Glacier climbing in New Zealand
July 15th 2008 11:39
While it's cold and snow is falling quite nicely in our Australian alps, this prompts me to share my experience with climbing the glaciers when I was last in the south island of New Zealand.
There are a couple of glaciers to choose from. The more popular Fox Glaciers are visited by tourists year round and although more glamorous, is in fact a smaller glacier in the region. We chose to go to Franz Joseph because... well - it was cheaper at the time, and also we were advised there would be less people to have to crowd with.
So, having signed our names at the counter we followed the guide into the back shed to collect our gear. I was issued with a rain coat and spiky soles for my shoes, then off we go to the base of the glacier on a bus.
Franz Joseph was named after an Australian emperor by Julius Haast, who first explored the glaciers in 1865. The glacier was a lot bigger than and has been retreating in the recent years due to the rising of temperature in general. The bus unloaded us in a nearby bushland and we were made to trek through some rocky paths to get there, however it was a pleasant hike and the sight was most welcoming. As the glacier face came into view, I felt the chilly wind already bringing its essence towards us, the giant and grand ice sculpture right in front of our eyes - dirty, but blue and beautiful at the same time.
The closer we got obviously the colder it got and on goes the rain coat. At the foot of the glacier we had to strap onto the spiky things and were briefed on how we should tackle the icy surface. A guide would lead us by creating steps on the ice for us to walk on. They need to do this with every tour as the ice would quickly reform and close up the steps that were created by the previous tours. We were told to trust our instincts and balance, and never back tracking our steps. "Put all your weight onto your stepping foot, and your spikes will grab onto the ice a lot stronger. Don't hold back."
Easier said than done, but we managed. With each step was a heart beat then relief. Alas, I wasn't going to slip and soon I got into the rhythm and stopped thinking about falling.
The top of the glacier was simply just beautiful. Once we were over the half way mark where there wasn't as much dirt anymore we could see the deep blue aqua colour seeping through the ice. It was almost unrealistic to see that all this were solid ice with no artificial food colouring. The colour was amazing. From the top you can see how much the glacier has retreated through the valley and immediately makes you feel sad that glaciers such as this are slowly melting away in the world.
There are a couple of glaciers to choose from. The more popular Fox Glaciers are visited by tourists year round and although more glamorous, is in fact a smaller glacier in the region. We chose to go to Franz Joseph because... well - it was cheaper at the time, and also we were advised there would be less people to have to crowd with.
The Franz Joseph glacier viewed from the bottom of the valley
So, having signed our names at the counter we followed the guide into the back shed to collect our gear. I was issued with a rain coat and spiky soles for my shoes, then off we go to the base of the glacier on a bus.
Franz Joseph was named after an Australian emperor by Julius Haast, who first explored the glaciers in 1865. The glacier was a lot bigger than and has been retreating in the recent years due to the rising of temperature in general. The bus unloaded us in a nearby bushland and we were made to trek through some rocky paths to get there, however it was a pleasant hike and the sight was most welcoming. As the glacier face came into view, I felt the chilly wind already bringing its essence towards us, the giant and grand ice sculpture right in front of our eyes - dirty, but blue and beautiful at the same time.
The warning signs just befor the glacier tracks
The closer we got obviously the colder it got and on goes the rain coat. At the foot of the glacier we had to strap onto the spiky things and were briefed on how we should tackle the icy surface. A guide would lead us by creating steps on the ice for us to walk on. They need to do this with every tour as the ice would quickly reform and close up the steps that were created by the previous tours. We were told to trust our instincts and balance, and never back tracking our steps. "Put all your weight onto your stepping foot, and your spikes will grab onto the ice a lot stronger. Don't hold back."
Easier said than done, but we managed. With each step was a heart beat then relief. Alas, I wasn't going to slip and soon I got into the rhythm and stopped thinking about falling.
Icy steps to the top
The top of the glacier was simply just beautiful. Once we were over the half way mark where there wasn't as much dirt anymore we could see the deep blue aqua colour seeping through the ice. It was almost unrealistic to see that all this were solid ice with no artificial food colouring. The colour was amazing. From the top you can see how much the glacier has retreated through the valley and immediately makes you feel sad that glaciers such as this are slowly melting away in the world.
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