Snowboarding Doom

We arrived at the town of ‘Ohakune’ with just about enough time to unpack, sink a drink, and fall asleep before midnight arrived. The post-work 4 hour drive from Auckland had been made incredibly easy by Phil taking the reins & Heidi navigating the whole way. Lucie and I had long since been recognized for our elderly sleeping patterns, so it didn’t come as a surprise when silence was our prevailing contribution to the journey. In the few moments that I actually managed to overcome the sounds of the Sandman, and tried steal a glimpse of the mountains, my efforts were thwarted by low cloud and the colour of night. The next morning would be an enlightening occasion.

Over 2 months ago, we enjoyed an introduction to New Zealand snowboarding with a short holiday in Queenstown before starting work. It had awakened my addiction, and made Lucie a new member to the dependency club. When we returned to Auckland, we promised ourselves a couple of trips to the north island resorts before the season closed, but when work started, time sped up. Luckily, the particularly harsh winter that had engulfed the country, had left behind a legacy that was still over 2 metres deep on the upper sections of mountain. Added to this, we'd discovered that our new flat mates suffered a similar love of the white stuff and were equally keen to get one more hit in this year.

Tongariro National Park is governed by three prestigious, ever present, and often violent mountains: Mt. Ruapehu, Mt. Tongariro, and Mt. Ngauruhoe. Various aspects of each of these giants were used recently in Peter Jackson’s vision of Tolkien’s “Mt. Doom.” This attention has increased the international interest, but the locals have a long established fear and respect for the area. Formed only 120 thousand years ago, they are geological infants, and are often known for throwing attention-grabbing tantrums. The most destructive of recent times occurred in 1953. Prior eruptions in 1945 & 1947 had blocked the overflow of the acidic crater-lake near the summit, and the water level rose dramatically. When the eruption of 1953 shook the blockage loose, a volcanic mudflow called a ‘lahar’ swept down the mountain and took out a railway bridge seconds before a crowded express train was due to cross it. 153 people lost their lives in the resulting collision.

Eruptions in 1995 & 1996 caused another blockage and experts predicted that the next ‘lahar’ would occur sometime between 2002 & 2006. On the 4th October 2006, 10 days before we arrived at the mountain’s base, it looked like the time had come. An eruption had triggered ‘lahar warning system’ but it turned out that the eruption had simply damaged a sensor. There was no break in the crater wall, but the volcano was definitely waking up. Between 24th September and October 4th, the lake level increased by 1.3 metres, and the temperature increased from 7.5 degrees C to 22.5C. However, on the morning of the 14th October, the only thing that concerned us was the weather. An addiction like this tends to have a blinding effect. High winds had forced closure to the ‘Whakapapa’ resort for the day, but the good news was ‘Turoa’ was definitely open.

The next couple of hours went by in a bit of a blur - getting dressed, eating breakfast, hiring equipment, getting to the resort, and buying lift-passes - but I clearly remember those first few seconds on snow again. It’s a feeling like no other, and I am eternally thankful for finding my religion. I’ve also discovered that I have the same ecstatic feeling when watching Lucie progress. Seeing her cut some confident turns in and negotiate her way down the mountain was equally as elating as when I first did it.

The last run of the day was a beginner snowboarder’s nightmare; busy, narrow, flat in places, and littered with exposed rocks. All of these factors are the novice’s nemesis as they force you to turn the board when you may not necessarily be ready or comfortable – the threat of a painful drop or a sudden stop will do this to you. For this reason, it was an awesome sight when Lucie arrived at the base just a few minutes after me. To toast our victorious day, we bought some beers and sat replaying the day while waiting for Heidi & Phil to join us. Perfick!

The next day started as a blow-out but ended up being a sightseeing success. The wind had increased and both resorts were now closed, but rather than head back to Auckland straight away, we decided to take the long way home, and stop at a few places along the way. We stopped for lunch at Lake Taupo, went for a stroll around ‘Huka Falls’, and explored the ‘Craters of the Moon’ geothermal area. Named for its otherworldly atmosphere, this area offers a walk among steam vents, mud pools, and craters left from minor eruptions. The cold air made the steam appear as smoke, which when combined with the numerous craters, across the area, made it seem like we walking through a battleground at the dusk of a war.

It occured to me later, that this is the weekend when I should have been making an entirely different journey. According to my original plan, and flight tickets, I should have been on a flight from New York to Heathrow, and my travelling route would now be complete. Instead, I am living and working in New Zealand with the girl I love... who met me in the UK ... but originally came from the Czech Republic. It's a funny old world.