Soon after leaving Whakapapa Village in the early morning, towards Whakapapaiti Valley. Ruapehu in the distance. Photo NC.

Whereas north of Whakapapa Village the vegetation cover is essentially tussock and forest occurs only in isolated patches (see Tongariro Northern Circuit), forest is dominant south of it.
Most of the going to the Whakapapaiti Valley is through mountain beech forest. However this picture shows an area of bog, one of the many that can be found in Ruapehu's western quarter.