One of the best things Iv'e done so far :)

---

5/3/09 = The Awesome Franz Josef Glacier Climb

Alarm went off at 6:30 - got up early to go on internet a bit - and couldn't believe it when saw someone was already on computer. Who gets up at 6:30 to use internet?! Had 45mins on other computer, then made breakfast and got ready for glacier climb. Really excited! Headed off to office at 7:30 and signed usual risk form before picking up all gear. Gear = thermal socks, crazy/giant waterproof trousers (one size fits all = never good when you are 5ft2), raincoat (mine was ripped 😞), giant/heavy boots, thermal gloves (mittens actually) and a woolly hat. Looked an absolute treat, but felt warm. Good job got all gear; don't think the trusty khaki shorts would have got me through. Climbed on bus all geared up and excited, but then was so cosy in gear that got really sleepy and couldn't help eyes closing...I was definitely an old lady in a past life. Rested eyes for a little bit as made journey to glacier, then woke up just before got there, excited again.

Got out of bus and did first part of walk to track. Didn't take long and opened up to our first real view of Franz Josef Glacier. Looked amazing; impressed already, although did look quite small from a distance. Spilt into groups at this stage and me and Deb opted for 'middle group' = a medium speed. Today was supposed to be our rest day after all; didn't want to be speeding about. Once grouped, we set off in intervals to do the 5km walk to glacier. Didn't look 5kms away at all; quite deceiving. Walk was through forset and over streams and was quite hard work. Found myself having to strip off all snow layers as we ploughed through jungle trees. Sister Falls were quite nice though. Emerged out of forest at bottom part of glacier. Looked a lot bigger from this point. Before continued, had to stop and attach crampons onto boots. Guide gave us a safety talk and showed us how to attach ice grips onto already heavy and awkward boots. Once they were on, felt like walking in ice skates; really awkward and quite hard to balance. Cool though. Groups split down even further then, so that there were 2 middle groups = a fast middle group and a slow middle group. We opted for slow middle group because Debs' boots were rubbing and really hurting her feet.

New guide = Thai (that was his name, not his nationality!) He gave us bit of history and geography about Glacier (sorry, don't remember this...geography has never been my thing, although do know that glacier is gradually moving forwards because of pressure of snow mounting??), then off we went. At first, just looked like we were climbing up rubble, which on the surface, we were. But, underneath thin layer of assorted stones, could see pure ice and if scratched around with crampons, revealed perfect white ice. Cool. Didn't scratch too hard though...you never know with these avalanches. Passed over flat rocky part, then came to climbing up it. Could see more ice revealed below feet now and started to feel more like a glacier. Got more and more icy within minutes, until came to first set of ice steps. Wow. Walking up steps made of ice; awesome. Poor guides had to come out every morning at 7am to cut in ice steps and Thai had to cut loads more with his pick-axe as we went along. Had to stop and wait while he re-cut and shaped steps that made it easy for us to climb. Was cool to watch him do it though.

First 30mins were quite a hard climb and supposed to be hardest part of walk, because that's where it was the steepest. After that 30mins, there was no more gravel, no stones in sight, just a blanket of pure, white ice, that was actually so pure in parts that it was blue. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Could see all the way up the glacier = miles of white and blue ice that looked like frozen waves. Was shaped in such a funny way; ice waves is only way I can describe it. Stood and admired view for a while (Thai describing that ice was blue because it was so cold and compressed), then continued on with journey. Walked up steps made of spotless, white ice and across ground that was white as far as the eye could see. Reminded me of Narnia and the ice palace I used to picture as a kid; quite spectacular. Got even better when we came across our first ice crevasse. Had to squash our padded bodies through the tiny slit in the ice and wriggle our way through the ice canyon. Stumbled out and found an ice hole. Dropped an snow ball down it and was so deep that we never heard it land. Cool. Pushed through more crevasses and then came to an ice river. Watched as it shot through an ice channel and down an ice hole. Everything so cool up here; magical just like Narnia.

From then on in, did more of same amazing things. Trekked up ice steps, through ice crevasses and holes and even went through an ice cave = also amazing. Moved further and further up glacier, with lots of stops on way. Wasn't tiring or hard work and there was way too much to look at and be interested in to ever got bored. Pulled our way up and through an ice cave and stopped for lunch above it at 12:15, after a 3 and a half hr climb. That wasn't a pleasurable experience. Had to sit down on ice to eat and didn't matter how much of coat I padded under my bum, the cold of the glacier penetrated it within seconds. Bum went numb within minutes. Found myself eating the fastest I have ever eaten and rocking side to side to give each bum cheek some light relief from cold. Poor bum has had it hard these days...good job it's so naturally well padded. Stood up as soon as had finished wolfing food down and set off after just 20mins anyway.

Nearly at top after lunch and just a short climb to go. Passed some ice climbers on the way, who were climbing and abseiling. Looked really cool; maybe on my next trip?! Passed them and hiked on until reached the top. Looked amazing. 4hrs in and it still felt surreal. I was still excited and amazed by it all. Had a long stop here because we had to wait for other groups to move on and Thai had to check track and re-cut some steps. Amazing how cold it got so quickly. Because were higher up, could feel wind more and sun started to disappear off behind clouds. Tucked ears firmly beneath snow hat and pushed mitted hands further into pockets. Love mittens 😊 Were there for 15minutes and body started to hibernate like my old hamster. So glad when we started to move again. Thai explained that we were taking a new route and that it was quite high, so people who weren't comfortable with heights might find it difficult. Made me a bit ambinalent, but plodded on anyway. There were a few people in group afraid of heights anyway, so were all in same boat (so to speak).

Almost straight away, had to squeeze through tighest ice crevasse so far. In previous spaces, had tried to walk sidewards like a crab and avoid touching walls to avoid cold. Wasn't possible with this one. Even my little 5ft2 body was compressed into it's smallest form as wedged myself through the gap. Cold and wet through on both sides. Poor mits were drenched. Was also different because this one had a giant crack running all along floor on our left side. Could see straight down it, but not as far down as floor. Wondered if this was the part he was referring to about being high up? Wasn't scared of that; crack wasn't even wide enough to fit my foot down, let alone my whole body, although Canadian girl behind me was quite scared. Squeezed through at a slow and delayed pace - Thai had to cut more steps - and emerged at other side cold and wet. Could see other group from there and the thing that Thai was probably describing as 'high up'. Were quite far away, but could make out what looked like people abseiling off a sheer drop of ice. Couldn't be sure, but it definitely involved climbing down using rope. Didn't panic yet; needed to get closer to be sure.

Ploughed through the ice stream between us and got a better look at what the group were doing. Was a sheer drop of ice they were climbing down, but had ice steps that were cut into it. Because climb was completely vertical, rope was there just to steady them on way down. Looked like about an 8-10m drop, but it didn't look scary at all. Quite the opposite, I actually got excited. This trip has definitely helped me conquer fears a little. Waited in line for my turn at 'the drop' - which took a long time as we all had to descend one by one - then did our special steps that Thai had taught us and climbed down the vertical stairs. Special steps = because further for up glacier, smaller steps became and could only fit one foot on sidewards. This meant walking on your side, one foot crossing behind other on tiny steps. Easy enough.

All made it down our mini-abseil, then we were on the easy return journey down Franz. Passed a cool cavern that looked like a huge frozen wave and tried to fake surf it. Didn't work out and I actually looked like I was doing the old lady dance, bent over with one knee in air. Oh well. Moved out of cavern, down ice steps, through crevasses and through caves as continued descent. Had a few more rests along way, but never for too long, as wind was picking up and sun totally gone, so got much colder. Kept on the move and back at bottom of glacier by 3:45. Took crampons off to walk over rubble and then set off for last 5kms of walk. 10mins in, hands got cold and looked in pocket to put mits back on. Realised then that had left precious mits back at rocks where had stopped to take crampons off. Because mits were grey and folded up in a round shape, they totally blended in with all rocks and rubble in area, so totally didn't see them. Oh no! Were now in a group of 30 because 2 groups had merged; Thai at front of group and us at back. Was no way I could get to him to tell him about mits and was no way could just go trekking back up glacier by selves. Had to leave them and face extra charges...hope don't cost too much. Moved single file through forest and emerged sweaty at other side to tell Thai about gloves. He said not to worry and that he would find them tomorrow - cool. Only a small walk back to bus then and climbed straight on excited for a non-freezing sit down. Brilliant day...really good. Definitely one of best things done so far...maybe THE best.

Got back to centre and happily removed all gear...especially heavy/cramped boots. Feet killing and few blisteres emerged; not as bad as poor Debs' though. Really happy nobody said anything about gloves and even better that didn't have to pay for $5 rucksack had borrowed all day - brilliant! Strummed back to hostel at 4:30 - feet aching from day - and applied cream to rubbish sandfly bites, that not only don't seem to be disappearing, but actually appear to be multiplying! Fed up with them already. Went into town then to purchase postcards and dinner. Looked round all shops (only 5 anyway) and got a good selection of cards and a creamy sauce for chicken and rice dinner. Made it as soon as got back because was so hungry. Was aiming for a risotto type dinner, but ended up more like rice soup. Still tasty though. Ate, then managed to get on free internet = bonus 😊. Not such a bonus that after 5 minutes, an idiot American couple came along and queued up for internet too. They were tapping fingers, sighing loudly and doing everything to point out that they were waiting...and that was just after 5minutes. After more deep breaths than I thought a human could manage, wife finally interrupted us and asked how long we would be. Tempted to tell her would be a lot quicker without people literally breathing down our neck, but settled on the reply of 30mins. She couldn't believe it and seemed highly annoyed, but I was more annoyed. 30mins came and went and I still hadn't finished. Man was not polite reminding me of time and I was too polite when apologised that everything was taking longer than I thought. Apologised a few more times as time stetched out to more like 50mins...photos just took so long to upload. Felt really rushed and under pressure and couldn't wait to get off in end. Man looked like he was going to punch me. Scuttled off to room and then got really annoyed by situation. I had queued and waited for that computer like everyone else, why should I come off early so that a highly rude person didn't have to wait? Made it even worse that he wasn't even quick on it. He was still on it an hour later! Brewed over angriness for quite a long time; so much so that couldn't sleep. Had to write diary and postacrds just so could try and forget about idiot man. Idiot!

---

Photos

5km away from the Glacier
Deceivingly far.

Love this shot
3 groups, all at different stages of climb