Inside the Ice: Exploring Mt Ruapehu’s Glaciers and Caves
A day hike to a spectacular ice cave in the Summit Plateau Glacier
As one of my stories on the Tongariro National Park, this post focuses on the ethereal ice formations found in the Mt Ruapehu Ice Caves.
Sarah enjoys staying at the WTMC Ruapehu Lodge.
Mainly because it is easy there for her to make tasty pancakes and raisin scones.
But also, there are places for her to go on long runs such as down the Bruce Road to the Chateau Tongariro and then back to the lodge via Whakapapaiti Hut just because she can.
And there are endless places for her to go on daywalks or overnight tramps such as to the ‘Ditch Track’ on Pukekaikiore, the Te Tatau-Pounamu Wilderness Area. or expeditions to cut down wilding pines.
Sometimes she even goes to the summit of something pointy like Tahurangi, or something flat like the Rangipo Desert.
She has even been seen in the Pātaka Restaurant at Knoll Ridge eating burgers and drinking cider.
Sarah knows a lot about the Tongariro National Park. She can tell you that the Summit Plateau Glacier is defined by peaks that form the amalgamated rim of several craters and is one of nine named glaciers on Mt Ruapehu.
Sarah also knows that the Summit Plateau Glacier is joined to the Whangaehu and that the ice thickness varies between 60 and 130 m in two bowl shaped depressions, and that the ablation rate of the glacier is approximately 1 m per year, so in the lifetime of the WTMC Lodge the surface has been lowered about 65 m.
She understands that recent eruptions have covered the whole surface of the plateau with volcanic debris composed of ash, lapilli and volcanic blocks to a thickness of about 100 mm which then becomes exposed as the winter snow melts.
So, when she recently went on a day walk starting from the WTMC Ruapehu Lodge with her freshly baked chocolate cookies wrapped carefully in her backpack and headed towards the top of Ruapehu she knew that somewhere on the plateau there would likely be caves formed by meltwater running along the bed of the glacier.
On Friday she found a wonderfully sculptured cave with glistening walls and ceiling of blue ice and stalactites that extended from the roof to the floor.
She spent some time marveling at this sublime natural feature and her good luck in finding it before she headed back to the lodge for a comfortable evening, and to plan for another adventure the next day – perhaps a scramble up the South Ridge of Mt Tongariro.
Trip hints:
Whisk 350g of self-raising flour together with a pinch of salt and 50g of butter, then stir in 30g of sugar, a heap of raisins, and 150ml of milk until a soft dough forms; just pat it flat, stamp out rounds, and bake at 220°C for twelve minutes until golden.
Original Publication: This article was originally written by Tony G and published on the Wellington Tramping & Mountaineering Club (WTMC) website. You can view the original post at www.wtmc.org.nz