My 3-week New Zealand travel itinerary listed a “Heli-Hike” in South Island’s Glacier Country. Hmm…. sounded intriguing! But what exactly was I getting myself into? Well, it turns out, a whole lot of high-octane fun.
In Kiwi-speak, a heli-hike is hiking and exploring a beautiful glacier, led by a professional guide, paired with the thrill of a scenic helicopter flight, shuttling you up and onto the glacier. Oh, yeah, I was definitely in!
Fast Forward. I am now in beautiful New Zealand with a group of good friends and our guide Al. After working our way down South Island’s scenic West Coast by van, we arrived in Franz Josef, a small tourist-focused town located in the heart of the Southern Alps & Glacier Country.
Our first heavy rain of the trip greeted us as we entered the town and tomorrow was our big day – the Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike, scheduled at 9:15am. Unfortunately, we awoke to more rain, and with heavy hearts, we learned that our flight was cancelled due to weather.
However, with great luck (and some major prayers!), the rain cleared by mid-morning. With dogged persistence, Al was able to re-book a 1pm heli-hike on the Fox Glacier, the area’s other glacier, just a 30-minute drive away.
So, off we went to Fox Glacier township, another cute small town, to the office of Fox Glacier Guiding. There we were fitted with special leather boots and supplied, if desired, with wool socks, wool gloves and heavy parkas. We watched a safety briefing video on “helicopter etiquette” before we headed out to the airfield (a 5-minute drive) where our two helicopters (5 & 6 passenger) were waiting for us.
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- Click on all photos to enlarge
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- Credit: Al Macdonald
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- Flying up the river to the glacier
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- Terminus of Fox Glacier
Since the full group totaled 22 people (plus 2 guides), we were ferried in shifts up to the glacier. I absolutely loved the four-minute scenic helicopter ride, as we took off across the meadow and along a glacial river up to the Fox Glacier, for dramatic views up close and personal. Soon, we were landing on the middle, flatter section of the glacier for a quick exit before the pilot took back off for the next group.
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- Jake with crampon in hand – helicopter landing strip just behind. Photo on right – Jake (with ice axe) and I ready to start the hike. Credit: Ed Lofdahl
Once my group (the 9 crazy Americans) were all there, our excellent Aussie guide Jake (in shorts, no less!) demonstrated how to put on crampons (a traction device strapped around our boots), which is an absolute necessity for walking on ice. It was my first time in crampons and it was a kick (literally!) getting the hang of the “crampon walk.” They also gave out hiking poles for those of us who wanted them – like me.
For the next 2.5 fascinating hours, we followed Jake in a single file as we walked carefully around the glacier, with Jake pointing out the many features of an active glacier. Features like pristine blue ice, deep crevasses, flowing streams and open caves, including a very cool towering cave we walked through with room to spare – the perfect backdrop for a photo.
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- Peter taking a photo of a deep crevasse. Closeup of crevasse to the right.
Luckily, the weather cooperated during our time on the glacier. Part of the glacier’s upper icefall (where only experienced alpinists go) was covered in heavy clouds. We later learned that the 3pm Fox Glacier flight was cancelled due to increasing winds, feeling blessed that were able to squeeze this grand adventure into the narrow window of weather opportunity today!
As you can see, a glacier Heli-Hike is an experience not to be missed – breathtaking and unique! When can we “mere mortals” (people with average fitness levels and even those with a fear of heights like me!) have the chance to safely feel like a “mountaineer for a day”? I hope you’ll add this to your New Zealand “must do” list.
Two good glacier guiding / heli-hike companies for the Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers:
• Fox Glacier Guiding – this was the company we used for our Fox Glacier trip.
• Franz Josef Glacier Guides – This was the company, based out of Franz Josef town, that we were originally scheduled to go with on the Franz Josef glacier.
Comments: Have you ever done a heli-hike or glacier walk like this? Where was it? Is this an adventure you’d be interesting in doing when you’re in New Zealand?
Wow! What an incredible journey! Love the photos!
Thanks, Kathryn! I know you recently had a wonderful trip to New Zealand with a lot of sports activities. I don’t think you got to Fox or Franz Josef Glaciers but you would definitely love this heli-hike experience on your next trip to NZ!
This week’s blog was an instant reminder of so many wonderful experiences we had exploring New Zealand’s South Island. We did our heli-adventure on the Rob Roy Glacier during a beautifully clear and sunny morning flying over deep valleys eventually landing high on the glacier. What magnificent vistas! Back in the helicopter, we were then “dropped” off to join the rest of our travel group hiking to the base of the same glacier. What a marvelous experience to see this remarkable landscape from two very different perspectives. We initially hesitated about “one more trip-cost option” but realized the cost would be minimal compared to the potential experience so we said, “Why not? Let’s just do it.” It was wonderful, exciting, and truly unique.
Thanks so much, Daira for the great comment & sharing your wonderful New Zealand heli-hike experience! And, I so agree with your final comment. I’ve had that same choice on various trips, like this heli-hike or ballooning over the Maasai Mara in Africa that were pricey – but they were once in lifetime experiences that were totally worth it!