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Tongariro Alpine Crossing

New Zealand · Tongariro

hard

New Zealand's best one-day hike, crossing the active volcanic Tongariro massif past emerald lakes, craters, and lava flows.

⛰Trailhead:1,119m
🏔Summit:1,886m
📅Duration:1 day
🌍Country:New Zealand

Generating AI safety verdict…

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Heavy Rain Warning

34mm of rain expected in 24 hours. Flooding risk.

Trailhead Conditions

Tongariro, New Zealand · 1119m

Friday, November 6 at 11:30 AM

12°C

Feels like 12°C

Moderate rain

Humidity

100%

Wind

15 km/h N

Gusts

15 km/h

Pressure

1015 hPa

Dew Point

7°C

Cloud Cover

100%

Visibility

10.0 km

Precip

0.9 mm

48-Hour Forecast

14-Day Forecast

Today
13°/ 11°
Sat, Nov 7
13°/ 8°
Sun, Nov 8
15°/ 7°
Mon, Nov 9
16°/ 11°
Tue, Nov 10
12°/ 11°
Wed, Nov 11
13°/ 8°
Thu, Nov 12
10°/ 8°
Fri, Nov 13
13°/ 10°
Sat, Nov 14
12°/ 10°
Sun, Nov 15
11°/ 6°
Mon, Nov 16
10°/ 10°

Is Tongariro Alpine Crossing safe to hike right now?

The AI safety verdict above is updated every 4 hours using live weather data from MET Norway at both the trailhead (1,119m) and the summit (1,886m). A GO verdict means current conditions are suitable for the trek. CAUTION means proceed with awareness of specific risk factors shown above. NO-GO means conditions are currently inadvisable — check back after the weather window passes.

How difficult is Tongariro Alpine Crossing?

Tongariro Alpine Crossing is rated hard. It demands strong fitness, prior high-altitude hiking experience, and careful acclimatisation. Altitude sickness is a real risk above 3,500m. The typical completion time is 1 day for a short trek.

What is the elevation of Tongariro Alpine Crossing?

The trailhead starts at 1,119 metres above sea level in Tongariro, New Zealand. The summit or highest point reaches 1,886 metres — a net elevation gain of 767 metres.

What gear do I need for Tongariro Alpine Crossing?

The packing list in the AI verdict above is tailored to the current forecast. As a baseline for Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand: waterproof jacket and trousers, trekking poles, sturdy boots, sun protection, and a first aid kit.

Weather data: MET Norway Locationforecast 2.0 (CC BY 4.0) · AI verdicts by Anthropic Claude