Tongariro Crossing

Hines 1 Mt. Doom 1. We evened up the score against Mt. Doom (the one in Lord of the Rings). Shortly after we arrived in New Zealand, we went snowboarding amidst the foggy, rainy weather and we left the mountain feeling defeated. This time around, we conquered these volcanos by completing the Tongariro Crossing. It’s known as the best one day hike in New Zealand. The hike took us up into the clouds that seem to always hang around the top of the volcanoes. At the peak elevation of 2,000 meters, we were completely encompassed by clouds. The landscape varied from the impressive stature of the volcanic cones and craters to mineral alpine lakes and lush forest.