Glacier walk

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Today we headed up the Franz Josef Glacier - a glacier that is moving at rate of up to 5m a day in the middle of a tropical rainforest!.

We were originally going to do a half day trip but we heard that we wouldn't get to see much - so instead we got up at 6.30am and did the whole day (8hrs on the ice!). The walk from the car park took about 45mins to the foot of the glacier and then we had to put on our crampons/spikes. We headed up the initial steps (that the guides were carving as we went) and got to the point where the half-day trip ended within the hour - and we hadn't seen that much yet! We kept going and stopped for lunch a couple of hrs later above the bones of an unlucky mountain goat and got a wet arse whilst we rested the feet!

The afternoon was the more interesting half as we went exploring through many a crevis (see the photos!) and at one point I got stuck and wasn't entirely convinced I was gonna make it through..I think James even has a picture of me struggling! The guide wanted to take us right to the top for the view, but there were a couple of overhangs that he didn't trust to stay hanging so we we had to turn around and headed back to the foot of the glacier and back to the bus.

I think this was my favourite day so far..

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Photos

In a crevis
James and I in a crevis!

Another crevis!
and an ice-pick!

Comments

[episgran]

frosty
Cor!!! Hope you were wearing thermals.!