We awake at the Fox Glacier Village Top 10 site to blue skies and sunshine
but there is an ominous black cloud heading towards the glacier that we can see from Betty's window - this is bad news as today is hopefully 'heli-hike' day! Yesterday we booked on a midday trip to fly up to the glacier in a helicopter and do a 3 hour hike, before being flown back down, which all is hugely weather dependent - to put it in perspective no glacier heli-hikes had been undertaken for 2 months, so the odds were somewhat stacked against us...
We have a lazy morning watching the weather and crossing all of our fingers before heading to Fox Glacier Guiding to check in. Even as we check in due to the weather the team still do not know whether we will be flying - the decision will only be made at the heli-pad! We are joined by 6 others and taken down to the heli-pad, weighed (for helicopter loading purposes), given a safety briefing and then we get the go-ahead to fly!
We are to fly up to the glacier in 2 separate flights and are positioned into the helicopter individually - I am very lucky and get one of the prized front seats with the pilot, Mr M is unfortunately relegated to the back! Strapped in, ear protectors on, rotter blades fire up and off we go...
Its my first ever time in a helicopter and I wasn't sure what to expect given my fear of flying in planes, but it was fantastic and the most amazing experience and I loved it. Flying up over the glacier to the very top the views back down and over to Mt. Cook were stunning, and the scale of the glacier immense.
We flew over the higher glacier field, peering down into the crevasses and did a left bank over a waterfall flowing into the glacier on one side, before landing on the make shift heli-pad.
Crampons on we set off with our guide "alrighty crew" Sam to explore. We hike up the glacier and see some amazing features - glacier caves extending 20m back formed by compression arches, moulins - melt water channels flowing through and under the ice and huge and deep ice crevasse fields. After Sam has made them as safe as they can be we are able to explore the ice caves - it is a surreal experience being surrounded by the blue ice.
We have a good 2.5 hours exploring the icy features until it is time to start making our way back down to the heli-pad, via a crevasse. Sam again makes it as safe as possible by cutting ice steps into one side of the crevasse walls. Unfortunately and very scarily one of our party - a lady from Singapore placed a foot wrong and fell backwards into the crevasse. Extremely luckily within seconds of it happening Sam was able to pull her out and up to stable ground and she was fortunately OK, apart from being a little wet and obviously a bit shaken. We were all even more careful making our way back down to the waiting helicopter for the return trip.
After the flight back down we reflect on what an awesome trip it has been and how lucky we were to be able to get up to the glacier. It is certainly the best bit of our New Zealand trip so far!
Mrs M.
p.s. a Fox video will be uploaded shortly but has been delayed due to a technical issue. Please check back for video.
 |
| The view from Betty's front window |
but there is an ominous black cloud heading towards the glacier that we can see from Betty's window - this is bad news as today is hopefully 'heli-hike' day! Yesterday we booked on a midday trip to fly up to the glacier in a helicopter and do a 3 hour hike, before being flown back down, which all is hugely weather dependent - to put it in perspective no glacier heli-hikes had been undertaken for 2 months, so the odds were somewhat stacked against us...
We have a lazy morning watching the weather and crossing all of our fingers before heading to Fox Glacier Guiding to check in. Even as we check in due to the weather the team still do not know whether we will be flying - the decision will only be made at the heli-pad! We are joined by 6 others and taken down to the heli-pad, weighed (for helicopter loading purposes), given a safety briefing and then we get the go-ahead to fly!
We are to fly up to the glacier in 2 separate flights and are positioned into the helicopter individually - I am very lucky and get one of the prized front seats with the pilot, Mr M is unfortunately relegated to the back! Strapped in, ear protectors on, rotter blades fire up and off we go...
Its my first ever time in a helicopter and I wasn't sure what to expect given my fear of flying in planes, but it was fantastic and the most amazing experience and I loved it. Flying up over the glacier to the very top the views back down and over to Mt. Cook were stunning, and the scale of the glacier immense.
 |
| Fox Glacier from the chopper |
We flew over the higher glacier field, peering down into the crevasses and did a left bank over a waterfall flowing into the glacier on one side, before landing on the make shift heli-pad.
 |
| Landing on the ice |
Crampons on we set off with our guide "alrighty crew" Sam to explore. We hike up the glacier and see some amazing features - glacier caves extending 20m back formed by compression arches, moulins - melt water channels flowing through and under the ice and huge and deep ice crevasse fields. After Sam has made them as safe as they can be we are able to explore the ice caves - it is a surreal experience being surrounded by the blue ice.
 |
| Deep within an ice cave! |
We have a good 2.5 hours exploring the icy features until it is time to start making our way back down to the heli-pad, via a crevasse. Sam again makes it as safe as possible by cutting ice steps into one side of the crevasse walls. Unfortunately and very scarily one of our party - a lady from Singapore placed a foot wrong and fell backwards into the crevasse. Extremely luckily within seconds of it happening Sam was able to pull her out and up to stable ground and she was fortunately OK, apart from being a little wet and obviously a bit shaken. We were all even more careful making our way back down to the waiting helicopter for the return trip.
 |
| One of the many crevasses we pass on our expedition. |
After the flight back down we reflect on what an awesome trip it has been and how lucky we were to be able to get up to the glacier. It is certainly the best bit of our New Zealand trip so far!
 |
| A good day in the office! |
Mrs M.
p.s. a Fox video will be uploaded shortly but has been delayed due to a technical issue. Please check back for video.
I have been freeked out by the scary photo in the ice cave
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