Tom Didier: Board certified anesthesiologist, echocardiographer, amateur surfer, and the Frodo to my Samwise. Didiers came to visit a couple weeks ago, and along with a couple hundred of our closest friends, we walked the Tongariro Crossing and to the summit of Mt. Ngauruhoe. All totaled it was about 16 miles and 4000 feet of elevation gain.
Going up Ngauruhoe took about 2 hours. Coming down took about 30 minutes, and is more of a controlled fall than a true walk. We finished with blistered feet, weary legs, and slightly bruised egos after being passed by an old lady with an umbrella.