Adam's Adventures in NZ: Rocky Too

Franz Josef Glacier

So the next destination of my quest through New Zealand was to find something ridiculously unlikely to climb, like a building or a very tall man. However, without access to any radioactive spiders or Big and Tall outlets my dreams seemed somewhat unrealistic. Still I found my unlikely target in the form of Franz Josef Glacier. Located on the western coast of New Zealand the Franz Josef Glacier is one of only three temper-ate weather glaciers that exist in the world. (One of the others, Fox Glacier, is located about 20 miles to the south of Franz Josef.)

Despite its name as a temperate-weather glacier, do not be fooled. It was still quite cold and wet. (Basically when they say temperate glacier, it just means there is a decreased chance of losing fingers, toes, and ears to frost bite, but only a slightly lowered chance.) I suppose this drop in weather was to be expected as the New Zealand winter was just beginning. Thankfully, I was given a water-proof outfit which was not only capable of keeping out the rain and the ice, but was also stylish enough that it made me feel like I was going on away mission with Kirk and Spock. I was also supplied with crampons and climbing boots as the glacier was understandably icy and slippery.

For those who do not know what a glacier is, it is a large persistent body of ice. Originating on land, a glacier flows slowly due to stresses induced by its weight. A consequence of glacier flow is the transport of rock and debris abraded from its substrate and resultant landforms like cirques and moraines. A glacier forms in a location where the accumulation of snow and sleet exceeds the amount of snow that melts. Over many years, often decades or centuries, a glacier will eventually form as the snow compacts and turns to ice. (according to Wikipedia, anyway). Franz Josef Glacier is a World Heritage Site, which means its pretty damn special. It was named after Emperor Franz Josepf I of Austria by the German explorer, Julius von Haast in 1865. The Maori legend for the area names its Ka Roimata o Hinekukatere. It was believed that Hinehukatere persuaded her lover Wawe to climb the mountain with her. Wawe being a bit of a klutz and a poor mountaineer was killed in an avalanche. Hinehukatere cried for the his death and the tears fell on the mountainside, froze, and formed the glacier.

My guided hike spent roughly six-hours scaling the heights of the glacier and exploring the crevasses and ice flows of the massive natural structure. As the glacier is a constantly shifting force our guide had to be an expert in the delicacy of the ice below our feet or the stability of the slopes we were climbing. There were some openings that we came across in the ice that fell for hundreds of feet, and by the time we were done we found ourselves more than 2,000 feet above sea level. The glacier itself seems to go through a cycle of retreat and advance over a roughly 10 year cycle. The ice pushes forward and then pulls back up the mountain with changes in climate. Generally speaking it is easier to climb when the glacier is in retreat (as it currently is), but it can be more dangerous. However, the glacier itself (even in when advancing) is still shrinking, due partly to the bogey-man that is global warming. Still, we also has to take into account that even this is not a new trend, as the glacier has been shrinking ever since the last ice age (approximately 15,000 years ago).

Walking the glacier

The one thing that surprised me was the blueness of the ice. There were some parts that seemed almost unnaturally blue. Even more interesting was that the color did not seem limited to the ice itself, but the glacier run-off and streams were also amazingly turquoise in comparison to almost any other water source I have ever seen. I even drank from the glacial run-off. It was surprisingly cold, but refreshing.

Yet despite the cold, the rain, and even the slight chance of accidental death I found myself invigorated by my climb up the Franz Josef Glacier. I have climbed and hiked a lot of natural wonders in my time in Australia and New Zealand, and this was truly unique. Here I was trekking across one of the very phenomenas that helped shape the world. Glaciers are responsible for the carving of our planet, and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would have the chance to ride atop one as it made its slow but steady work of the towering mountains that surrounded it. So even though the climb was uncomfortable, wet, cold, and rather arduous, it will remain as an experience I will remember for a long time. So to wrap this up in the most cliche way I c guess, man think of, the Franz Josef Glacier has left an impact on me as much as it has on the earth around it. Also I ended my day with a free pass to the Franz Josef Hot Spring... so there was that too.