Fox Glacier Mints
Trip Start
Mar 14, 2006
1
294
374
Trip End
Mar 15, 2007
Fox Glacier,
New Zealand
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Saar and I were doing the full day glacier walk along with 8 others and Steve our guide who would later prove he must have de-icer running through his hands. With everyone borrowing more waterproof clothing in a what would be a futile attempt to stay dry I took a pair of waterproof trousers that unfortunately smelt like a yak's armpit.
A short bus journey brought us to the front of the glacier, strangely through a rain forest. Ice. Rainforest. Huh?
The glacier acting like a giant hoover picks up most rocks, debris and stray hikers in it's path giving the front of it a dirty appearance with the water running from it a grey-ish milk colour due to all the rock sediment
Fox Glacier
. Walking up to the side of the ice cube we first stuck some crampons on our feet wisely making sure they were the right way up before stepping on to the ice.Having seen a good number of glaciers around New Zealand this was the first I had walked on and it was a great experience finding our way around, cutting steps as we went with the ice turning bluer the further we ascended with large crevices and holes everywhere acting like mini waterfalls down through the 170 meters of ice beneath us.
Continuing up the ice we climbed higher using ropes where necessary until we reached a dead end but with our soaking feet standing on ice for 4 hours there were few objections to starting back before the frost bite set in.
With the rain still coming down, seeping into everything no matter how waterproof it said it was, I wish I'd also emptied my bag of some residual soap powder that had escaped turning the inside of my bag into a little washing machine with soap bubbles everywhere.
Warming up as soon as we got off the ice we returned with little feeling left in fingers and toes having to thaw them out in the best hot shower in a long time.
The evening now typically clear we met up with Mickey and a Japanese girl, Halo (not sure how to spell) and went down to lake Matheson where there are some good views of the mountains reflected in the water. Unfortunately not even my camera stayed dry screwing up and missing some good photos as I hung it up next to the fire back in the hostel along with everything else we took out with us.
