After being disapointed many years ago when our Heli Hike on the Franz Josef Glacier was cancelled at the last minute due to bad weather you can imagine our excitement we were told that we were good to go this time.
We all gathered at the booking hut eager to go, I say all, Dawn was a little aprehensive.
Kitted out in our boots and crampons we boarded the helicopter. As advised we were dressed in our 4 warm layers! It was a beautiful sunny day and we soon found out that the extra clothing was not essential for today at least.
Kitted out in our boots and crampons we boarded the helicopter. As advised we were dressed in our 4 warm layers! It was a beautiful sunny day and we soon found out that the extra clothing was not essential for today at least.
We were met on the glacier by George (no not that George) who explained how to attach our crampons and what we could expect to see whilst we walked on the ice.
There is no sense of scale on the glacier, The creaking wall of ice. that seems to be in touching distance is brought into reality when you see the tiny figures in another group that are closer to the face than we are.
George was almost as informed about the history of the ice as bus driver George was about the area.
There is no sense of scale on the glacier, The creaking wall of ice. that seems to be in touching distance is brought into reality when you see the tiny figures in another group that are closer to the face than we are.
George was almost as informed about the history of the ice as bus driver George was about the area.
He straight away had Chris at ease with his laid back hippy style. We walked on the ice, crawled through brilliant blue ice holes and watched in amazement when two large chunks of ice tumbled down towards us. We were quite safe of course because George had kept us a safe distance from the face.
We walked for about 2 hours and returned to wait for the helicopter which as it turns out was 45 minutes late. Eventually it turned up to whisk us off the ice and back to the town in time for a beer. What a great day we had and it was certainly worth the 12 year wait!
As we sat enjoying the scenery who should drive by giving us a toot as he passed, you got it, George (not bus driver George) but Hippy George of the Mountain!
We walked for about 2 hours and returned to wait for the helicopter which as it turns out was 45 minutes late. Eventually it turned up to whisk us off the ice and back to the town in time for a beer. What a great day we had and it was certainly worth the 12 year wait!
As we sat enjoying the scenery who should drive by giving us a toot as he passed, you got it, George (not bus driver George) but Hippy George of the Mountain!
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