all the effort.  Annie and I both made it all the way, and were tired, proud and sore at the end.  It is hard to describe it all in just a few words and pictures - just think endless trail, endless stairs up to a height of 7000 feet (yes, it was harder to breathe) and after the summit, a truly endless trail to the end.  Our host at Discovery Lodge ran the whole trail in 1 hour and 25 minutes - but he was a world class mountain runner.  It took us a little longer...

Tongariro National Park

Heading out up the trail

Mount Doom in the background

The Red Crater

Heading down the trail to the Emerald Lakes

The trail goes on and on and on

More endless trail

Finally the forest

Fording the river!

We made it!