The Devil’s Staircase

This photograph was taken in 2008. It’s of the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand. A walk it was suggested we do whilst in the North Island. We’d been in the country for a wedding and were travelling back to Auckland airport.

The Tongariro Crossing is a 19.4 kilometre trek at an altitude of 1,800 metres. Little did I know the volcanic peaks of Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu are among the top ten single-day treks in the world. It’s popularity due to the incredible scenery and breathtaking Emerald Lakes.

The trek was flat at first and quite enjoyable in the sunshine. I remember laughing just before we started climbing the The Devil’s Staircase. It was short lived. Climbing up uneven layers of lava flows and volcanic deposits was really hard work. Even more of a challenge when I re-broke two of my toes. But there was no going back. The bus dropped everyone off at the start of the trek and collected you at the finish.

The only photograph I have of the Devil’s Staircase shows me at the bottom with fellow trekkers in the background still climbing upwards after 3 kilometers! It was seriously tough but the views from the summit were immense.

This photograph was taken after that following a hike up an exposed ridge. The ant like dots you see on the path are people.

We completed the three volcanic peaks of the Tongariro Crossing in 6.5 hours (above average despite the broken tootsies). We rewarded ourselves with cold lager. It was a hideous yet thrilling experience – we couldn’t walk for days afterwards. Despite all of that it still remains one of my most memorable achievements.

This post is for What’s The Story? the photography Linky on this blog. We’re also linking up with Magic Moments at The Oliver’s Madhouse.