Franz Josef Glacier Hike

The South Island was formed by glaciers, creating some very dramatic scenery. It is possible to hike the Franz Josef Glacier on the West Coast of the South Island. Everyone I've met who has done this hike recommends it, so with a sore throat and feeling rather sorry for myself I signed up.
The guide company provided boots, crampons, coats, and waterproof trousers, all of it ill-fitting.
Kitted out we headed to the Glacier, five minutes drive from the village of Franz Josef. We hiked without our crampons to the start of the glacier and then fitted the crampons to the soles of our boots.

Franz Josef Glacier


I got talking to our guide Lee, who as it turns out is from Warrington, about 20 miles from my hometown.
The start of the hike is reminiscent of a step aerobics class. The crampons made it easy to get a grip on the ice, but at the start of the Glacier there are also handrails. I was surprised by the number of people working at the ice with pick axes, to keep it safe. Unfortunately it rained a good deal while we were on the Glacier, but Lee explained it is the rain that creates this unusual environment of rain forest and Glacier.


I need to photoshop this to get rid of the bag in the background.

While we on the ice, we were visited by Kea parrots a number of times. They are the world's most intelligent bird, with the I.Q of a 4 year old child. They can identify over 120 different types of berries. They fly up close to hikers, hoping to get some food. We didn't feed them but it didn't stop them from following us. The sight of green parrots on the blue ice was an odd spectacle.

A Kea Parrot

After a short lunch break on the ice (it was still raining) Lee led us to a crevasse. It was a really tight squeeze and required sliding sideways through the narrow gap in the ice. We asked Lee afterwards if anyone ever gets stuck, but he said he'd been sizing the group up to make sure we'd all fit through. He did tell us one lady had fallen in a hole so deep the cold water came up to her neck. From then I was very careful of my footing.

Tom and Gemma in a tight spot.

It was while we were taking a break again that I bumped into Sian and Sarah (they were in an earlier group) and found out they knew two of the girls in my group who I then got acquainted with. Again, it's a small travelling world. That night after a long wet day we all got together to help Sian celebrate her birthday.