I have to admit that with all of the warnings about proper clothing and conditioning required for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, I was expecting a climb unrivaled by anything we've done so far this trip. We started out in light mist, but by the time we reached the summit, the sun had come out and the weather was beautiful. The wind was a bit strong at times and it was a good idea to stay a bit away from the edge, but all in all, I think this was one of the easier hikes we've done on our trip. Our day hikes are generally 5-6 hours in duration with some good steeps mixed in and we came in at 6 hours for Tongariro. After the three peaks in Scotland we were expecting the descent to be just as challenging as the ascent, but were pleasantly surprised to find it nicely graded with amazing views the entire way down. Overall it turned out to be a spectacular day. This is a highly recommended hike, just be prepared for crowds and some bottlenecks towards the top.
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