I’ve been looking forward to writing about hiking the Franz Josef Glacier since I started this whole project because we had SOOOOO much fun that day. It was unanimously our favorite activity during the entire trip. Before the words, I made a video of the hike with jumpy transitions and cheesy music. No making fun allowed!
The Glacier Heli Hike started at the Franz Josef Glacier Guides center in town (link provided in case you want to look into the same hike we did), where we got fitted with proper hiking gear. They provided everything from head to toe, including socks and gloves. The key to staying warm is to wear wool because even when wet, it still holds its insulating properties. We obviously felt very cool in our glacier hiking outfits as evidenced by our selfies.
The Helicopter Ride
A short helicopter ride took us up the mountain to the glacier. As we came closer, the green landscape gave way to the frozen white and blue. Once on the frozen helipad, we met our guides Beau and Rachel (Beau seems to be a very popular guy’s name in New Zealand, at least for the guides anyway…). Beau was a native Kiwi, but Rachel was from Virginia and even let a “y’all” slip. We strapped on our crampons and were ready to conquer the ice!
Off the Beaten Paths
Because the glacier constantly grows and retreats, the landscape can change daily. Every day the guides would go out to plot out trails. This was an exceedingly busy day on the glacier, so Beau decided that we were going to go off the beaten paths and forge a new route through the icy landscape. I’m sure the planned trails were fun too, but there was something exhilarating about finding your way through the unknown.
We were not disappointed as we followed the new path Beau and Rachel pickaxed for us. We scaled a very sheer ice wall where the path was barely one foot wide. We climbed up and down icy hills where the steps were freshly chiseled out by our guides. But my favorite was crawling through the tunnels and arches formed by the compression forces of the ice. Once we were out of the well-traveled range, the ice was incredibly clean. The icy blue was of such clarity it took our breaths away. It was other-worldly to be surrounded by the mystical blue of the ice.
Drink It or Lose A Leg!
We also sampled the glacier water. Very clean and caused an instant ice cream headache.
Despite the cloudy sky and a constant drizzle, we had the time of our lives exploring this frozen wonderland. There were many puddles all over the glacier, but don’t go jumping in! You never know which ones are deeper than you’re tall. Sam accidentally slipped one foot into one and his leg disappeared up to his knee before he caught himself and pulled it out. He didn’t even touch the bottom. But the good news was, those waterproof pants and boots they gave us really worked.
The Best Destress Activity
When we first met the guides, we were shocked that they were wearing shorts and a single layer shirt at this temperature. However, once we started the hike, we quickly understood that as long as you kept moving, you had no time to cool down! It was definitely a physically demanding activity, but we had so much fun we didn’t remember to feel tired! Also, I feel like a pickaxe can solve a lot of stress-related issues and improve overall physical fitness. I should get a pickaxe. The hike took almost four hours. It was way worth the money we paid for and we would do it again in a heartbeat!
Yay!!
C.