While visiting Tongariro National Park we enjoyed the added bonus of taking in actual sites from the Lord of The Rings movies. We decided early this morning to try and summit "Mt. Doom", the actual name is Mt. Ngauruhoe. The weather was predicted to be a bit unstable, but we pushed ahead anyway in hopes of looking into the crater. On this hike you have the possiblity of exploding volcanoes as there are some 7-10 craters along the Tangariro Crossing Trail. We did smell a little sulpher on the way up, but volcanic acitiviy was predicted to be a "1" that day, on a scale of 1-?. Not sure about the scale, but others were hiking so I figured a 1 was kinda like a 1 on the Hurricane Scale. The summit was elusive as the weather did close in around us, but we did make it up the flanks of Mt. Doom and down the back side into another crater. There are 3 dominent volcanoes in the Tongariro National Park: Mt. Tongariro, Mt. Ruapehu, and Mt. Ngauruhoe. All of these volcanoes are considered Composite Volcanoes, and all are active. Mt. Ruapehu erupted last in 1996. These types of Volcanoes are made up of alternating layers of ash, broken rock and lava. The planes of the Tongariro National Park are harsh and Alpine plants need special tactics to survive the freezing temperatures, strong winds, and short summers. The Volcanoes of Tongariro National Park are part of what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. What really makes this National Park so special is that it is NZ's first National Park, and was given as a gift to the people of NZ by the local indigenous people.
1 comment:
WOW! Sounds like fun! Wish i could have been there to see Amon Amarth!(mountain of fate, another word for mount doom)Can also be called Orodruin. Little middle earth history: When Sauron began searching Middle-earth during the Second Age for a permanent dwelling place, his attention was immediately drawn to Mordor, and especially to Orodruin, whose power he believed he could use to his advantage. He subsequently established his kingdom based around Orodruin and "used the fire that welled there from the heart of the earth in his sorceries and his forging". The most famous of Sauron's creations forged at Mount Doom is the very powerful One Ring. It is said in The Lord of the Rings that the materials of which the Ring is made are so durable and the enchantments with which it is imbued so powerful that it can only be destroyed in the Cracks of Doom where it was made.
Orodruin is more than just an ordinary volcano; it responds to Sauron's commands and his presence, lapsing into dormancy when he is away from Mordor and becoming active again when he returns. Its activity is also apparently connected to Sauron's personal power. When Sauron is defeated at the end of the Third Age, the volcano erupts violently one final time and then ceases all activity permanently. Did you guys ever see the setting for the shire?
Hope you had fun!
~Jackson Arthur
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