Hiking a glacier!

---

Managed to somehow turn off my alarm the one mornng I really needed it. However, was obviously on alert for the glacier and made it up in loads of time. Afer we got suited up with our books, spikes, coat, gloves etc we got the bus to the bottom of Franz Joesf. It takes about 40 minutes walking to get to the exact bottom of the glacier, crossing by all these signs saying go no further, danger and other reassuring warnings!!

A river runs under the glacier, it burst through due to really heavy rainfall in 98/99 but generally just rushes out the bottom and flows by as you walk along. As you get closer to the glacier a ladder and rope helo you haul yourself up to the first level. From there we made our way across bridges, stepped over chasams and up hills and steps of ice. We stopped along the way to pick up our axes, non essential for the journey but extremely cool to have! Matt, our guide led us through these cracks in the ice literally only about as wide as a person. Squeezing through walls of ice that are shining icy aqua blue was definitely highlights of the day.

Nearer the end we came to a cave that we grabbed a rope to shuttle down through and then had to slide our way out a longish hole to the end. It was so much fun!

The glacier was amazing, it's hard to imagine that it can be so diverse and colourful when you look at it from below. Loved the blue ice phemomen and the fact that Kai landed when we were having our lunch wanting to be fed. It's amazing to see a bird stand on a barren icy landscape wanting food. You can't feed them though cause they are such scavangers it would only encourage them to go down to the village and start tearing open bins and gardens etc.

---