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My idea of fun: standing in darkness on a Friday night in the Tongariro National Park at the Mangatepopo road end with my brother and dad; staring down a dark track leading to the Mangatepopo Hut (1190m). Our plan was to climb Mt. Tongariro the next day. Once at the hut we were fortunate to sleep in luxury on hut mattresses. Lucky for some; the following morning there were five stiff bodies sleeping on the full hut’s deck. On the positive side, those sleeping on the deck would have been dazzled with a priceless display of stars overhead all evening. Conveniently the Mangatepopo Hut is magnificently situated 30 minutes from the Mangatepopo road end. From the hut is a gateway to one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the world, where a large portion of the Tongariro National Park (World Heritage Area) is accessible to those with backcountry alpine experience.
My Dad, brother & I were underway by 7.30am and the weather was calm, clear and warm. We chose to take the unmarked (but frequently used) West Ridge next to Mangatepopo hut. We dropped down through scrub behind the hut, across the river and began to enjoy ourselves as we followed a direct route towards Mt. Tongariro in great conditions
West ridge took us directly to the snowline and from there we picked our route to the summit of Mt. Tongariro. A northerly breeze brought low cloud and warm conditions kept us reaching for our drink bottles. I frequently stopped to check my stump and monitor potential signs of rubbing – but nothing so far. Perfect. The snow was firm and soon icy as we gained altitude. The slope we were climbing was south facing avoiding the morning sun; cramponing was ideal. I was climbing with a standard mountaineering boot on my left foot and a lightweight walking shoe on my prosthetic foot. I don’t need to worry about warmth do I!? Flexible crampons fit without trouble and ascent is easy when you don’t have to worry about calf muscle strain – conveniently my carbon-fibre foot takes care of that!
We had been on the move for 3 hours – a bit longer than I had thought. I made a decision to make a call about turning around once we reached distinctive icy rocks above us. My legs were feeling tired, and we all know that the top is only halfway. I didn’t want to run out energy and cause another search and rescue! 10 minutes later we couldn’t go any further than the icy rocks because there was nowhere to go. We had reached the top! I dumped my pack and waded through powder to get to the highest point. Resting my elbows on my knees to catch my breath I could see my dad and brother close behind. Standing at 1978m peering through cloud across to Mt. Ngauruhoe, Mt. Ruapehu and neighboring snow capped ranges took me back in time to 2005 when I climbed my first ever mountain, the very one I was currently standing on top of. Not bad for a guy with one leg and two blokes who were also standing on top of their very first summit, ever. To stand on top of any mountain, no matter how big or small gives you the feeling you are on top of the world; physically and mentally.
After 8 hours + of walking/climbing, my brother, dad and I rested at the Mangatepopo hut. Although Mt. Tongariro is really a minor alpine excursion in the mountains, it had been a day of anticipation, excitement, fear of the unknown and ‘giving it a go’. Now I know my leg is good to go which is an exciting and new prospect, plus I have myself two new climbing buddies (my brother and dad) – you can never have enough of them! We sipped on our well earned cups of tea and remembered; the best mountaineers in the world are the ones who have the most fun. For more pictures and adventures, see: www.williampike.co.nz.
I gratefully acknowledge Mountain Equipment (www.prytex.com) who sponsors me with outdoor clothing and equipment. Being a fussy gear freak, I’m picky with outdoor clothing and equipment - luckily Mountain Equipment is the best I’ve come across.
I also acknowledge and thank Outdoor Action for hiring out quality crampons & ice axes to my brother and dad to enable them to complete their alpine experience, which is now the beginning of many more to come!
By William Pike
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