Advertisement
Published: January 14th 2010
Edit Blog Post
The day up on the glacier was quality. The weather was perfect and the sun stayed out all day. We were up on the ice for 6 hours and the whole trip came in at 8 hours so we were pretty tired by the end of it. Check in was at 8.15am and that is where we picked up out books, coats and crampons. Down in the valley it was hot so I struggled to see how I would need a coat but as I will explain later...I defiantly did! We took short 10 minute bus ride to the bottom of the glacial valley (where the ice came up to in 1750) and walked out onto the river floor. The glacier looked so close but it was still 2.2km away. we split up into groups (we stayed in the front group as it was to go slightly quicker and cover a bit more ground). As we got closer to the ice it began to get colder. The whole river bed was covered in broken up pieces of rock...apparently more than usual because only a few days before we arrived there was a massive flood washing a whole load of new debris into the valley. The region gets on average 5 metres of rain a year! The waring sign for the glacier was almost covered up by rubble and the guides had had to dig it out the day before. We got up onto the lower rocks just beneath the ice and put out crampons on our boots and headed up the ladder to the first bit of the glacier. The first bit was the steepest and hardest of the whole day, above a 10 metre wall of ice! We then worked our way to about two thirds of the way up the "handle part" of the glacier. The big "frying pan" part is at the very top forming a massive snow field. We came across a lot of crevasses and gaps in the ice and one fell through simply under the weight of the guides foot. The guide had to cut out steps on each new bit of ice as the step they make each day either melt away or move because the glacier is constantly changing shape and size (up to 5 metres a day). I managed to get a lot of good photos as the weather was awesome so check them out on facebook. After a stop for lunch we came across a small hole in the ice and it was just about big enough to climb (more like crawl) through. So, not wearing any water proof trousers, I obviously thought it would be a good idea to do it...I survived and came out the other size in one piece, but I was soaking wet and pretty cold! I also managed to get one of the spikes from the crampons into my leg...not the most pain free experience ever but still worth it! On that note, the crevasses were getting bigger and at some points I was fully walking through on my side pushed up against the ice...that was freezing cold (obviously!) From that point on my coat never came of in an attempt to warm up. The guide told us all about the history of the glacier...how it advances and retreats on big cycles and at the minute it is retreating quite rapidly. he also said about how people back in 1903 would walk on the ice in long dresses and suits and top hats (there are photos in the town to prove it). The best part of the day was a climb into, through and up and out of a massive ice cave that had recently formed. It took three guides about 20 minutes to cut a trail of steps through it was but was most definalty worth the wait. The ice was so blue and it was absolutely beautiful inside the cave. So much colder inside the ice than on it! We traversed the ice for a few hours finding new routes up and over the crevasses and the mounds of ice. We then started the walk back down and managed to avoid a few falling rocks that had shifted throughout the day as the ice has melted. It was weird to take the crampons off at the end of the day because I had got so used to having such a strong grip on the ground. Back in the town that night there was a brilliant sun set (my new favorite thing) and it was a perfect end to an amazing day. Great value for money and a experience of a lifetime. I still struggle to understand how the glacier can exist by a temperate rainforest...Patagonia is the only other place in the world where this happens. After the kit was given back we hit the glacier hot pools which was an hour in a 40 degrees celsius hot tub. Exactly what I needed after a full day hike. The last few days I have actually taken a step back from the traveling high life and I have been working! Well...not proper work, just a few hours each morning in exchange for free accommodation and free food! We are going to continue doing this for a few more days before we head to Wanaka. It is fairly quiet here but waking up each morning looking at the mountains is more than enough to justify staying. Also...I am thinking about doing a skydive...
Advertisement
Tot: 0.117s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 11; qc: 52; dbt: 0.0593s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb