Police concerned about lack of preparation/planning for hiking the Tongariro Crossing

Bay of Plenty

Police say the forecast snap of cold weather will cause further rescues on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing if visitors don’t prepare or plan their hiking trips.
  
In the last two weeks Police and LandSAR in the Central North Island have rescued numerous people off Mt Tongariro. Police are concerned that some people do not understand the weather risks associated with hiking in an alpine environment.   The forecast for this week includes snow down to 700m, which means it will be extremely cold in the mountains and there is a high risk of hypothermia if ill prepared.