I love climbing mountains. I know it is really hard to get to the top but once I am there, it is so worth it. Since I got an ACL reconstruction, I only tried to do small and short mountain hikes. So I thought it was time to challenge myself with a real hard one. The one I will remember until the end of my life.
That's why I chose Mt Taranaki which is a New Zealand's most perfectly formed volcano. It is around 120,000 years old and last time it was erupted in 1775 (Src). Standing at 2518 m high, Mount Taranaki summit track is a real challenge and dangerous to climb. So for non-mountaineers like me, the best time to climb the mountain is during January to March when there is little snow and ice except in the crater.
My partner and I decided to do it during our long holiday between Christmas and New Year in New Zealand, so we have time get prepared and improve our fitness.
If you want to climb to the summit, you can do it within 8 – 10 hours but we wanted to take our time and enjoyed the hike, so we did it in 2 days.
Mt Taranaki from the car park
We left on Tuesday the 31st, driving from Wellington to Egmont National Park, in the center of which is Mt.Taranaki. With short breaks along the way, we made it to the parking lot on the Stratford Plateau by noon. We stopped in the car park for a quick picnic lunch and then put our backpacks on our shoulders and began our journey.
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Our first stop was after an hour of walking, on an off-season ski slope. There is a beautiful ski lodge there and I wish we would have booked to stay for one night. We met a group of people and had a quick chat with them. It turned out they went for a long hike (4 to 5 days) around Egmont National Park, they didn’t do the summit this time but warned us about the difficulty of this volcano. Their advice was it’s best not to do it in a bad condition.
Continuing on the path for another hour and a half, we skirted the sides of the mountain and followed a slight upwards slope through moderately dense vegetation. This part is quite challenging for me as we had to carry our big backpack and climb on a narrow pathway. My partner already carried most of the stuff but somehow, I still feel very tired. We met several people on the way, had a quick chat with them and they wished us good luck.
We finally arrived at the Tahurangi cabin, a private complex (we had previously booked the stay) with very good facilities for a mountain hut. It has a small shower room and a good kitchen. I didn’t expect we have all of that in a mountain hut.
We celebrated the new year with a plate of rice, tuna and vegetables, and a red wine: a Trapiche Malbec chosen by my partner. The first day had been very demanding, between driving long hours on the road and climbing with the weight of provisions on our back. So we decided to go to bed at 10pm as we wanted to wake up early on the next day and enjoy the view of this mountain. However, there was a group celebrating NY during the night so we both couldn’t sleep very well.
Next morning view to the silhouette of the Ruapehu mountains , on which we were working in the Whakapapa ski center, and also its neighbor, Ngauruhoe.
With less weight and more time, we made it to the summit the following morning. We crossed a gully and then proceeded up a steep staircase.
Then the worst part of all, the shoulder of the mountain, in which each step is very difficult. Our shoes kept sinking dust and rolling pebbles. This is the part that will slown you down and on the way back I had difficulty to even stand up.
Once that was over, there was a last stretch of almost vertical ascent through solid rocks, until reaching the central crater, covered with snow. I am not afraid of heights, but this part was scary to me. I had to hold on the rock tight to not fall down.
And finally…. the top! The summit has two peaks close to each other, the one seen in the photo is " the fang ", and we photographed it from the opposite (I don't know the name).
Then the tortuous descent began, being already quite tired. The shoulder of the mountain with its rolling edges was very hard, in which I fell every so often, almost every step. I stood up and then fell down. To top it off, a wind rose and pushed us down. Fortunately we did not hurt ourselves, and the rest of the section was easier but still hard on our knees.
We stayed at the lodge for one more night and the next day we went back to Wellington with our sore legs but feelling happy because our first challenge the New Year was done.
Thank you for reading my post. I hope you have a wonderful day.
P/S: All the photos in this post were taken by my partner - Gus. Thank you so much my love.
New Zealand has some stunning mountains and your ascent/descent to Mt.Taranak looks like it was quite an unforgettable experience! Can't blame you for breaking it up into two days. The mountain hut must have been a welcome sight, made even better with the Malbec! Congratulations on a successful hike!
Upvoted and curated @dora381
Thank you so much for your comment and support @ninahaskin.
Indeed, drinking a glass of Malbec after a very challenge hike on the New Year day in front of a magnificent mountain view was awesome.
I am really glad we did it in 2 days. On the way down, with just light wind, I already felt many times. Some of my friends had been here several times but not able to do the summit because of the weather.
I used to work at Mt Ruapehu - a ski resort in the North. We can see Mt Taranaki from there. I always told myself one day I would be there on top of that mountain. So good it came true now.
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so wonderful c ơi
Cám ơn em nha. Ở Việt nam mà đi săn mây là cũng wonderful luôn đấy
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Wow! Amazing mountain indeed! Congratulations on your quest.
Thank you @indayclara 😍
Hi @dora381, I love climbing mountain too friend. I also had better experience about hiking before two years. But covid19 spreading stopped many future hike journeys. However you climbed really difficult mountain but it was very interesting place for get good experience. Absolutely brilliant captures.
Hi @madushanka, I never climb a volcano before so I thought it would be a great experience. Indeed, it was an experience that I never forget. Hopefully the world will be back to normal soon so we all can enjoy what we love. Cheers, Dora
Wooowww...
very beautiful....
I really want to go there
Thank you. You should but please remember best time to enjoy it is between mid Jan to early Mar. If it's just have light wind, it might not possible to go. On the day we climbed, we didnt have wind until the very last part on the way back.
Ôi một nơi tuyệt vời. Thấy bạn bè của Trang ai cũng post về New Zealand mà mãi không hết cảnh đẹp. L cũng rất thích leo núi. Ước mơ được đến đó một lần quá 😌
Cám ơn Loan. Thật ra D thấy ở Việt Nam! mình cũng nhiều núi đẹp lắm. Leo là cứ mê luôn. Chỉ là mình ko có núi lửa để leo thôi
hết dịch mọi người tham gia leo núi không
Hello Dora. Mt Taranaki looks like an extremely challenging mountain to conquer. With its treacherous slopes, rugged trails, and high elevation, I'd probably not survive that climb. I'm glad you had a fantastic time and eventually achieved your mission there. Congratulations on making it to the summit! 😊
Thank you. I know Mt Taranaki is hard but to be honest I didn't expect it was that hard. It was ok on the way up, tiring but manageable. On the way down as the wind rose, It became really difficult. I still remember on the part with dust and rolling pebbles, I stood up and felt immediately. We and other people just had to wait for the wind to stop and then moved slowly down. As I said, it was an experience I will never forget. Cheers, Dora
Yeah, I understand. Expectations have a way of surprising us sometimes. And battling the forces of nature, as you've experienced there, was certainly not a walk in the park. Yet, it was indeed a worthy achievement one could be proud of, a cherished milestone in your life if you will. More exciting adventures for you Dora. Cheers!
Thank you :)
Woah...I don't think I'd ever want to try this ( okay maybe not 'ever'😌)...but this looks scary and beautiful at the same time. Glad you got to the summit
Thank you so much. I have to say I love it but I don't think I am ready to do it again. It was extremely hard much more than what I expected :)
Spectacular landscape. Take me here next time when we meet again in NZ, please :)
Omg I don't think I am ready to do it again. Can we climb other mountains??? Just kidding, if my girl want to do it. Let's make it our destination next time when you are here.
These photos left me in awe, how much more if I am able to witness it before my eyes? 🥰 Aah, my bucket lists is becoming full
I think we are going to get more and more with our awesome hivians. So might be it's time to expand our bucket lists to a bucket book???
What an amazing trip it must have been!
Great shots too, thank you for sharing :)
Thank you :) It was awesome and now I often see the views from Mt Taranaki when I do my meditation. When I need some places to relax, I just close my eyes and I am there. So cool
đẹp quá chị ơi . chụp bằng điện thoại à chị
Cám ơn em, ko bọn chị chụp bằng c cái máy ảnh bấm bé bé ngày xưa í. Ko đx sắc nét lắm nhưng vẫn dùng tạm ổn
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oh my god, thank you so much for letting me know @ybanezkim26. That's a great news for today. Cheers, Dora
You're welcome! Your name suits you well. 😂
Thank you :)
so cool chị ơi 😘 😫 cái núi lửa em leo chắc chỉ có Mt Eden.
Hihi c cũng leo Mt Eden r nè, đc cái mấy cái lúi nửa ở đây c đều được leo với ski hết rồi. Yêu nhắm
Great nature!
Thank you. It is beautiful :)
Amazing hike! Well done. Looks like a beautiful place to go for a hike and choosing two days was probably a good idea. Gave you more time to really enjoy the landscape.
Thank you @digi-me. I agree. 1 day probably not enough. I tends to spend a bit longer on the way as I am always curious to see things around like what kind of plants growing there, any insects around or flowers
The pictures speak for the climb. The incline towards the top was insane 😮 Kudos to you on achieving your milestones. 🤩🤩
Thank you <3
WOAH~!! The view of Mount Taranaki in New Zealand is.....Geez I do not have words for its.... magnificence. Wow. I admire your spirit of adventure. This blog post is great, thank you for sharing your photos with the community😘
Thank you :) it is a beautiful mountain and it is given the same legal rights as a person in NZ. That's amazing