Tongariro field notes
Tongariro & Mangatepōpō

Mount Tongariro summit side trip

Expert Full day

A poled route to Tongariro’s 1,967 m summit with the whole crater complex, Blue Lake and Taupō below.

3.0 kmreturn
+1.5–2 hr return from Red Craterwalking time
↑ 220 mclimb
1,940 mhigh point
Mount Tongariro summit side trip Mount Tongariro summit side trip © Eusebius@Commons · CC BY 2.0
Le Ngauruhoe et le Ruapehu vus du sommet du Tongariro © Eusebius · CC BY 3.0

Elevation profile

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What you’ll see

  1. 1
    Mounts Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu seen from the summit of mount Tongariro (13323548104)
    Summit· 1,967 m Mount Tongariro summit
  2. 2
    Red Crater in Tongariro volcanic area
    Crater· 1,886 m Red Crater
  3. 3
    Blue Lake pano
    Lake· 1,725 m Blue Lake
Summit ridgeCrater panorama

The walk

Leaves the Crossing just below Red Crater and climbs the broad ridge west to the summit. The route is poled but rough and very exposed to wind. The summit is sacred; stay on the route and leave nothing.

Start. Junction below Red Crater on the Alpine Crossing

Snow & season

Snow & ice route

Snow from May to October.

Best season: Summer only for walkers

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Nearby

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