Franz Joseph Glacier is located in the town also called, Franz Joseph Glacier. The town and the glacier have the same name...So we did a guided glacier tour of Franz Joseph Glacier in Franz Joseph Glacier. :) I like saying that. The tour was for a half day and the areas on the glacier we visited required a guide. Now the tour was rated to be for "agile" folks and to be intermediate level. This tour was freakin' HARD!! Both my mom and I thought it was really tough. It was alot harder than I expected it to be. The bus dropped us off at the carpark and we had about 50 people on our tour. There is a 40 minute walk from the carpark to the base of the glacier through a very wet, muddy, rocky trail and you have to cross a few swift creeks and pretty much get your feet partially wet.
Gear--Now the gear the company issues is waterproof and windproof, but DOES NOT ventilate. Growing up w/ my mom and Larry in Colorado skiing, camping, hiking etc. I have learned to layer my clothing. We both had the correct clothes, but the tour company wants you to wear their clothes just to ensure everyone is properly prepared. They also issue boots bc the boots fit into ice talons or crampons in order to grip the ice. My mother and I both have really small feet. The boots I was issued were 3 sizes too big and felt like I was wearing heavy moon boots the size of Texas. My mom got to keep her hiking boots and they sized her talons to fit her boots. Now, like I said, I have too many layers on during the 40 minute hike/walk part and the guides took off at a quick pace. I honestly couldn't keep up w/ those damn moon boots on!! I was sweating profusely!! I kind of had a bit of a temper tantrum trying to keep up and strip down and walk in those freakin' boots!! I didn't want to get too hot and wet, then get cold at the top. I needed a constant temperature.
Group 1,2 or 3--halfway to the base of the glacier, they split us into 3 groups. Group 1 was for the light-afoot and confident climbers, Group 2 was for the even-paced and moderate speed climbers and Group 3 was for the no-pace, take pictures climbers. We tried to get into Group 3 bc I seriously felt like I could not walk their daddy-long-legs speed!! Plus, my mother is 60 now and didn't want to push her too hard. Well, Group 3 had too many people, so we moved to Group 2.
Base--at the base of the glacier, we had to strap on our ice talons and begin the climb. Again, they split the groups up. Group 1 and Group 2. Same idea. Again we got pushed into Group 1. Now the first part of the climb was TOUGH!! If you had weak ankles, heart problems or asthma, this would NOT be a good adventure. The ice steps were at least knee height and pretty much straight up. We were both breathing hard and sweating! I thought we didn't sign up for the Mt. Everest climb, but apparently we did at that point. Speaking of Mt. Everest, the first man to ever reach the summit of Mt. Everest (the tallest mountain in the world, reaching almost 30,000 feet....near Nepal) was Sir Edmund Hillary, who is from New Zealand. He was deemed "Sir" after his accent. Also by the way, Mt. Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand at 12,000-plus feet, so that means in order for him to train at higher altitudes, he would have had to travel quite far to reach taller mountains....
Back to our version.....we settled into a good pace and our guide also had a pick ax to help clear new steps or calve off threating pieces. Franz Joseph Glacier was named after a the last Hungarian/Austrian Emperor. We still don't know how he is connected to New Zealand, but that is the namesake. The glacier is one of the only glaciers in the world that is growing! Up until 3 years ago, it was receeding and now it grows about 3 meters a day....It is about 60 meters deep and I can't remember how long it is, but at least a couple of miles we think. This glacier is also special bc it is one of the few that come out of the rainforest and practically touch the ocean at 2200 feet altitude. New Zealand and Patagonia are the only two places in the world with glaciers in this category. Additionally there are over 3000 glaciers in New Zealand.
We got to the top and had photo op's, got to crawl on hands and feet through a short rabbithole type of tunnel. One person at a time and you couldn't fit w/ a backpack either, encased in a tube of ice. I was glad it was a short tunnel. We got to climb around, have a snack, take pictures, then make our way down. We both feel like we got a great workout and I am very proud that we did this! It was special to share w/ my mom as well, I am proud of her for keeping up and we rocked in Group 1!! Oh yeah, go Mom, go Holly, go Mom, go Holly!! :) I was soooo thankful we WEREN'T climbing at altitude. I am sure I would have been miserable, having altitude sickness several times, I didn't miss that.
On the way home--we walked leisurely back to the bus and loaded up for the 10 minute drive back to town. I have been asked several times by friends and family if I have been homesick yet and NO I haven't. Until yesterday. I don't know if it was bc I was tired and hungry, but I just kept thinking that after my mom leaves, I could be on my own again. We are hoping Ric can work his schedule to come to Thailand w/ me...which would be awesome. Maybe just being around my mom reminded me of home, but for some reason I got really homesick, missed my kitties, my own bed, Ric, the sun....and not having some sort of ailment every time I turn around. The traveling plays havec on my system...wacked out menstral cycle, suseptible to colds, listless and low energy w/ head colds, reaction to anitbiotics which manifest as female problems....too much info sorry, but these are my experiences. I got really whiney and needy and didn't want to go on, wanted to fly home w/ my mom, scared a little about Thailand and Africa, those will be so different than any other country so far and probably harder to travel. Anyway, I feel better today, after sleeping and rest.
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