Tongariro Alpine Crossing (Easter Sunday 2014) - Need buddies

Weather at Easter is notoriously fickle and could be a problem given it is later this year. The Tongariro Crossing isnt something to be taken lightly and every year people who are ill prepared have to be rescued.

Easter is a little later this year, but if the weather is good then you certainly wont be alone. I would expect numbers to be in the hundreds. There are a number of shuttle buses who do transport for this trek, as the entry and exit points are not that close. They wont be running if the forecast is poor.
Check with DOC or information centre for up to date forecasts, and take their advice. Recommend you take clothing to cover all seasons, as weather conditions can be very changeable during the course of the day. Plenty of water, snacks, etc as well.
Hope you get to do it, its a fabulous trip.

Thanks for that. Yes, I am going to check with DoC and I will organise the shuttle buses- there are few that provide you a return trip at $30 odd. I am hoping thought that I get to find people to make this trip with earlier without leaving it for the due date.

Don't waste your money. You absolutely do not need a private guide. I live in NZ and have done it numerous times. You need simply to book the bus that takes you there from where you are staying. We have a place at Ohakune and get the bus that takes you there in the morning and picks you up afterwards. I am sure there are buses that provide the same service to and from The Chateau at Mt Ruapehu, National Park, Turangi and possibly as far away as Taupo. I suggest Ohakune. It's a cool little town or Taupo which is really nice. 'Private guide' -what a joke. You will be with hundreds of people and honestly it's a diddle. I'm 60 and do it easy. The worst bit is the steps coming down the far side. There's thousands of them and if like me you have had a hip replaced twice it really gives the legs a good workout.

Hi there! My husband and I are 30/29 and we just completed the Tongariro Crossing. You do not need a guide. You will be with loads of other people and the trails are well marked. It is a really amazing experience and certainly challenging, but like I said, you will be hiking it with a lot of other people. Advice- take at a minimum 1.5L water each, food and snacks. Also, bring toilet paper. The toilets on the trail, do not have toilet paper until you get to the last hut. Even that can be hit or miss. Wear good shoes, I did it in trainers and was fine, but they fit perfectly. After you come down from the top of the red crater, stop and take the time to empty all the sand out of your shoes and socks so that you don't get blisters. It is a long, long, long ways to walk down hill after you descend from the volcano. have fun, seriously one of our favorite memories from New Zealand. :)

kitrob and divergenttravelers, thank you very much. I was vacillating on the option of taking a guide but now, reading your views, I think that is exactly what we will aim for. Thank you for the tips - bus, water, food, toilet paper(!!!), and the sand thing! I am hoping the weather holds up but even if it doesn't, if I see this track open and people on them, I am in.

Hi,

I planning to have a winter (Early August) Tongariro Alpine Crossing, do i need a Guide?

Seeing this is an older post and the OPs dates have been and gone, it would be better to make a brand new post.