Mount Ngauruhoe

Ngauruhoe is the youngest of the Tongariro volcanic complex, a stratovolcano only about 2,500 years old, which is why its cone is so unusually regular - it has not had time to erode. It last erupted in 1977. Most people meet it as the great cone standing over the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, and many arrive intending to climb it, having seen it in the Lord of the Rings films. That is the thing worth knowing in advance: Ngauruhoe is a sacred ancestor to Ngati Hikairo ki Tongariro and other iwi, and there is a standing request from iwi and the Department of Conservation that people do not climb it. There is no formed route, the scoria is loose and rockfall onto people below is a real hazard, so the request and the safety advice point the same way. Walk the Crossing, photograph the cone, and leave the summit alone.

History

The cone first erupted about 2,500 years ago and is the youngest vent of the Tongariro complex. Ngāti Tūwharetoa tradition says their ancestor Ngātoro-i-rangi called volcanic fire from Hawaiki, which emerged here, and the name either recalls his slave, who died of the cold before the fire arrived, or the thrusts of his staff into the ground (Wikipedia, Mount Ngauruhoe).

What you'll find

• The cone - regular because it is only about 2,500 years old.
• The Crossing view - the mountain standing over the saddle.
• The 1975 lava - flows visible on the flanks.
• The wider complex - Tongariro and Ruapehu around it.

When to go

December to March, as part of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The Crossing requires booked transport and, in season, a booking - it is not a walk to improvise.

Good to know

Iwi and DOC ask that the cone is not climbed, and that request should be honoured. There is no formed track, the scoria is loose and rockfall is a genuine danger. Weather on the Crossing turns fast and the walk is long.

Nearby

Tongariro's Red Crater and the Emerald Lakes are on the Crossing; Whakapapa and Ruapehu are south.

Key facts