Michael Lanza

A hiker at the rim of Red Crater in New Zealand's Tongariro National Park.

Super Volcanoes: Hiking the Steaming Peaks of New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park

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By Michael Lanza

We have just begun our all-day hike over some of the volcanoes of New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park when a trailside sign conveniently itemizes the life-threatening hazards awaiting us.

For starters, an eruption could eject large rocks into the air to rain onto us from the sky or release lava flows. Pyroclastic flows, which are clouds of ash, rock, and gas that can cook flesh, could come upon us at 60 mph. Just such a flow in 1975, in fact, formed the black rocks we’re standing on. Even short of a volcanic eruption, deadly volcanic gases can pool in the bottom of craters on calm, sunny days like today. And the rock on these peaks is so unstable that falling rock looms as a constant hazard.

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Gear Review: BCA B1 EXT and Black Diamond Deploy 7 Shovels

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Backcountry Access B1 EXT Shovel

Backcountry Shovels
Backcountry Access B1 EXT shovel
$50, 1 lb. 5 oz.
backcountryaccess.com

BCA’s light and compact B1 EXT has a great strength-to-weight ratio. Its small but solid aluminum blade chopped easily into consolidated snow and icy crust in test pits I dug while backcountry skiing in Idaho’s Boise Mountains. The two-section, straight shaft and blade assemble as quickly as most traditional shovels of similar design, and the shaft compresses short enough (16 inches/40.5 cm) to fit into a pack’s snow-gear pocket without separating its two sections. Extended, the shovel’s length (22.25 inches/56.5 cm) allows for digging without being uncomfortably hunched over.

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Gear Review: Outdoor Research and Rab Winter Down Jackets

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Outdoor Research Maestro Jacket

Down Jackets for Winter
Outdoor Research Maestro Jacket
$325, 1 lb. 5 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XL
outdoorresearch.com

On January nights that dipped into the low teens during a four-day yurt trip, this fat, 800+-fill power, hooded down jacket was so warm I could hang around outside for hours in the evenings and early mornings, staying perfectly warm. At a bit under a pound and a half, it’s a burly puffy jacket made for very cold situations: ice-climbing belays, winter camping, or all-day backcountry ski tours on frigid days when you need a super-warm puffy for breaks (or even just inside your pack as an insurance policy in an emergency).

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Gear Review: The North Face Etip Pamir Windstopper Glove

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The North Face Etip Pamir Windstopper Glove

The North Face Etip Pamir Windstopper Glove
$62, 3 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-L
thenorthface.com

As someone who gets cold fingers easily but loves ski touring, snowshoeing, winter hiking, and fast activities like skate-skiing—where you don’t always want thick, bulky handwear—I find that many lightweight gloves designed for those activities don’t deliver enough warmth. But on numerous outings this winter, many of them skate-skiing, I found the Etip Pamir gloves kept my fingers comfortable in temps down to the low 20° F.

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Gear Review: Patagonia Tsali 2.0 Trail-Running Shoes

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Patagonia Tsali 2.0

Trail-Running Shoes
Patagonia Tsali 2.0
$115, 1 lb. 6 oz. (men’s US size 9)
Sizes: men’s 7-12, 13, 14, 15, women’s 5-11
patagonia.com

I keep grabbing these trail-running shoes for gym workouts and trail runs in the Boise Foothills because they’re comfortable, light, and deliver a nice balance of support, stability, and traction. The Tsali’s forefoot padding softens impact while flexing well for running, and the gender-specific footbed ensures a good fit that helps minimize the pounding on your feet. Even on 10-mile runs, my feet and toes don’t feel fatigued or beat up afterward.

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