Christmas Eve on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing: a 4:45 am start in cold rain, loose scree on the climb, and the Emerald Lakes at sunrise.
For as long as I can remember, hiking, trekking and mountaineering has been a foundation of my family’s adventures. This year, on Christmas Eve, we set out on yet another unforgettable trek: the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand. With its dramatic volcanic landscapes and otherworldly views, this trail has been described as one of the most spectacular day hikes in the world from numerous sources such as National Geographic. After successfully completing this climb, I can tell you that it did not disappoint!
Our journey began in the early hours of Christmas Eve. When I say early, I mean early — we were up and moving by 4:45 am, headlamps strapped on, walking the cold and rainy trail. It was quiet, serene, and just a little bit eerie. This time, it wasn’t just my dad and me climbing — my Mom decided to join us as well.
This was me around 5AM, when we were just starting the climb. As you can see, it was very cold and misty as we were walking through the clouds.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a 12.6 mile (21 kilometer) trail that takes you through a rugged, volcanic landscape. This hike challenges any climber with steep ascents, loose scree, and dramatic weather changes. But it also rewards you with unparalleled views of volcanic craters and emerald-colored lakes. The hike is a 2920 feet ascent and a whopping 4090 feet descent. Because the hike is a point-to-point trek rather than a loop, you start at one trailhead (Mangatepopo) and end at a different trailhead (Ketetahi), meaning the starting and ending elevations are not the same.
This unique topography is part of what makes the Tongariro Alpine Crossing so fascinating — it takes you on a journey through high alpine terrain and down into lush, low-altitude forested areas, offering constantly changing scenery. In a single day, we experienced sunshine, strong winds, mist, rain, and even fog — all within hours! The alpine environment means conditions were changing rapidly, often catching us off guard.
For this segment, we were walking through the clouds as we had reached a high elevation. This is what made this part so windy and cloudy.
The trail’s challenges became clear almost immediately. The ascent upwards was one of the toughest sections — a tiring climb over loose scree and jagged volcanic rocks that tested both our legs and endurance. My dad’s encouragement, consistently screaming “we have to learn to enjoy the high winds!” kept me motivated, even when my legs felt otherwise.
Further up, the trail became more exposed, with gusts of wind sweeping across the ridge. As the sun rose, we got our first glimpse of the jagged peaks of Mount Ngauruhoe — also known as the “Red Crater.” The mountain had a cone shape and shadowy silhouette against the rising sun.
The Red Crater — we caught a glimpse of this for a few minutes as the sun began to rise.
Reaching the Red Crater felt like something I would see on Mars — or in a movie, as the soil was a deep, rusty red. Additionally, as we reached the top, dawn was finally breaking, which made the mountain look even more extraordinary. At this point, on one side of us was the vibrant Emerald Lakes — brilliant green and turquoise geothermal pools. On the other side was the Red Crater, its volcanic peak towering over the rugged terrain.
This was me by the Emerald Lakes, Red Crater just opposite (not in view here).
We spent around 45 minutes having lunch and snacking before heading down the mountain once more. As we made our way down, the sun grew brighter and brighter, making it much more hot. Because the way down was much steeper and longer, this was exhausting — and towards the last kilometer or two — with my legs aching, it felt almost never ending. But when I finally reached the end of the trail, I took a last moment to appreciate the journey. As this was the longest climb (length-wise) I had done to date, I reminded myself that all rewarding experiences come with challenges — and this was worthwhile! By the time I hopped onto the shuttle to take us back to our hotel, I found myself already wondering about my next climb in the Southern Alps of New Zealand coming up in just a few days.
