The Heli Hike with Franz Josef Glacier Guides, New Zealand

We had only planned on staying two nights in Franz Josef to allow us to do the glacier heli hike. But we had torrential rain on the day we’d booked and then high winds the following day, so it was cancelled twice and we ended up staying four nights. It was third time lucky, though, and absolutely 100 per cent worth the wait, it was incredible! It was definitely one of the best things I’ve ever done!

If you’re wondering what a glacier heli hike is, it’s pretty much what it says on the tin. You get a helicopter flight up onto the glacier, and then hike across the ice! I’d never been in a helicopter before so I was pretty excited just for our trip up there and back! The heli seated six of us, plus the pilot, and the seat allocation was done by weight. You can imagine my excitement when it turned out that as one of the two lightest passengers, I was up the front! It was an incredible feeling, the helicopter feels so small and light you just feel like you’re flying without an aircraft! It was exhilarating landing and taking off from the ice and watching the crevices of the glacier zoom by beneath us. I did feel a bit sorry for George, though, demoted to the back. I did ask if we could swap for the way back but we weren’t allowed. He still loved it, of course, and did get a window seat on the way back.

The ride was enough to have us grinning from ear to ear all day, and that was just the transfer to the glacier! When we were up on the ice the fun definitely did not stop. Our guide, Gareth, led us on a three-hour hike across the glacier using walking poles and spiked crampons for our boots. It took a bit of getting used to walking with such big spikes underfoot, but I was amazed at how much grip they gave you on the ice. We saw a mixture of white, blue, and grey ice along the way, and some parts where there was just free-flowing water. We drank some of it, amazing!

The glacier moves a few metres down the mountain every day and the shapes formed in the cracking and shifting ice are amazing. We had to avoid a few ‘death holes’ on the way, haha, but I felt safe the whole time using the route carved and marked out by the guides. We got to squeeze through a very narrow gap at one point, which was so fun! If you’re claustrophobic, don’t worry, there was also the option to go around. We even saw an endangered kea bird up there, which was trying to loosen our guide rope and tear holes in another guide’s coat! They really are funny and beautiful birds!

After all the excitement of the hike and the helicopter trip back, we then got free (well, included) entry into the glacier hot pools. Lush!

The whole experience was just amazing and so unlike anything we’ve ever done. It was so worth waiting out the weather – it was gorgeous sunshine when we actually did it and the day was beyond perfect. Especially with a celebratory pint at the end of the day! 🙂