Mount Ruapehu

Mount Ruapehu
Mt Ruapehu from Tongariro Northern Circuit, 2023
Highest point
Elevation2,797 m (9,177 ft)
Prominence2,797 m (9,177 ft)
ListingUltra
New Zealand #19
Coordinates39°17′S 175°34′E / 39.28°S 175.57°E / -39.28; 175.57
Naming
Native nameRuapehu (Māori)
English translationpit of noise or exploding pit
Geography
Geology
Rock age~200,000 years
Mountain typeStratovolcano
Volcanic arc/beltTaupō Volcanic Zone
Last eruption25 September 2007
Climbing
First ascent1879 by G. Beetham and J. P. Maxwell (non-indigenous)
Easiest routeHike

Mount Ruapehu (Māori: [ˈɾʉaˌpɛhʉ]; English /ˈrəˌph/) is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupō Volcanic Zone and North Island volcanic plateau in New Zealand. It is 23 km (14 mi) northeast of Ohakune and 23 km (14 mi) southwest of the southern shore of Lake Taupō, within Tongariro National Park. The North Island's major ski resorts and only glaciers are on its slopes.

Ruapehu, the largest active volcano in New Zealand, has the highest point in the North Island and has three major peaks: Tahurangi (2,797 m), Te Heuheu (2,755 m) and Paretetaitonga (2,751 m). The deep, active crater is between the peaks and fills with water between major eruptions, being known as Crater Lake (Māori: Te Wai ā-moe). The name Ruapehu means "pit of noise" or "exploding pit" in Māori.