We planned an Alpine Club Trip to do the Tongariro Crossing under the full moon. A few years before, we managed to score a perfect clear night and some snow cover on this route.

The forecast was looking ok, a bit of cloud that hopefully would clear. We ate fabulous curry rolls in Bulls and the crew loaded up with cans of V.

We dropped our night gear at Mangatepopo and headed up the ridge directly to Tongariro. The moonlight through the cloud made great nighttime walking. The snow we expected had melted away except on the south-facing slopes.

We got a bit lost on the tops in the cloud, but found our way on to the central crater. At 4am, the cloud cleared and we experienced an amazing sunrise as we climbed to the high point of the crossing.

By 9am, we were back at the hut for a well-deserved sleep.

FMC thanks Andy Carruthers for his permission to reproduce this article, first published on his ‘Great Walk Adventures’ blog (December 2024).