New Zealand warns hikers away from Lord of the Rings volcano

New Zealand has warned hikers and climbers to steer clear of a volcano in a national park whose jagged rock formations and eerie barren landscapes featured in the Lord of the Rings movies.

Quake and volcano monitoring service GNS Science raised the alert for Mount Ruapehu, in the North Island’s Tongariro national park, which last erupted in 2007.

“Recent visits to the volcano have confirmed an increase in the output of volcanic gas,” GNS Science said.