make sure you use a decent topo map, have a map and compass and know how to use them. if you loose visibility they will be vital. GPS highly adviseable because of numerous cliffs around. the route up to the dome isnt marked,
http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap/nz49 ... u-Wanganuithere can be snow and ice well into summer, requireing ice ax
and crampons and you have to know how to use them properly,
http://climbnz.org.nz/nz/ni/tongariro/m ... /tahurangi
Summit Col Route
Climb the slopes right (west) of the Crater Face, to reach the col immediately west of Tahurangi. Although this is a popular route to the summit, these slopes become very slushy and unstable in sunny conditions: avalanche-prone and not at all pleasant. There are much better alternatives.
From the col, the easiest route heads out across southwest slopes to the south ridge, then back to the summit, although climbing the top of the West Ridge is better.
https://www.summitpost.org/mount-ruapehu/153697Crater traverse / Tahurangi (2797 m) - ONLY IF NO VOLCANIC HAZARD WARNINGS! Continue past the Dome Shelter and skirt round the west side of the lake (be careful re. hidden crevasses) before heading up to the Summit Col between Te Ataahu and Tahurangi (north facing, snow may be very soft). Then depending on the season judge the best way of heading up to the summit by either heading straight up the West Ridge (steep with or without ice, NZ alpine grade 1+ or 2, class 4-5 scrambling ?, useful photo here) or heading SE and across to Skyline Ridge and up on to it where possible. Looks to be roughly 2 km to cover from the Dome to the summit, and 2 km back again. Ease of this will vary with the time of year as it can be cliff like at points but is generally rated as NZ alpine grade 1, i.e. you probably don't need a rope in winter unless there's a glacier/crevasse risk which there may be, see above but again may be a steep scramble if there's no snow.
the photos are in reverse order starting from the top and them looking back down towards the route up from dome,
this is in December, not my trip, but it was feezing, icy conditions with a strong wind... one of the members only had half instep crampons which arent suitable for taking on a decent slop on hard snow or ice, and it slowed them down massively, you need full crampons in these conditions.
https://axeoneverest.com/2014/01/18/fav ... peak-2013/the photo attached , from dome, the summit is in the middle, 2757 is on the right, . taken in March, in a strong freezing southerly wind...
from the land of the long white clouds...