Franz Josef

---

After stopping in Greymouth for a night, we headed to Franz Josef. This is where the famous glaciers are located. The first day we were there it was pouring with rain and we managed to book ourselves in for a trek the next day. The trek was listed as 3 hours, but because the river coming off the glacier had burst its banks, the hike was more like 6 hours. Instead of crossing the river as they normally do, we had to climb up sheer rock faces on ladders and guide ropes. In order to get to the glacier, the hike was 3km on pretty rough terrain and then we strapped on our spikes so we could walk onto the glacier in pre-carved ice steps. We were on the glacier for about 2 hours, climbing up steps and pathways before getting to a ledge and taking some amazing pictures. The trip was about 8km in total, but was well worth it!

The glacier moves 1 metre a day towards town and is made from snow fall off the top of the mountain. This doesn't melt fast enough and forms a huge ice shelf which all the annoying tourists can climb on! From the start of our hike it didn't look like much, but once at the terminal face (start) of the glacier you really appreciate how huge it is when other groups climbing on it look like ants!

---

Photos

View from the Glacier
Distance we walked to the Glacier

Comments

[nick]

Glacier
Brrrrrrr...... looks very cold but very beatutiful. You both look like your having a great time !