tongariro northern circuit: whakapapa village - mangatepopo hut
After spending three jet lagged days tooling around the Coromandel Peninsula, it was time to turn the van south and head to Tongariro National Park. My plan was to stock up on supplies, repack my gear, and hike 6 flat-ish miles to my campsite.
moonrise
I stopped for trail food and lunch in Lake Taupo (highly rec The Storehouse), road tripped through beautiful terrain, and parked in Whakapapa Village. I picked up a free Ketetahi Car Park permit, then embarked on one of the most stressful parts of these adventures: repacking my backpack.
I brought lots of clothes and gear options. Weather forecast in hand, I sifted through my duffel bag, searching for the perfect combination of safety and weight. I ultimately made two mistakes. #1: I failed to grab my USB chord. Later realizing that I was carrying the weight of a battery pack, but having no way to use it, was a fail.
Blissfully unaware of my whoops, I locked up my ride and embarked on my first ~10k section of the trail. It was a warm and clear day with great views of Mt. Ngauruhoe.
The large cone is Mt. Ngauruhoe, aka Mt. Doom. The trail circles the mountain.
The Tongariro Northern Circuit is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks. These trails [or “tracks” in NZ] are generally well kept… this section was not. Parts of the journey were a slog through slick mud. I took one good digger, and got irreparably dirty.
Even with the sloppy terrain, I was happy as a clam. I’ve had this hike on my bucket list for over a decade, the sun was setting, and it was incredibly beautiful.
A few hours later, I spotted Mangatepopo Hut. I would be tent camping on this adventure, but the Hut campsite was my destination for the night.
do you spy the Hut?
I set up camp, and realized my second mistake. Something had broken in my Jetboil [which I tested two nights prior…] and the starter wouldn’t light. I had a flint, but it was awkward to get the stove going.
So, mistake #2: not having a lighter. All ways to make fire are not created equal… lesson learned. Luckily, there were 40 people around the campground and the hut, and I was able to bum a light to make dinner.
As the sun set, I was feeling anxious. I was 6 miles in to a 28 mile loop, and was having the hiking equivalent to the “Sunday Scaries.” I wasn’t stoked about my Jetboil situation. I was also nervous that I only had as much phone power as I could squeeze out of 2 more days of airplane mode.
Part of me wanted to bail. However, I knew that this was a popular trail- especially the next day’s segment- and I only had one more night of camping… again at a hut. Plus, I’d pass another hut on my way out. Lots of people around if I needed a hand.
I decided to reassess in the morning, after I got some sleep. Things always look better in the morning. I turn into a pumpkin after 5 pm.
sleep tight
where: tongariro northern circuit, tongariro national park, north island, new zealand
when: february//summer in the southern hemisphere
how: department of conservation guide//reservations required at campsites and huts. trail is under repair for summer 25/26
