Mount Ruapehu, 11 - 12 August 2018

When a flight to Wellington purchased in June came to coincide with a perfect weather forecast, I made no excuses and resolved to make the most of it. The plan was simple: leave my house in Dunedin in the morning, photograph the sunset on the summit of Mount Ruapehu. A one hour delay at Dunedin airport and a huge traffic jam at Whakapapa Skifield (is this New Zealand?!!!) did not help, but I was not going to give up easily. 'Restful Ridge' was a pleasant walk on snow shoes, and the sunset from the crater rim was gorgeous.

From a campsite on Mount Ruapehu's Summit Plateau right under Glacier Knob, highlights the next morning included the Central Gully of Tukino Peak, the summit of Te Heuheu and a visit to the beautiful Crater Lake. 'The Gut' provided a quick, direct descent route from camp to the top of the chairlift and back to Whakapapa Village.

Paretetaitonga (at centre image) and Tukino Peak (right, foreground).
Mount Ruapehu 153 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Paretetaitonga Te Heuheu Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
View from Te Heuheu: Girdlestone Peak, Tahurangi and Paretetaitonga are behind Mt Ruapehu's Summit Plateau. Tukino Peak is on the far right.
Mount Ruapehu 158 Girdlestone Peak Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Paretetaitonga Summit Plateau Tahurangi Te Heuheu Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
View from Te Heuheu: Tukino Peak (front) and Taranaki (back).
Mount Ruapehu 159 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Taranaki Te Heuheu Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
View from Te Heuheu: Girdlestone Peak, Tahurangi and Paretetaitonga are behind Mt Ruapehu's Summit Plateau. Tukino Peak is front right; Taranaki in the far back.
Mount Ruapehu 172a Girdlestone Peak Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Paretetaitonga Summit Plateau Tahurangi Taranaki Te Heuheu Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
View of from Te Heuheu: Tahurangi (back) and Cathedral Rocks (front).
Mount Ruapehu 173 Cathedral Rocks Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tahurangi Te Heuheu Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Ngauruhoe from Te Heuheu
Mount Ruapehu 180 HDR Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Ngauruhoe Te Heuheu Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
View from Te Heuheu: Tukino Peak (front) and Taranaki (back).
Mount Ruapehu 187 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Taranaki Te Heuheu Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
Looking down Pinnacle Ridge from Tukino Peak
Mount Ruapehu 190 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pinnacle Ridge Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
Mount Ruapehu's Summit Plateau and Tahurangi from the west ridge of Tukino Peak.
Mount Ruapehu 204 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Summit Plateau Tajurangi Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak rime ice sastrugi volcano
Mount Ruapehu's Summit Plateau and Tahurangi from the west ridge of Tukino Peak.
Mount Ruapehu 205 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Summit Plateau Tajurangi Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak rime ice sastrugi volcano
Tukino Peak
Mount Ruapehu 206 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
Taranaki from the east ridge of Tukino Peak
Mount Ruapehu 208 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
Tukino Peak
Mount Ruapehu 212 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
Tukino Peak
Mount Ruapehu 213 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
Campsite on Mount Ruapehu's Summit Plateau, in front of Tahurangi.
Mount Ruapehu 214 Kahurangi National Park Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Summit Plateau Tongariro Tongariro National Park camp campsite tent volcano
Pinnacle Ridge and Ngauruhoe
Mount Ruapehu 215 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Ngauruhoe Pinnacle Ridge Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Paretetaitonga
Mount Ruapehu 232 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Paretetaitonga Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Cathedral Rocks
Mount Ruapehu 234 Cathedral Rocks Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Tukino Peak, Te Heuheu and Cathedral Rocks.
Mount Ruapehu 243A Cathedral Rocks Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Summit Plateau Te Heuheu Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
Tukino Peak and Te Heuheu from Mount Ruapehu's Summit Plateau.
Mount Ruapehu 244 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Summit Plateau Te Heuheu Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
Mount Ruapehu's Crater Lake and Tahurangi
Mount Ruapehu 246 Crater Lake Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tahurangi Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Mount Ruapehu's Crater Lake and Tahurangi
Mount Ruapehu 255a Crater Lake Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tahurangi Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Mount Ruapehu's Crater Lake and Tahurangi
Mount Ruapehu 262a Crater Lake Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tahurangi Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Mount Ruapehu's Crater Lake and Tahurangi
Mount Ruapehu 264 Crater Lake Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tahurangi Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Tukino Peak, Te Heuheu and Cathedral Rocks.
Mount Ruapehu 269 Cathedral Rocks Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Summit Plateau Te Heuheu Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
Paretetaitonga
Mount Ruapehu 270 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Paretetaitonga Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Mount Ruapehu's Crater Lake and Tahurangi
Mount Ruapehu 273 Crater Lake Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tahurangi Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Pyramid Peak and Crater Lake
Mount Ruapehu 274 Crater Lake Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pyramid Peak Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Mount Ruapehu's Crater Lake and Tahurangi
Mount Ruapehu 286a Crater Lake Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pyramid Peak Tahurangi Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Crater Lake and Pt2757m
Mount Ruapehu 287 Crater Lake Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Mount Ruapehu's Crater Lake and Tahurangi
Mount Ruapehu 288 Crater Lake Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pyramid Peak Tahurangi Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Mount Ruapehu's Crater Lake and Tahurangi
Mount Ruapehu 298 Crater Lake Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pyramid Peak Tahurangi Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Crater Lake and Paretetaitonga
Mount Ruapehu 302 Crater Lake Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Paretetaitonga Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Cathedral Rocks
Mount Ruapehu 312 Cathedral Rocks Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Summit Plateau Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Cathedral Rocks
Mount Ruapehu 315 Cathedral Rocks Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Summit Plateau Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Tukino Peak and Te Heuheu
Mount Ruapehu 317 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Summit Plateau Te Heuheu Tongariro Tongariro National Park Tukino Peak volcano
Cathedral Rocks
Mount Ruapehu 319 Cathedral Rocks Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Summit Plateau Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Paretetaitonga
Mount Ruapehu 321 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Paretetaitonga Summit Plateau Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Mount Ruapehu's Pinnacle Ridge (front) and Ngauruhoe (back)
Mount Ruapehu 323 Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Ngauruhoe Pinnacle Ridge Pinnacles Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Pinnacle Ridge. From left to right are the Great Pinnacle, Second Pinnacle (with double summit) and First Pinnacle.
Mount Ruapehu 327 First Pinnacle Great Pinnacle Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pinnacle Ridge Pinnacles Second Pinnacle Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Pinnacle Ridge. From left to right are the Great Pinnacle, Second Pinnacle (with double summit) and First Pinnacle.
Mount Ruapehu 329 First Pinnacle Great Pinnacle Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pinnacle Ridge Pinnacles Second Pinnacle Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Great Pinnacle (far left) and Second Pinnacle (double summit on right). Pinnacle Ridge, Mount Ruapehu.
Mount Ruapehu 330 Great Pinnacle Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pinnacle Ridge Pinnacles Second Pinnacle Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Great Pinnacle. Pinnacle Ridge, Mount Ruapehu.
Mount Ruapehu 332 Great Pinnacle Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pinnacle Ridge Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Great Pinnacle (far left) and Second Pinnacle (double summit on right). Pinnacle Ridge, Mount Ruapehu.
Mount Ruapehu 333 Great Pinnacle Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pinnacle Ridge Pinnacles Second Pinnacle Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Second Pinnacle (double summit on left) and First Pinnacle (centre-right). Pinnacle Ridge, Mount Ruapehu.
Mount Ruapehu 334 First Pinnacle Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pinnacle Ridge Pinnacles Second Pinnacle Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Pinnacle Ridge. From left to right are the Great Pinnacle, Second Pinnacle (with double summit) and First Pinnacle.
Mount Ruapehu 341a First Pinnacle Great Pinnacle Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Pinnacle Ridge Pinnacles Second Pinnacle Tongariro Tongariro National Park volcano
Ngauruhoe from Bruce Road. Whakapapa Village, Tongariro National Park.
Mount Ruapehu 342 Bruce Road Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Ngauruhoe Tongariro Tongariro National Park Whakapapa Village volcano
Ngauruhoe from Bruce Road. Whakapapa Village, Tongariro National Park.
Mount Ruapehu 347 Bruce Road Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Ngauruhoe Tongariro Tongariro National Park Whakapapa Village volcano

Southern Alps Photography

Mount Ruapehu, 11 - 12 August 2018

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