Ruapehu dominates the North Island’s central plateau. Its great bulk is visible in the distance across much of the North Island. Crossing the state highway bridge at Wanganui, for example, it forms a surprising climax to the view upriver. On a clear day, the mountain can even be seen from the South Island.
Remember that you are on an active volcano. Eruptions large enough to be hazardous to people within the active crater basin (within the circle of Dome, Paretetaitonga and Tahurangi) have a return period of about 10 years. Outside the crater basin the return period is about 20 years. In the last 60 years, a significant proportion of these eruptions have occurred more or less without warning (so called ‘blue sky’ eruptions). Lahars (volcanic mudflows) can flow down any of the major valleys during major eruptions, although only down the Whangaehu valley in smaller ones. If an eruption occurs, get out of the valley floors immediately.
As a general rule, Whakapapa is the best place to access northern and western routes; Turoa the western and southern routes; and Tukino the southern and eastern routes.
All the same, many routes, especially those that start from the Summit Plateau or Crater Lake areas, are accessible from all three major road-ends.
The easiest way to access the Summit Plateau and Crater Lake is from the Whakapapa ski area.
Places
Type | Name |
---|---|
Range | Whakapapa Skifield |
Range | Tūroa Skifield |
Range | Tūkino Skifield |
Range | Nga Tohu Pinnacle Ridge |
Mountain | Te Heuheu |
Mountain | Tukino Pk |
Mountain | Matihao (Cathedral Rocks) |
Mountain | Paretetaitonga |
Mountain | Pyramid Pk |
Mountain | Ringatoto Pk |
Mountain | Tahurangi |
Mountain | Te Ataahua |
Mountain | Girdlestone Pk |
Mountain | The Clocktower |
Routes
Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Operations |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
From Whakapapa via Glacier Knob | 1,I | 1000m | ||||
From Whakapapa via Whakapapa Glacier | 1,I | 1000m | ||||
From Tūroa via Pare Col | 1,I | 1000m | ||||
From Tūkino via Whangaehu Glacier | 1,I | 900m | ||||
From Tūkino via Mangatoetoenui Glacier | 1,I | 900m |