Mt Taranaki the 2nd

Mount Taranaki, the lonely mountain. 5th of June, 2017. During my journey across the North Island in November, Marcell and I had stopped here and tried to climb the volcano but had had to turn around about 500 meters of altitude below the top due to the adverse weather conditions and too much snow. But now, almost three months later the harsh New Zealand sun had done its job and had molten away most of the snow. So while I was on my way back to the South Island to meet my parents for the first time in over half a year, I decided to stop at the Mt Taranaki Visitor Centre and take another try to conquer the mountain.

What a beautiful day to climb a volcano, clear blue sky and tepid temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius. 

The track leading up to the summit starts as a very wide and almost flat road that soon turns into a narrow and very steep path.

View down onto the endless plains surrounding Mt. Taranaki and the Pacific Ocean on the left hand side (the blue line underneath the clouds) from the first view-point along the track.

A transmitter mast on the way up.

The typical New Zealand tussock grass

After about one-and-a-half hours of hiking I reached the Tahurangi Lodge which is about half way up the mountain.

From here on the path to the summit gets steeper and steeper.

View from the Tahurangi Lodge down onto the transmitter mast and the plains surrounding the lonely mountain.

View up to the summit of the mountain from the Tahurangi Lodge.

A wooden staircase is leading adventurers over vast and incredibly steep fields of small rocks and gravel. In the background you can still see the lodge and the transmitter mast.

This was the point where Marcell and I had to turn around last November. The path was completely blocked with ice and snow and there was absolutely no way to go any further. Fortunately it looked a wee bit different this time of the year.

After another two hours of climbing I finally reached the summit! So here are some impressions from  the top of the mountain, that constantly tried to conceal itself in fog and clouds. 

View down from the crater onto the surrounding plains.

There was still surprisingly much ice and snow in the crater.

Red rocks and fog coming out of nowhere created a mystical atmosphere in the crater. 

After eating some snacks it was time to leave the summit behind and get on the way down the mountain. 

Mount Taranaki, it was an honor!