Tongariro Crossing Part 3/4 - Red Crater

We continued the main tramp. We crossed the southern Crater, a very flat area created by runoff from the surrounding mountains. We made a steep ascent to Red Crater, one of the active volcanic cones in the area. You could see how the walls of the crater were formed by recent eruptions. And the colour was a brilliant, fiery red. We climbed higher, up the scree along the edge of the crater, to the highest point of the main tramp, and continued down the other side. As soon as we crested, we could see the beautiful emerald lakes below us. Getting closer, we could smell the sulphur, see more steam coming from the rocks and eventually see the beautiful orange trim around the green lakes. Cool!

We passed through the Central Crater and continued up the other side. Looking back, you could see the black tongue of a recent lava flow that had spilled out of the Red Crater. Bright, white snow patches were nestled in the shadows against the black rock. Very dramatic.Read more