The case for Taranaki Maunga

By Chris Prudden, mountain guide

This great maunga, Taranaki (2518m), is fervently respected by Māori and Pākehā for many reasons. My relationship with Taranaki started when I was 12 years old and first braved his summit. This seeded an enduring respect for the lonely mountain – and indeed for all mountains.

In the years that followed, my interest and passion grew. When I viewed Tara- naki’s lofty summit from New Plymouth I simply wanted to go there.

Accessibility is a major attraction of this mountain: the car park at North Egmont Road end is only 20 minutes from New Plymouth, and the alpine zone is reached within an hour of walking. This rapid and dramatic environmental transition is inspirational and invited me to adventure on a regular basis, initially as a recreational enthusiast and then as a professional guide.

Of the North Island volcanoes, Tara- naki offers the best options for mountain experiences.

On balmy summer days a lot of keen trampers head for the summit, prepared to sweat it out on the 1500m climb to appreciate the dominant viewpoint of coast and country.

Rock climbers marvel at the remains of eroded lava forms – cliffs with cracks and featured aretes to test even the most capable.

Winter winds blow supercooled water droplets that immediately adhere to all surfaces, even of mountain enthusiasts, creating a testing environment only suitable for a skilled and well-prepared alpinist.

Ice climbing abounds all around the mountain’s almost perfect cone. It’s some of the best foot-accessed climbing in Aotearoa.

In spring the frozen snow slopes transform into the best corn snow skiing conditions in the world, combined with a stable snowpack supported by layers of rime.

The mountain is the most climbed peak of this altitude in New Zealand. It is a great visual attraction, the seasonal shifts are dramatic and the weather is changeable. When Taranaki speaks, we must listen!

The case for Mt Ruapehu

By Hazel Phillips, author and resident of Ohakune

​​In te ao Māori, Taranaki was the mountain that got in a huff and flounced off to the west coast, carving the path for the Whanganui River as he went, after being jilted for one of the (much more alluring) Central Plateau volcanoes. In my mind, this makes the central North Island volcanoes winners by definition. (For the purposes of this argument I will conveniently ignore the fact that one of them apparently had an affair.)

Ruapehu is also a better option for trampers than Taranaki because it’s less deadly and emerges from the clouds more often (there are statistics for the former; the latter is purely anecdotal). When it comes to tracks and huts, Rua- pehu simply has more choices and less terrain that’s likely to kill you.

But enough of the morbid stuff. If you think that you’ve done everything on Ruapehu because you’ve visited the huts and tramped the tracks, think again. Get off-track on the magical maunga and you’ll discover pristine swimming holes, secret camping spots, steam rising from vents and hidden relics from long-forgotten farming settlements.

Ruapehu also boasts Crater Lake, Te Wai ā-moe, which is a must-visit in winter for any tramper with axe and crampon skills. Then there’s the Summit Plateau, the extensive glacial ice field at the top, which is the North Island’s answer to the South Island’s Olivine Ice Plateau.

With 11 peaks to Taranaki’s two, Ruapehu is a clear winner for beginner mountaineers – or anyone wanting to do anything in the outdoors, really.

I could also mention the two wilderness areas – Hauhungatahi and Te Tatau Pounamu – and the three ski fields, although in these ‘rocky’ times these are perhaps points of pain for snowsport-loving readers. Maybe next year.

All in all, Ruapehu is the complete package with something for everyone. We love you, Taranaki, but we love our magical maunga more.

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