J. Chea
Icy Wilderness
Fox Glacier
Westland Tai Poutini National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
South Island, New Zealand
Another amazing experience I had in New Zealand was the opportunity to hike on a glacier. To see all the different formation up close was insane! I also took my first heli-ride into the glacier. Trying my best to forget that helicopters are inherently unstable and that they do not glide well in the event of an engine failure.
The breathtaking view was a welcome distraction. As we headed towards the valley and the glacier came into view. Unfortunately, the mountains tops were shrouded in clouds and only half of the glacier could be seen. As we landed on the middle portion of the glacier, the guides led us away from the helicopter and to the holding area. As the pilot increased the throttle for take off, the rotor down-wash blew small ice chunks on us. We had to shield our faces from the bombardment.
As the sound of the helicopter rotors disappears, we were given a crash course on how to put on crampons. I have to say that they were pretty comfortable and easy to use. Although, the crampons did tore a small hole in my pants when I was making my way through a narrow ice tunnel. By the way, those black spots you see on the image rocks that was grinded by the glaciers. As the glacier retreats and shrinks, these fine particles gets blown onto the surface of the glacier.
The guides did most of the hard work, cutting out steps for us and keeping us out of danger. They had a wealth of knowledge and was always happy to answer our questions. Glaciers are dangerous places to be in, with shifting ice and crevasses that leads all the way down rock layer below. Rockfall from the surrounding cliffs are also a hazard. Thankfully the ice was fairly stable and we didn't hear or see any ice calving.
The guide for our group was from the states and did some glacier tours out in Alaska. He came to New Zealand for a holiday, fell in love with the place and decided to extend his "vacation" indefinitely. New Zealand does have that kind of attraction to people who enjoy the outdoors. I would definitely return to explore more of what this country has to offer!
1 exp shot, edited in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated!
Icy Wilderness
Fox Glacier
Westland Tai Poutini National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
South Island, New Zealand
Another amazing experience I had in New Zealand was the opportunity to hike on a glacier. To see all the different formation up close was insane! I also took my first heli-ride into the glacier. Trying my best to forget that helicopters are inherently unstable and that they do not glide well in the event of an engine failure.
The breathtaking view was a welcome distraction. As we headed towards the valley and the glacier came into view. Unfortunately, the mountains tops were shrouded in clouds and only half of the glacier could be seen. As we landed on the middle portion of the glacier, the guides led us away from the helicopter and to the holding area. As the pilot increased the throttle for take off, the rotor down-wash blew small ice chunks on us. We had to shield our faces from the bombardment.
As the sound of the helicopter rotors disappears, we were given a crash course on how to put on crampons. I have to say that they were pretty comfortable and easy to use. Although, the crampons did tore a small hole in my pants when I was making my way through a narrow ice tunnel. By the way, those black spots you see on the image rocks that was grinded by the glaciers. As the glacier retreats and shrinks, these fine particles gets blown onto the surface of the glacier.
The guides did most of the hard work, cutting out steps for us and keeping us out of danger. They had a wealth of knowledge and was always happy to answer our questions. Glaciers are dangerous places to be in, with shifting ice and crevasses that leads all the way down rock layer below. Rockfall from the surrounding cliffs are also a hazard. Thankfully the ice was fairly stable and we didn't hear or see any ice calving.
The guide for our group was from the states and did some glacier tours out in Alaska. He came to New Zealand for a holiday, fell in love with the place and decided to extend his "vacation" indefinitely. New Zealand does have that kind of attraction to people who enjoy the outdoors. I would definitely return to explore more of what this country has to offer!
1 exp shot, edited in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated!