Blue Ice

The imposing Franz Josef glacier and its 7km wide ice field
(click on each photo to enlarge)

Franz Josef is a magnificent glacier which plunges from a height of 2700 meters above sea level to less than 300 meters in just 11 kilometers. It begins high up the southern alps and slopes steeply down toward the western coast of South Island, New Zealand, 19 kilometers short of the Tasman Sea. Its advance and retreat is cyclical depending on snowfall and meltwater. Not surprisingly, it is currently in retreat due to global warming. It was named after the Austrian Kaiser by a German explorer in the 1800's. It's Maori name is Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere or tears of Hinekukatere after a local legend.

Loose rocks along the path to the glacier

The hike begins at the banks of the Waiho River which is fed by glacial melt waters. The surrounding area is a World Heritage Site, a temperate rainforest, green and lush with unique foliage endemic to this isolated region. The trek to the glacier terminal is long and arduous. Large, loose boulders are scattered throughout the path. As we near the glacier, the guides advise us to stay clear of the face. Chunks of ice are known to break off and fatalities are not uncommon. It is here we sit and fasten the crampons supplied by the guide company to our hiking boots. This provides the traction we will need while walking on the slippery ice.

Attaching steel crampons to water-proof hiking boots

The face of Franz Josef glacier as it meets the rocky valley floor

Steps are carved by guides for an "easier" climb. As we trek higher up the glacier, it takes on a luminous tinge. It transforms into pure, uncontaminated ice, the dust and mud disappearing. We enter a frozen realm of strange blue forms and deep crevasses. One false step could take us into a bottomless fissure. Our senses are heightened by the danger around us, yet we are fascinated by this alien world and continue unmindful of the risks.

Glacier guide and her handy-dandy ice axe paves the way on slippery slopes.
She is incredibly fit!

The view on top is magnificent, giving us a wide vista of the steep canyon walls and  the valley floor below. Blue ice caverns and freezing pools of melt-off are everywhere. Twelve kilometers of massive, solid ice stretch out before us. It is a grueling trek, good balance and physical fitness a must. Finally a break for lunch, away from the ice by the side of the canyon. The guide is wise to bring a high carb, pasta meal while the rest of us foolishly munch on meager sandwiches.

View of the valley below, the mischievous kea parrot pecking on the ice

Climbing icy steps into the heart of the glacier

Up the canyon wall for a spot of lunch with a view of the glacier

Contemplating on the glacier during a much needed lunch break

Traversing the bottom of a crevasse

We have been on the ice for two hours and have covered just a little under two kilometers. It is punishing. And cold. We see a group who opted for a whole day hike and we wonder at their imprudence. The way down is even more treacherous and exhausting. Our thighs, knees and ankles are fatigued from the unfamiliar stride of the heavy crampons. It is extremely slippery and falls are frequent. Our adrenaline has given way to distress. Thoughts of dry clothes, hot soup, a sumptuous dinner, and a warm, soft bed dance in our heads. Everyone is silent.

A group of trekkers at the very top of the glacier, a whole day trip

Trekking the river bed on the way back home

We reach the valley floor and hike another hour through the rugged terrain back to the waiting bus that takes us into town. We are dead-tired and starving, feeling like we trekked the peaks of the Himalayas. Every bit of muscle cramping in pain.

Finally a hot shower and a change of fresh, warm clothes. We walk over to the only gourmet restaurant in town, the Blue Ice Café. We order lamb, venison, steak, and just about everything there is on the menu. It is a wonderful meal. The chef is a young, talented Kiwi. And yes, the front of the house is run very efficiently by his Filipina wife and her sisters. They are overcome with excitement to meet compatriots in this remote corner of the planet. They lavish us with constant attention. A fitting end to an enervating but remarkable day.

The southern alps from Franz Josef town. The glacier in the distance, mid-left.