THE NUMBER ONE ACTIVITY I DREAMT OF DOING HERE -
Words have not been invented to appropriately convey exactly how outstanding and breath-taking this country and Franz Josef Glacier are. I can't even wrap my brain around us getting to have this once in a lifetime, exhilarating experience. The heli hike is something I'll never forget and I'm exceedingly grateful that I was able to share it with my sister. This was *meant* to be for us; the stars, clouds and sunshine aligned perfectly.
I know many people who were unable to have this chance as their trip on the glacier was cancelled time and time again. We went on Thursday 12th October and were told it was the first they'd operated in 2 days; later sessions in the day were cancelled due to dangerous conditions as a humongous cloud grimly unfurled across the glacier. It would have been perilous or even fatal to take up passengers like that. We are still pinching ourselves at our fortune; I mean, how lucky we were to have scheduled and booked this one random day and to rock up as first timers and be able to just do it!
My flowery child sunglasses would not have been sufficient for the hike, so I bought inexpensive, purple kid-size sunnies from the gift store. Our group completed the health and safety legal documentation and were then weighed on scales before being kitted out in the boot room. Waterproofs, a bag, hat, gloves and crampons were all handed over and then we were measured for boots; I had to have shoes in different sizes as one was too tight on a foot.
At the heli pad, we were briefed on safety regulations and instructed to approach IKO (the name of our helicopter) from the front or the side as the rear is the DANGER ZONE. Never having ridden a chopper before, I was most nervous for the flight and stressing beforehand; plus, I was jittery to have been assigned a front passenger seat next to the pilot. I'd have preferred to sit behind with Amy who could calm me if necessary but there was no need for me to have been nervous as I loved every second of our short ride to the glacier 'landing strip'.
There was so much to process below, above and circumferentially. The pilot put me at ease and the journey was surprisingly smooth and a weightless sensation. We were up at only 2000 feet or so but I was mesmerised while gliding through the air and will remember this ride all my life. 'Copters are all they're cracked up to be!
Guides had gone up to the glacier at 7am to inspect the safety of the terrain and to carve out a route of sorts for us to follow. However, as the glaciers are ever-changing and can do so in a matter of minutes, some of the path had not lasted and required our Glacier Guide, Micheal to re-chop it with the axe he was wielding in a MANLY manner. Because they hadn't been able to get up there for the past 2 days, this made more work for him as he hacked through the ice to create a track for us. Ice crushed and splintered as he got to work round almost every bend. After exiting our flying vehicle, we fastened our crampons to the snow shoes and were given a walking pole.
TIME AND CLIMATE CHANGE ERODES SUCH BEAUTY -
- For Franz, the 'extent of glacier ice is lower now than at any time in past 500 years'
- 'This glacier region is one of the most accessible on earth' - sitting at a low altitude
- Franz Josef has the 'lowest elevation terminus of any alpine glacier in the world'
- The average glacier moves between 50cm to 1 metre a day but Franz J can move as much as 4 metres in the course of 24 hours - On our hike, we could literally hear it shift and crack beneath our feet
- Franz Josef Glacier Guides have food and equipment for 100+ people to sleep out in case any groups have to be stranded overnight
- Franz is approximately 7 millenniums in age and has 5100mm of precipitation annually compared to London's 611mm
At some notably slippery or hazardous regions, ropes were already in place along the ice wall and we had to hold on underneath and not use cameras or electronic devices when traversing this course. This really was essential for our own health and safety, so nobody dared to defy these commands. Some of us had to de-layer as it became roasting under glaring rays of la sol.
IT WAS EVERYTHING I EXPECTED, ONLY PRETTIER -
The euphoria from the best buzz there is - being alive and fulfilling a monumental wish was stupendous. Tremendous frozen wilderness gave us an idyllic day of infinite magnitude. *This* is the life I want to live - having legendary, world-roaming exploits with the ones I love more than life itself. We were immersed in white as droplets of glacial water sparkled in the sunshine and crazy big fragments of ice dazzled like diamonds. To the touch, the Glacier felt sharp as shards of glass; it pierced Amy's finger causing blood to trickle but it wasn't a seriously bad wound.
Right at the top, a kea was beside us and wanted to befriend Amy, showing just how much it loved her and not desiring to leave her side - bless its buttons! Another clumsy Amy moment, that I hope she won't mind me sharing (!!) was when her entire left leg slipped into a deep slush puddle and she simply laughed it off, warning the rest of us to avoid it. I was most impressed at our efforts as we barely struggled with a single stride and found Botanical Hill tougher. The only bits that proved a little more challenging for her and I, were the steps Michael had cut out himself as they were steep and uneven. I really had to dig the pole in to stablilise myself so I wouldn't fall and Amy encountered the same issue but it's only because we were the shortest members of the expedition. If you are reading this and would love to undertake this but don't think you have the fettle, let me impress upon you that it is NOT horrendously excruciating in the slightest and only requires a moderate level of fitness, I PROMISE.
A VIEW SO BEAUTIFUL, I COULD DRINK IT -
I... LICKED, crunched on, used it to cool my overheating body, practically gave myself an ice facial and drank glacial ice or meltwater straight from the direct source we were accessing and thus contributed to its recession. Whoopsie! Any hoops, 'twas refreshing!! The ice was melting beneath our feet and free flowing or trickling round about.
So what causes the blue ice? When snow falls it is compacted and moulds to the glacier, air bubbles are forced out and ice crystals expand, causing the ice to seem blue. 'The deeper the light penetrates, the bluer the ice appears', spoken like a true scientist. Some parts of the glacier were quite black, dirty and mushy due to trapped rock and sediment and human exploring.
I HAVE NOTHING BUT LOVELY THINGS TO SAY ABOUT FRANZ -
Nobody would have guessed we were excitable with our poses for HUNDREDS of photos! I wielded Michael's axe and could barely lift it - our strength and agility were unmatched. The fluro red/orange beanies we wore captured my true, dorky essence that I was akin to a glacial gnome. At one point, I dropped my phone as a girl who'd taken our photo handed it back to me carelessly; I was lucky it didn't fall down a crevice.
There was lots of activity with ice falling; we heard and physically saw substantial lumps crack off while tramping. Gravity is a violent beastie!! Particles of glacier struck us so we stepped back and ducked when expedient. I will admit there were less ice caves than I'd have liked but we did have a couple on show - one that I had to lay down in as it was so low and narrow. Ice crevasses are unbelievably mystical and stunning, right out of an enchanting fairy tale like Disney's Frozen. We had tight gaps to squeeze through but us ice women persevered along jawdroppingly opalescent, ice blue, intricate, crystallic structures. It's so crazy that formations are not permanent fixtures but materialise and vanish regularly.
MY SENSE OF ADVENTURE WAS AWAKENED LIKE NEVER BEFORE -
Pure joy lit a fire of energy within me and gave me a deeper appreciation for the universe. Myself and 13 other tourists will savour these memories for all time negotiating ice pinnacles and polar obstacles - all of exceptional beauty. I'm AMAZED that the planet gifts us with such earthly excellence. In hindsight, this is one of my proudest accomplishments to date and as special as it was, I'd love to have similar ventures at other glaciers around the globe.
Know that hovering in a helicopter is not scary in the least as I avoid all terrifying situations at all costs. Taking to the skies once more, ascending through the air for the return flight was equally thrilling the second time but I was noticeably unafraid in comparison to the way out. Whooshing back over Franz Josef and the dramatically awesome Glacier Valley offers unparalleled scenic spectacles in your range of vision; there's honestly nothing like it. Outdoors adventuring was made for me; I know whenever I see the miracles of nature that I'll have a beaming smile on my face. Huge thanks to Franz Josef Glacier Guides for answering our questions, catering to our every need and giving us this most exciting heli hike.
Later in the day, we took to the West Coast Wildlife Centre making use of our $25 backpacker special. The usual cost of $38 is abominable considering that inside there's a kiwi enclosure with just 2 Rowi kiwis and a Glacier story exhibit - and that's *it*! We observed the two Rowis, Dusk and Dawn for half an hour, separated by just a glass barrier at the bottom of their enclosure. These cutie pies were very active and the rarest of all breeds with only 375 odd left - confined in South Okarito Forest. The goal is to increase the Rowi population to 600 by the end of 2018 and I'd be so pleased if this is achieved. My cockles were warmed when Amy was informed that Dawn will be released back into the wild in a week or so; this means that Dawn should now have been thriving in her natural habitat for 3 and a half months.
After making an eejit of myself thinking that ducks have just 2 legs, we mucked about the makeshift ice arches and learnt that just one degree can drastically change the Earth's land surface. Inconceivable! Back in our room, I accidentally punched Amy in the forehead as I came over all dizzy and put my arm out in an attempt to balance myself. I did her no harm as she collapsed into immediate giggles.
I DO NOT DO CHILL AS WELL AS OTHERS -
With our green wristbands from the heli hike, we gained free entry to the Glacier Hot Pools and intended to celebrate so luxuriously in a blissfully rejuvenating and serene environment. 3 pools with temperatures of 36, 38 and 40 are fed directly from the Glacier and interlace the rainforest grounds; we worked our way up from the coolest. No matter how hard I try, I can rarely survive longer than an hour in hot pools and there was an annoying group of yobby backpackers. It was pure felicity, while it lasted!
After an eventful day, we were hell bent on an early, relaxing night with chips and chicken tenders - not the most refined tucker but at least we were still sporting the sauna glow. Late in the evening, a loud siren went off continually for over 10 minutes in the township.. we're not really sure why but it was ALARMING at the 11th hour. I considered that it may have been warning all of an impending quake or natural disaster but nothing occurred that we felt. Bye bye, Franz Josef ! We'd L-O-V-E to come back to adventure here more someday xx
Photos of the Hot Pools are not my own - found on Google Images
No comments:
Post a Comment