New Year's Madness on Mount Taranaki
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- Mar 11
- 6 min read
Location: Taranaki
Author: Satyam Bhatt
Participants: Satyam and Gordon
Date: 31st December 2024 - 2nd January 2025
Day 1: Auckland to New Plymouth – Startups, Snacks, and Sunsets
On Tuesday, 31st December, Gordon and I hit the road just after 07:30, our brains
running wild with startup ideas while we made our way south. We arrived in New
Plymouth at around 13:00, enjoyed a hearty lunch in Fitzroy, then headed straight for
the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge.
And what do we find? Clouds. Everywhere. Thick, heavy clouds completely
shrouding Mount Taranaki. Our view of the mountain was more of an existential crisis
than anything else. We weren’t about to let that ruin our day, though. Gordon had the
perfect suggestion: “Let’s climb Paritutu Rock!” At 151m, it was about as much of a
challenge as a puppy climbing a flight of stairs, but the panoramic view of the city
and coast? Chef’s kiss.
Next stop: Inglewood, where we checked into the motel (the campsite fees were
practically the same, so why not?). After a quick nap and gear check, we decided we
weren’t about to spend New Year’s Eve rotting in the room, so we set off to New
Plymouth to embrace the chaos that is Festival of Lights at Pukekura Park. If there
was ever a definition of a “crowded place,” it was Pukekura Park that night. It felt like
the entire city of New Plymouth had decided to show up – which explains why the
streets felt eerily deserted. Still, we did the walk-through CBD, grabbed some dinner,
and called it a night, ready for whatever insane adventure awaited the next day.
Day 2: The Weather, the Summit, and the "Foggy" Future
We were up and at ‘em early, arriving at the Dawson Falls Visitor Centre by 08:30
but the mountain was still in hiding, wrapped in a heavy cloud. After a brief tease of
summit visibility (just enough to remind us that Taranaki does exist), we started our
walk to the hut.
The fog was thick as we made our way, and the puddles from the night’s rain turned
into mini lakes for us to dodge. After a steady climb, we reached the Hooker Shelter
at 1140m, where the clouds finally began to part a bit, giving us a peek at the scree
slopes and a swirling cloud ring around the crater. We pressed on, navigating
puddles and taking in the increasingly stunning views.
By the time we reached the final stairs just above the track to Kapuni Lodge, we
were almost in “rain gear” mode, preparing for the oncoming weather. As we
ascended, we passed some returning hikers who’d been turned back due to the winds the day before. But no turning back for us! And anyways as the phrase goes –
When the going gets tough, the tough keep hiking.
As we kept climbing, we ran into a few more groups who gave us an alarming report:
“The hut’s packed with 20 people!” Of course, this sent our hopes of a peaceful night
in the hut plummeting. But we pushed on anyway, telling ourselves we’d figure it out
when we got there. (They did assure by saying that hut was still half empty, after
seeing our faces)
The Summit – Or How We Got High On Clouds
We finally made it to the ridge leading to the hut which was, unsurprisingly, cloaked
in dense fog. But hey, at least we weren’t cold! We dashed inside, claimed top bunks
(because, obviously, we are that cool), and proceeded to make gourmet meals:
instant noodles and peanut butter-tuna wraps. It’s the future of fine dining.
Syme Hut and Atachi the Parrot
After a bit of chit-chat at around 13:30, the Irish couple that were the first one at the
hut decided to push for the summit. Gordon and I went back and forth on it, weighing the weather, our energy, and the threat of not making it back before nightfall. We
ultimately decided to go for it just after 15:30, since the weather wasn't going to
improve the next day, and we didn’t want to leave the mountain undefeated. In a
quick succession, another couple (power couple; logan and his wife) decided to push
for the summit as well.
We went off the trail for a while before being corrected by Logan who was leading
the way up on a barely recognizable trail made by those who went up before us. The
power couple soon gapped us and disappeared into the blanket of clouds. Me and
Gordon were taking it slow and trying not to go too far away in a wrong direction,
while also worrying about getting down in what has now made visibility to drop up to
15m.
Gordon accompanied me up to around 2150m, but by this point, the winds had
kicked up a wee bit, and the visibility was low. Gordon, ever the voice of reason,
decided to head back down to the hut, wisely opting for safety over summit fever. It
was a tough choice, but we agreed it was the right one. I did try to pursue Gordon to
continue, but he was adamant on his part. Just when we were beginning to get
down, we heard the Irish couple from our far right. They were returning from the
summit and reported good views from the top and exclaimed that we were not too far
away.
After exchanging info on the routes, we took up and deciding which way down will
be the least sketchy, it was concluded that the way we came up was the best way
down. After yet another unsuccessful attempt to convince Gordon to accompany me
up to the summit (we were able to make a rough outline of the crater wall by now), I
decided to push for the summit as the clouds were really starting to disperse both
above and below us, while Gordon joined the Irish couple on their way down.
As I continued my ascent alone, I encountered Logan and his wife – the power
couple who had overtaken us on the way up from the carpark earlier (they were fast
and impressive). I asked them if they were willing to wait for me, and while his wife
chose to head back down, Logan decided to join me in pushing for the summit.
We pressed on, battling scree and steep slopes, until we finally reached the summit.
It was an epic sight – the crater covered in ice, with the iconic “shark’s tooth” poking
through the icy landscape. We took a few photos (because, you know, social media),
enjoyed the fact that we were standing on top of a volcano, and then headed back
down, knowing full well the scree slopes were going to make us regret every life
decision that led to this moment. But hey, what’s the fun in descending if you can’t
slide down the loose rocks like a kid on a Slip'N Slide? We slid down the loose rocks
like we were in an extreme sport event, hoping our ankles survived the onslaught of
loose debris.
We made it back to the hut at 19:45, a little banged up but victorious. It took us about
4 hours and 15 minutes – but we were greeted by our fellow hikers, who’d cheered
us on during our summit push. It was a quiet celebration, but one well worth it.
We caught the sunset, took a few more photos, and settled in for a warm (ish)
dinner. The rain, which began just after the sunset, was light enough to be
manageable – just a few drops, not the deluge we had feared.
Day 3: The Descent and the Victory Lap
The next morning, after being woken up by the commotion of those leaving early, we
finally decided to get out from sleeping bags. After some much-needed coffee and
some oats for brekkie, we helped cleaning up the hut, packed our bags and made
our way down to car. The rain was light, but it wasn’t letting up completely. We were
lucky enough to get a weather window for some epic photos (obviously only after
both of us took our time soaking in the views and looking down as if were in some
movie)– Gordon had a super cool recommendation for a pose, which, I must admit,
was worth it.
Me absolutely butchering the pose, while Gordon slayed!
We took a brief detour to Kapuni Lodge (because, why not?), before making our way
back to the car park by midday. And, of course, the car park was packed, despite the
weather forecast predicting heavy rain. After exchanging some judgy looks on either
side, we celebrated with surprisingly cold cans of diet coke (as one does after a
tramp) and frolicked in the visitor centre for a while before getting back in the car.
After a solid lunch in New Plymouth and a visit to the art gallery (because, who
doesn’t like squinting at modern art and pretending to understand it?), we hit the road back to Auckland, but not before making one last stop for gelato. Because after
all that effort, we deserved it. We made it back to Auckland by 21:00, tired but
triumphant, with a couple of new stories and a serious appreciation for warm
showers.
Until next time, AUTC – may your adventures be less scree-filled and more
gelato-infused!
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