7-9 November 2025. A summit trip on Ruapehu that turned into a night evacuation during a forest fire.
The Femmes and Thems trip started as per any Ruapehu trip, with a drive up to the maunga from Wellington on Friday evening after everyone finished work. Eight people packed into two cars, we set off with a great forecast and low avalanche risk. Excited, ready for the roadie and at least one of the cars set-up for a Brittney Spears sing-a-long.
On Saturday morning we set a group objective based on how everyone was feeling, how much sleep we all got, and if there were any injuries or issues to be mindful of in the group. Gracie took the time to forestall some heuristic traps by making sure everyone was aware we were all responsible for navigation and that while we had an objective to aim for, the goal of the weekend was just to spend time on the slopes and hang out as a group. This set a favourable precedent, and as we made our way up the maunga we stopped regularly to take stock, check-in with each other and make collaborative group decisions en-route.
The weather stayed clear, with some clag moving through near the top. The group reached the summit plateau, and after enjoying the views and getting some great snaps, turned around with plenty of time to get back to the lodge.
It was on the descent that the group noticed smoke rising in the Mangatepopo valley. At a small enough size to assume it was either a steam vent or a controlled fire, the group didn’t think much of it.
At 3:30pm everyone was back at the lodge. Fatigued and hungry, people showered, played games and worked their way through hot chocolates, cheese, crackers and dips. After a good snack we had some time to kill before dinner, so we took the opportunity to demonstrate some basic rope work for those interested. We showed some key knots, displayed Snow Craft 2/trad gear and had a good time ascending a rope with Prusiks for everyone who wanted to give it a go. By this time it was late enough to start on dinner. A few others were also staying at the lodge and had coincidentally planned the same meal. We combined forces for an epic feast and for dessert, we were treated to a decadent chocolate cake made by another participant. Well fed, wined and dined, the tired and happy group lounged in the lodge, with some already getting ready for bed.
As the evening progressed, we realised the significance of the fire. With the sun setting, it was easier to see the smoke illuminated vivid orange. The flames visible from the lodge window. The helicopters circling, evacuating hikers in the Tongariro park. This was becoming concerning.
We weren’t worried for our physical safety where we were based – being quite high on the maunga there was no vegetation around. There were some other concerns however: the wind was forecast to change direction overnight and bring the smoke and flames in our direction. We did a quick assessment of the changing circumstances and considered the new risks. There was a potential for smoke inhalation on the 45-minute journey down to the cars and a chance they may close the road out of Whakapapa before our scheduled departure, which would leave us stuck in the lodge for a few days while they battled the fire. We called the DOC hotline for information and were advised to self-evacuate while we could, largely to reduce additional stress on the emergency services should the situation worsen.
Given this information, Gracie made the difficult decision to call a group hui and ultimately get us down the maunga and out of the national park. With some people already in bed, and most having had 1-2 glasses of wine, the call was to get us to local accommodation rather than try to make it back to Wellington and risk tired driving. We found beds in an Ohakune motel and set to work packing and clearing up. The other party at the lodge made the call to stay and very kindly offered to finish any cleaning and tidying we didn’t manage to cover in our rush to get out.
So at roughly 11pm, we set off again. In a surreal moment of tired adrenaline, getting our mountain boots back on with the fire ablaze in our view, Brittney Spears could be heard echoing around the quiet valley as we vented our stress with a group rendition of Hit Me Baby One More Time.
The group continued the efforts together as one, navigating our way down in the dark and doubling back when we took a wrong turn. We found our way onto the stony ski field and the path was easy from there. We made it down to the cars and drove to Ohakune where the motel stood ready for our very late check-in. The view of the fire as we drove past was like a weird dream. We could see the whole thing covering the valley, flames close to the road in the other direction. It was hard to believe it was happening.
Photos by Gracie Scott.