Chapter 5: Ruapehu

The 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