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- Trail to Wiwaxy Gap
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- Schaffer Ridge, from trail to Wiwaxy Gap
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- Huber Ledges
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- Glacier Peak, from Huber Ledges
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- Lake Oesa
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- Lake Oesa, beneath Glacier Peak
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- Mt. Ngauruhoe
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- Volcanic landscape, Tongariro Crossing
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- Emerald Lakes
The Opinionated Hikers on Patrol for You
New Zealand has marketed itself to hikers more successfully than any country in the world. True, NZ is blessed with gorgeous scenery and has an enviable number of tracks (trails), but those aren’t the only reasons it ranks high on many hikers’ life lists. Kiwis are smart. Their nation’s natural beauty is an infinitely renewable resource, so they sell it—hard. In doing so, they sometimes exaggerate.
Case in point: the Tongariro Crossing. Kiwis convincingly tout it as “the world’s greatest day-trek.”
They’re entitled to their opinion. And, granted, it’s a subjective matter. But having hiked the Tongariro Crossing three times during the past 20 years, and meanwhile having also sampled a lot of the most spectacular hiking terrain elsewhere in the world (Patagonia, French Alps, Sierra Nevada, Alaska, etc.), Kathy and I can say with assurance there are many day treks more deserving of “the world’s best” label. We hiked one of them just last week: the Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit, in Yoho National Park, in the Canadian Rockies.
Is the Alpine Circuit the best dayhike in the world? Perhaps. It certainly ranks among the supreme ten.
Compare the photos above. The top six are from the Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit. The bottom three are from the Tongariro Crossing. Where would you rather hike? We believe most hikers will agree the Alpine Circuit offers a scenically superior experience. So why doesn’t Canada market the Canadian Rockies with anything approaching the cunning and savvy with which Kiwis market New Zealand?
We hope the Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit is on your radar. Before you go, read Trip 14, page 89, in Don’t Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies, the Opinionated Hiking Guide. Meanwhile, here’s our advice…
If you’re reasonably fit, begin the day by ascending to Wiwaxy Gap. Next, follow the Huber Ledges to Lake Oesa. From there, descend back to Lake O’Hara. Allowing plenty of time to gaze and take photos, this abbreviated loop will take you about three or four hours.
You’re fit and keen? Continue from Lake Oesa, onto the Yukness Ledges, then down to Hungabee Lake. From there, descend the East Opabin trail to the south shore of Lake O’Hara. Total hiking time: five to six hours.
You’re very fit and super keen? Proceed west along the north shore of Hungabee Lake. Work your way onto the All Souls’ Traverse, beneath Schaffer Ridge. Ascend to All Souls’ Prospect for a new panorama of the entire region. Then descend the Big Larches trail to Lake O’Hara, arriving there about seven or eight hours after you began hiking.
Click on “comments” (below) to see what others are saying, then join the discussion.
Great Photos, thanks for sharing! If you don’t mind, what kind of camera are you using? An upgrade may be in order
Posted by Jeff on July 31st, 2010.
Hi Jeff, thanks for the encouragement. Kathy shoots with an Olympus EP1. She loves it because the images are high quality yet the camera itself is very light and compact, which is ideal for hiking. Her only complaint is that the viewfinder doesn’t reveal sufficient detail. We have to wait until we get home and download the photos onto the computer before we can really see the results.
Posted by hikingcamping on July 31st, 2010.
I’ve really started questioning the “greatest hikes” type lists. A few years ago, my wife and I did the West Coast Trail; while we thought it was beautiful, it was definitely not our favorite hike ever. Some parts of the trail were way too much work for what you got out of them – I’m not sure what sort of scenery makes up for 8 miles through the mud. Yet, that hike has been at the top of a “Best Hike” website for years.
Recently, Jonathon Dorne (Backpacker magazine’s editor-in-chief) wrote that he finally made it to Hawaii to hike the “Na Pali Coast” trail (a trail that seemed to always show up in their Life Lists). He was very disappointed in it – the trail was trashed out, hadn’t been maintained, and seemed to be the home of some nudists. Evidently the scenery was still beautiful, but the stuff he had to suffer through made him pull it off his recommended life list.
Do you think some of these hikes make the “best hike” lists because they offer something a bit uncommon? The West Coast Trail is definitely unique and I’m glad I did it, but in my mind, the “best hike” is something that you’d be glad to do over and over again. Once the novelty of the West Coast Trail wears off (“cool – another ladder!” “Oh, look! It’s a cable car that you get to pull yourself across!”), I can’t ever see going back again.
Do you think the Tongariro Crossing has a bit of that? It is indeed unique, but is it really better than some places in the Canadian Rockies or the Alps? It sure looks different, that’s for sure.
Posted by Dan on July 31st, 2010.
First, I absolutely agree with you, Dan, about the West Coast Trail. (See my Opinionated Hiker column in the June 12 Calgary Herald: http://www.calgaryherald.com/travel/East+Coast+Trail+Epiphany/3145480/story.html). Second, I think you’re right that “some of these hikes make the best-hike lists because they offer something a bit uncommon.” Hiking the Tongariro Crossing, you’re in an exotic landscape, and I believe that’s partly why it’s been overhyped. A huge percentage of the people who hike it are not dedicated hikers. They’re travelers who hear about this weirdly barren track among volcanoes and think it’s an essential NZ experience. They brag about their accomplishment, and gradually the word spreads that the Tongariro Crossing is a right of passage for any fit traveler exploring NZ. In fact, it’s anomalous — not at all representative of the NZ tramping (hiking) experience. That doesn’t mean it’s not a worthwhile hike. It just means that it made the “must do” list in large part because, as you say, it’s freakish.
Kath and I have completed more than 100 hikes in NZ. Researching our upcoming NZ hiking guide, we hiked both islands from tip to tail. We enjoyed the Tongariro Crossing, but we much preferred other hikes most NZ travelers (and many Kiwi hikers) have never heard of. On many of those other hikes, we enjoyed total solitude. Rarely did we encounter more than a few other hikers. On our most recent Tongariro Crossing, however, we were among hundreds of people — a line that snaked from one end of the crossing to the other. Finding a place to pee in privacy was impossible. My impression was that this party atmosphere made the majority feel safer, more comfortable. But I believe such an overwhelming crowd greatly diminishes the experience for dedicated hikers.
The Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit, by the way, is never over-crowded. Yoho National Park strictly limits the number of people who can enter the area each day. This ensures solitude is attainable, and it helps protect the fragile alpine environment.
Posted by hikingcamping on August 1st, 2010.
is it possible to do this hike in May? My sister and I are heading to the Jasper/Banff area May 26-30, and were really hoping to do this hike…
Posted by Joanna on April 13th, 2011.
Hi Joanna, thanks for following our blog and for writing to us. Even after a winter of normal snowfall, the Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit isn’t hikeable until midsummer. This winter, the Canadian Rockies received very heavy snowfall. It’s snowing there today (Monday, April 18). So this year, the Alpine Circuit probably won’t be hikeable until late summer.
Posted by hikingcamping on April 18th, 2011.
The Lake O’Hara Alpine routes are some of my very favorite ones. I could wander across these ledges for hours. Having enjoyed them a few times, it is even more fun to really take our time and stop often to gaze about and take it all in… I haven’t linked all three up yet but am considering the idea.
I wonder about doing it from All Souls first and how that might be considering the route gains and losses and the views?
DSD
Posted by DSD on July 31st, 2011.
We live in New Zealand now, but have hiked in many places including Europe and the USA. THe Tongariro crossing is a remarkable walk – but I don’t think there is a “best in the world”. Tongariro is an outstanding example of a volcanic terrain up close – probably unsurpassed, and your pictures do it no justice. Start really early in the morning to avoid the snaking lines of tourists.
Compared with walking in the rockies, or coastal walks, or walks through jungles ? Its like comparing apples, cheese and french fries – they all taste really good but why try and compare – just enjoy the diversity. Lake O’Hara is beckoning though …
Posted by Geoff on March 6th, 2013.
Hi Geoff… Thanks for taking time to comment. “Apples, cheese, french fries.” Valid point. The only reason we compared them was because of constantly reading and hearing that The Tongariro Crossing is “the best dayhike in the world.” New Zealand markets itself superbly as a tourist destination. And they constantly pound out this “world’s best day hike” opinion as if it were a certifiable fact. It finally prompted us to counter it. — Craig
Posted by hikingcamping on March 6th, 2013.
I’m glad I stumbled across your blog site! I own your book [DWYT] Canadian Rockies, which has been very helpful. I learned about that one after being blown away by your [DWYT] Cascades book that a friend has.
Sadly, the link you posted to the Calgary Herald article is no longer active. Any chance you could send me the article (or text) via email? We haven’t done the West Coast Trail (yet) but we’ve been trying to determine where it goes in our queue…
As someone who prefers lush green landscapes & deep canyons/gorges with tumbling rivers (in addition to alpine scenery/lakes), it was good to learn more about the Tongariro. It certainly won’t be in my ‘Must Do’ list of NZ tracks. I prefer places like Glacier, Olympic, & the west side (i.e., the greener side) of the N.Cascades, so barren volcanic scenes won’t be worth my airfare.
Posted by Scally on April 23rd, 2013.
Hi Scally, thanks for taking time to write, and for the kind, encouraging words. Bear in mind, the Tongariro Crossing is a unique hike in NZ. There’s an abundance of what you enjoy in that gorgeous, island nation: lush greenery, tumbling rivers, alpine scenery. But the Tongariro Crossing is, oddly, their most famous hike. Kiwis push it too hard. So do travelers who’ve hiked Tongariro but little else in NZ. So we pushed back. — Craig
Posted by hikingcamping on April 23rd, 2013.