#10 Mt Taranaki

My exploration of Egmont National Park was very much a spur of the moment type of thing. Waking up in Stratford I had 4 days until my ferry departed and with that in mind resigned to the fact that there was going to be a lot left unseen. On the morning of the 10th Dec I headed for Dawson Falls. On arrival I checked the map and picked the biggest walking route I felt comfortable doing which ended up being 4/5hrs. As I began the plod I was immediately met with lush mossy rainforest and constant birdsong to the point where it just blended into the background. Rivers and waterfalls were flowing and despite being on the main track it was wonderfully peaceful with very few around.

After around an hour I arrived at Stratford Plateau (1172m). This was meant to be the high point of my hike, however not feeling quite satisfied I pushed on for another 20 or so minutes arriving at Manganui which functions as a miniature ski resort in winter months. I relaxed for a while there on a bench then embarked on the descent.

Once back at the plateau I set off on the ‘Enchanted Track’. An overgrown, eroded, steep path that begins on a ridge line. My writing here will not do justice to the wonder I experienced while walking this track but I will attempt it all the same.

During the couple hours in which I walked this track I didn’t meet another soul. The entire time there was no background rumble of cars, construction or planes just the sounds of nature around me. The gentle sound of running water from a nearby river, the chirps of birds in the bush and the crunch of leaves and sticks beneath my feet. I felt truly alive and present In a way that I cannot remember experiencing before. Sometimes I would stop walking and just sit. I was so content that I felt like I could have sat there for hours. It struck me that the peace, joy and contentment that I was experiencing was not from anything man-made. That hundreds, thousands of years ago someone could have experienced exactly the same thing. There is a beauty locked into nature that sometimes reveals its self. Its existence doesn’t feel like random chance, it feels created, it feels like a gift, it feels like we were designed to enjoy it. I believe that it is created and that the creator is the God of the Bible.

The track weaved its way lower and lower until it dropped me at a quiet stream running the bottom of the gorge. The track was so eroded and steep on the way down that there were points where one step would drop a meter to the next and I would have to jump or shuffle off, I made a mental note that as spectacular as the descent was, to climb up would be quite a different matter. From the river I began going up hill until I reached the Dawson falls loop track, stopping off at the Waingongoro Hut on the way to have a look inside. Half way around the loop track the waterfall came into view. A grand waterfall with a classic look to it. After watching it for a while I cracked on back to the van and drove on to Stratford Plateau car park where I had been a couple hours earlier. Your allowed to Freedom camp in the car park so I stayed for the night and soaked up the scenery.

My original plan had been to drive on to New Plymouth first thing the next morning but as dawn broke and my eyes fixed on the awesome mountain behind me the idea to climb it lodged itself firmly into my mind. I figured from google maps that I could be up and down within 3hrs (a gross misestimate) and then would drive onto New Plymouth after. So with the plan fixed I packed a bag and prepared to climb Mt Taranaki. The food and water situation most certainly was not ideal. Having not planned in advanced I rummaged through the van to see what I could find. The fruit of the search was some raisins, an apple and a tin of tuna along side a 1.5 litre bottle of water. With my bag packed and boots tied I set off to climb the tallest mountain of my life.

Setting off the sun was showing its face and the sky a radiant clear blue. The first 20 minutes were a repeat of the previous day as I worked my way up to Manganui ski field, from there I ventured into unknown territory. An hour or so later I came across Tahurangi Lodge. Up to this point I had been following the Around the Mountain Circuit, meandering through vibrant green bush and skirting under majestic rock faces. Now the track split and I pivoted to the Northern Summit Route. By this point a fog had descended upon the mountain cutting visibility dramatically, the temperature being mild, wind low and it still being early in the day I resolved to crack on.

I loved the untamed nature of the path up the mountain. In Britain paths for the most part are pretty well manicured and the high footfall wears them in further. Out here there’s enough to keep you safe but there is a freedom to forge your own trail, its how it should be. Pretty soon into the Summit Track I was scanning ahead, eyes working to pick out the lines of least resistance while hands and feet were engaged in scrambling over rocks and boulders.

After a little while I arrived at some rickety wooden steps. A welcome sight as despite there shear gradient it was easier going then without. Once above the steps the terrain changed to a loose dirty gravel interspersed with large rocks. It was at this point the long slog began. On the way up I met a few other hikers coming down who had gone up early doors to catch the sunrise, we exchanged pleasantries and they were kind enough not to tell me how much further and harder it got. Soon the ground evolved once again swamping whatever traction I had with marbles. The scree stage was hard going, I had to stop often to muster up more energy and allow the lactic acid to drain out of my legs. On the way up the fog was a real blessing stopping me from being able to see how much further I had to go until eventually I reached The Lizard, a rocky ridge line that begins at 2200m. This was a welcome relief as it allowed me to use my upper body and was much more interesting then slipping on marbles.