Tongariro & Ruapehu

Tongariro National Park is the volcanic heart of the North Island, with Ruapehu, Ngāuruhoe and Tongariro rising from the central plateau. It is also a World Heritage area, and one of the most visited places in the country for walking and skiing.

The club has its own lodge at Iwikau Village on Ruapehu, and it shapes the trips: ski days and ski touring, snowcraft courses, snowcave nights, summit attempts, and relaxed lodge weekends with day walks. In summer the reports turn to the Tongariro Northern Circuit, Tama Lakes and the Ruapehu crater lake. Alpine 1 is the most common grade here.

Winter conditions can be serious, with snow, ice and poor visibility, and the busiest months in the club's reports are from July to October. Alpine trips here need proper equipment and skills.