On Ice
Day 7 – Franz Josef Glacier
It was another early morning for Tory and I as we awoke for our adventure on the glacier. We donned several layers of clothing and set out for the spot where we would be meeting the bus. Before we could board, however, they gave us coats, rain pants, and cramp-ons. We met an older couple there who was unusually talkative. Their names were Glen and Margaux. Margaux had this strange way of talking to you in which she would always say your name when addressing you. We talked with them for a few minutes before boarding the bus. The bus ride took us back in the direction from which we’d come. After only about 20 minutes we were at the parking lot where the trail to the glacier began. The path out to the glacier took us over the remains of where the glacier was only a few hundred years ago. In its wake the glacier left a great valley full of rock. Along the sides of the valley were the occasional waterfalls that fed the larger river that ran down from the glacier. We followed the path for about 30 minutes before reaching the point where normal visitors couldn’t go. Since we were with a tour, we could go beyond it. After hiking up a rocky path, we stopped to put on our cramp-ons. Because Tory and I were in the all-day group, we also got ice picks. There was about 11 of us. After getting equipped, we began the track up the glacier. The path was obviously icy, but there was also a surprising amount of rock and grit encrusted into the mighty block of ice. The picks and cramp-ons were a tremendous help; I can only imagine trying to climb a glacier without them. An opening in the clouds seemed to be hanging over the glacier so we were fortunate enough to have sun, though I’m sure it only made the glacier more slippery. The first part of the hike up (the part that the half-day crew also did) wasn’t that exciting. They had carved out a pretty solid and well-defined path. By the time an hour had passed though, we’d gone beyond the initial area of the glacier and moved into the good stuff. We were surrounded by chasms and ice formations. Sometimes we barely could squeeze through an opening. At times I expected the ice just to fall away under my feet, but the guides assured the group that everything was quite solid. The glacier, they explained, was always changing and so often they would accidentally take a path they had never taken before. Of course this had to happen for our group. The guides went ahead and though they could get us up behind this ice wall, but then once we were all crowded on a ledge (with me in the back and closest to the drop), they discovered the path wasn’t feasible and we had to go all the way back. We kept dry and warm as long as we kept moving, but while we were waiting for them to chip a path, things would get a bit cold. We stopped for a much-needed lunch at one point, chipping some chairs out of the ice. Our group consisted of the old American couple, Glenn and Margaux. There was a pair of cute Danish girls, a married Irish couple, two pair of French, and then our kiwi guides. We hiked far up into the glacier until we reached a point where we could go no further on account of the lose rock sitting atop the ice. As we doubled back, we saw a kea exploring the ice, looking for handouts no doubt. Tory, the Irish man, one of the guides, and me all climbed through a large ice cave, the surface of which was quite slippery (Tory actually took a little slide). The hike back was pretty easy. It took us by some fairly large chasms. Once we returned to the starting point, we removed the cramp-ons and headed back to the bus. Both Tory and I were sore beyond all recognition. All the scuffing of fight against the ice and the constant jolting from going up and down had taken its toll on us. Both him and I wanted nothing more than to take a shower when we got back. And that is exactly what we did after returning the gear and bidding farewell to our fellow group members. After a satisfying shower we went out for pizza and beer, both of which were immensely satisfying. I watched a bit of TV after returning from dinner. Tory and I were completely exhausted from the day’s adventure though, so we took a very early bedtime at around nine or ten.
Tags: Franz-Josef, Glacier, New Zealand, Travel, West Coast
gregbilsland
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