Mt Ruapehu

DISCLAIMER: Prior to this, the only mountain I've climbed involved chairlifts and a paved paths. And I'm not the fittest person in the world.

Mt Ruapehu is one of the tallest point in northern New Zealand. It's tallest point is 2797m above sea level. It is best know for the lake that has formed at the peak.

This was a challenge both physically and mentally. I hadn't slept much the night before and I was planning to summit with nothing in my stomach other than a Up n Go. Part of me did not want to go on, I couldn't breathe very well by the end and the had reached almost white-out conditions. My climbing partner climbed with me until the last hut and was too sick to go on.  I managed to get very very close to the peak, but after reaching the start of the crater at the summit, the combination of fog and wind meant reaching my destination was out of the question.  Bit of a buzzkill, I didn't get a single photo at the crater lake.

I proceeded to bitch and moan for the rest of the day about not getting the shot.

For travellers thinking of climbing Mt Ruapehu, Make sure you check the weather as it could jeopardise your climb! Weather can change extremely quickly!
There are many routes up the mountain and we decided to trail behind a bunch of more seasoned climbers. It is not advised to attempt the climb without any previous experience as there are no markers. I made the mistake of climbing the last few hours by myself and it was by no means easy to navigate.

Travel light! For people who aren't acclimated with higher altitudes, the last thing you want is a camera backpack with 10kg worth of gear inside.

The layers of clouds covering the mountain in the background, enveloped the whole of Mt. Ruapehu in less than 30 mins

The layers of clouds covering the mountain in the background, enveloped the whole of Mt. Ruapehu in less than 30 mins