Postcards form a Backpacker

Franz Josef Glacier Hike

Posted in Pacific, New Zealand, Franz Josef

In the south of New Zealand there’s some dramatic scenery stretched along the 600 kilometre mountain range in the centre of the south island. The snow capped mountains look stunning and here in New Zealand it is possible to actually get on the ice at Franz Josef Glacier. The glacier is fairly unique in that the base can be accessed from low altitudes. After stopping off the previous afternoon for some possum pie at the Bushman Centre, watching a DVD on how the Kiwis used to jump out of helicopters on to the backs of deer to catch them for farming, we arrived at the small town of Franz Josef.

The following morning after a night spent in the aptly named Monsoon Bar, the group awoke to a drizzly morning. We arrived at the shop at 8.15 am to get kitted out for our hike with waterproof trousers, jackets, boots, crampons, hats and gloves, all to be worn over 3 layers of our own warm clothing. A short bus ride took us to a car park where the glacier’s terminal face had once been in years gone by. After walking for about 40 minutes we reached the current position of the terminal face.

I had opted for the full day’s hike that took our group up the face of the glacier where the ice face melts into a river that contains car sized ice cubes. The glacier can only be accessed by groups accompanied by a tour guide. The staff were busy cutting steps into the ice for the day’s climbers to use to access the glacier. By the return journey they would be well-trodden steps but on the way up, first thing in the morning being the first group of the day, it was slow going in places. The accent takes about one hour and we then spent 6 hours on the top, walking up the icefalls in a loop before returning to the track and making our decent to the valley floor. Despite the on and off rain all day I had a great time as we made our way through ice caves, crevasses and up steep faces. The glacier is considered a warm glacier and when we were hiking under all the layers of clothing it was warm enough, it was only when we stopped for a short break or to cut new steps did the cold start to seep through the layers.

Climbing on ice was a good experience, especially after being to so many warm and sunny places on my travels so far. It is a shame we did not get the bright blue skies but the area receives over 7 metres of rain in the valley and 10 metres of snow on the snowfield at the top that supplies the glacier with the ice. I was told it takes only 80 years for the snow to make its way through the glacier to the terminal face. On returning to the lodge where we were staying we were a bit disappointed to find out the spa was not up to temperature and had to make do with a warm shower.

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