Tag Archive for: Mountains

Lake Langevatn near Geirangerfjord

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Langevatn Lake, Geiranger, Norway

The race of giants, as the origin sagas of the Edda tell, is older than the divine race of the Æsir. There are two mighty tribes among the giants: the Thurses, meaning the Dry Ones, and the Jötnar, the Devourers. The latter dwell in Jötunheimr, also called Utgard, but also in clouds and waters, rocks and mountains, in ice and snow. Thiassi and Thym are storm and thunder giants; Witolf was a forest giant. The lord of the seas is Ægir, the Dreadful; he wears the Helm of Ægir, which no human can behold without turning to stone in terror. The king of the giants is Surtr with the flaming sword. The mightiest among them is called Utgard-Loki; not even the thunder god could overcome him. As they are of ancient lineage, many of them possess that primordial wisdom which Odin forever seeks. But the giants are mortal enemies of the Æsir. Magnificent sagas tell of the battles between them and the gods, among whom Thor was a particularly fierce adversary. On the day of Ragnarök, this ancient race will then fight the final battle with the Æsir.

All images from the ‘World Pictures’ edition

Makarora at Mt Aspiring National Park

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Makarora at Mt Aspiring National Park, Alps, Haast Pass, South Island New Zealand

Large areas of New Zealand are designated as national parks to protect the unique flora and fauna from human destruction. Mount Aspiring National Park in the west of New Zealand’s South Island lies in the extension of the Southern Alps and borders Fiordland to the south. Its charm lies in the alpine vegetation and the transition from the rainy West Coast to the dry interior beyond the main divide of the Alps. The lush green of the forests is gradually replaced by the brownish-yellow hues of tussock grass. This photo was taken near Makarora, a lovely rest stop between Haast Pass and Lake Wanaka. As in all national parks, there are excellent hiking trails here that allow for an intensive experience of nature and gradually reveal the beauty and expressiveness of the landscape.

All images from the ‘World Images’ edition

Lake Rotoaira and Tongariro

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Lake Rotoaira in front of the Tongariro Massif, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Long before the first Europeans, the Māori, a South Sea people, settled the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’. According to their legend, the first tribes arrived in twelve large canoes in their new home, New Zealand. There are numerous myths and stories about the settlement in many different versions, one of which will be told here. The navigator of one of the first canoes, the tohunga Ngātoro-i-rangi, set off inland one day with several companions, where he Mount Tongariro spotted and immediately decided to climb. He ordered his companions to fast until his return and set off with the slave Auruhoe. But those left behind grew hungry and broke their fast, which angered the gods, who sent thunderstorms to the mountains. Ngātoro and Auruhoe were freezing bitterly, and with his last strength, Ngātoro prayed to his gods. They heard him and sent fire via an underground route, which, however, rose too early and left a trail of volcanic activity. With full force, it finally erupted at Tongariro and thawed Ngātoro out. Auruhoe, however, was already dead. Ngātoro sacrificed the body to the gods in gratitude for his rescue and threw it into the crater, which has since borne the name Ngauruhoe .

All images from the ‘World Images’ edition

Oturere and Waihohonu

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Chapter 4: Desolation and Abundance of Life

In the Oturere Valley, Tongariro National Park, North Island, New Zealand

The new day first takes me back along the Tongariro Crossing route to the crater plateau. Today, the magnificent theatre of nature presents a play of Shakespearean proportions on the stage of grand emotions. After the mountain so generously and proudly displayed its treasures yesterday, today it shrouds itself in thick clouds. Everything appears colourless and grey, and on such days, a depressive veil settles over my mood. The vast desolation, veiled in mist, awakens in me a desperate feeling of loneliness and being lost. Stripped of its meaning, the signpost for the Blue Lake stands by the wayside, surrounded by boundless grey. Thoughts and reality merge. The jagged boulders in the Oturere Valley suddenly transform into grotesque ghostly figures trying to lead me astray. Read more

The Sleeping Giant or the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

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Chapter 5: Ruapehu

Ruapehu at sunrise from Waihohonu Hut, Tongariro National Park, North Island, New ZealandThe imposing Ruapehu presents itself as peaceful and alluring. Proud of its strength and size, it cloaks itself in the pristine white of the snow, lulls our ears with the gentle gurgling and splashing of streams, and enchants us with its soft glow in the evening sun. And people flock to it, climbing its rock faces, in winter skiing and snowboarding down its snow-covered slopes, and hiking through forests, scree fields, and even over glaciers right up to its peaks. Yet, it is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Not only do the steep slopes have their dangers, with several mountaineers having fallen, or a bad weather front creating life-threatening conditions within minutes; lahars, avalanches of rock, water, and ice, have killed the most people to date. Read more

Spectacular Tongariro

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Chapter 3: The Crossing and the Northern Circuit

Rainbow in front of Lake Rotoaira, Ketetahi Hut, Tongariro National Park, North Island, New Zealand

There are places where, upon returning, I realise just how much their atmosphere enchants me. One of these is Ketetahi Hut, which sits high on the sunny northern slopes of Tongariro and marks the start of the final stage of the Tongariro Crossing—the descent to the car park. I love lying on the terrace in front of the hut, enjoying the view over the wind-rippled surface of Lake Rotoaira, the lush green, forest-clad Kakaramea mountain range, and the silver mirror of Lake Taupo. The electrifying moods at sunrise or sunset are incomparable; those nights where the lights of Taupo merge with the twinkling stars into a single universe! Roaring hot sulphur steam rises from the nearby Ketetahi Springs, which doesn’t dampen the hut’s popularity for a rest, a spot of sunbathing, or an overnight stay. Consequently, it can get a bit crowded there on some days. Read more

Sunrise on Ngauruhoe Summit

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Chapter 1: From the Darkness of Time into the Light of Now

Full moon over Mangatepopo Hut at Ngauruhoe, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

At three in the morning, the alarm clock brings the short night to an end. Bright moonlight streams through the window of my quarters in the Mangatepopo mountain hut, yet outside, the dark rock masses of the Tongariro massif seem to absorb the gentle light. Joyful excitement immediately pulses through my still sleepy limbs, as conditions appear optimal to begin my long-awaited endeavour: the nocturnal ascent of the 2291m high Ngauruhoe volcano, to experience the sunrise over Tongariro National Park and New Zealand’s North Island from its summit.

The hikers in the hut are all still asleep, so in the peaceful silence of the icy autumn morning, all life seems frozen. But this superficial observation is deceptive, for the ground I stand on is extremely active. 150 km deep within the Earth, where the Indo-Australian plate slides beneath the Pacific plate, lies the origin of those eruptive forces that, with fiery power and destructiveness, continuously shape the landscape in the centre of New Zealand’s North Island. Read more