Franz Josef glaciers
Trip Start
Sep 24, 2008
1
103
114
Trip End
Jun 20, 2009
Franz Josef,
South Island,
New Zealand
Thursday, May 28, 2009
I am an eskimo!
29.05.09: Early start for the big hike. We meet the group at the Glaciers Guide's office so that they give us all the equipment. Tip: if you ever do it, don't go at the back of the queue: all sizes are not always available (eg: they tell you to put an extra pair of socks if they don't have your shoe size in stock anymore!!). So, they lend you: trousers, coats, hat, gloves, socks, hiking shoes and...crampons! (yes, you're hardly going to go on ice with your flip flops!). Once we are ready, we all hop on the bus to start the day.
The new guide
We are dispersed into 5 groups according to speed of individual. We choose the most relaxed one, led by Jason, aka Turtle. The guide gives us all kind of facts about the glaciers and the area and is also really friendly and easy-going. After a walk on the rocks, it is time to fit our crampons. It is actually easy to walk with them. The first 10mn, were the hardest, steep slope and high"steps" dug by the guides with their axe! We even saw an ice fall while climbing...are you sure we should continue??. The guides are well experienced, working 5 days a week. They know all the different routes of the "maze".
The crampons
We see the blue pools, go in the very narrow corridors, slide into tunnels and are dropped into holes. We feel like Eskimos...I am happy to see the blue ice!! Despite the rain, everyone is in a good mood for having such an experience. There is even a girl from Colombia who has never see sow before and she must have taken 500 pictures that day. she did not even look cold! By the end of the day, after 7h walking, we are all pretty exhausted, but it was all worth it. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip. After a well needed shower, our body ached but we warmed it up with some mulled wine!
Comments
Glacier
Magnifiques les crampons!!! Contente que la marche sur le glacier vous ait autant plu! J'avais bien classé ça dans le TOP 5 de nos excursions...vraiment fabuleux ! Profitez bien :-))