Getting Geared Up - Our tour operator provides all the necessary gear: waterproof pants, jackets and boots, gloves, socks, hats, and crampons. Luckily for Hubby and I we came prepared with pretty much everything but the crampons so we get to chill out for a bit while everyone else gets ready.
Group 1, 2, 3, or 4 - There's about 50 of us taking the half-day hike up the glacier and 4 guides. We're instructed to choose a group based on how gung-ho we are. Hubby and I go for Group 1, not only because it's the adventurous group, but because the guide himself looks the most rugged and experienced. I figure if I were to fall into a crevasse, this guy would likely be able to save me...LOL. He's so brawny that he's wearing only shorts and a t-shirt while we're all decked out in full head-to-toe gear. Did I mention that it's raining?
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Our Guide T-shirt & Shorts
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Hike to the Base of the Glacier - Because we're the first group, we set out first. I begin to reconsider whether it was a good idea to have chosen Group 1 because I'm practically jogging the trail to keep up. Hubby is fine. Damn my short legs. The base of the glacier is about 30 minutes away. Luckily the cardio kick-box class I've been taking back home was paying off; eventhough I had to jog a bit, I wasn't getting winded.
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Hike to the Base of the Glacier
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Crossing the Yellow Line - The only way you can actually hike on the Franz Josef Glacier is on a tour. Otherwise, the yellow lines are as far as you can go. Our guide holds down the lines for us as we step over.
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Crossing the Yellow Line
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Crampons On! - When we reach the icy part of the glacier we put on our crampons. Crampons are awesome! I'm a scaredy-cat when it comes to walking on ice and these made all the difference.
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Crampons On!
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On the Glacier - The glacier is a fantastic blue due to the way light is filtered through. We're able to take a few shots as our guide preps our hike through. He's armed with an axe which he uses to clean up the steps. He also checks and adjusts each guide line for safety. It's pretty amazing to be hiking on top of a glacier.
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Our Guide Fixing the Guide Line
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Blue Ice
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| On the Franz Josef Glacier |
Glacier Hot Pools - On our half day glacier tour, 2 hours of it was actual hiking on the glacier. That was enough for Hubby and I. There's also a full day tour, but we didn't want to take it too strenuously. I could feel my legs were already getting sore. Fortunately, our tour included admission to the Glacier Hot Pools. What a great way to relax tired muscles. There are 3 different temperatures to choose from: 36, 38, or 40 degrees. Hubby and I started at 36 then moved to 38 and then 40. The hottest pool was so nice, but I can only stay so long in hot water until I feel stuffy. We spent the rest of our time in the 36 degree pool. So relaxing!
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