To be honest, this was one of the highlights for me of the trip. I have been to Iceland's glacier and sort. But I have only looked at them from afar - this time I am going to scale through them...like wow.
Remember to put at least 2 days at Franz Josef because the Heli-Hike is very weather-dependent. We almost couldn't scale up and boy I was bumped. I tried to comfort myself on the money we could save...but hey this is one place I really wanted to go, it's really not about the money!
So one reason why this activity is a little more on the pricey side is because it came with a short helicopter ride. It is really good for people who have never taken a helicopter (not me by the way!)
And it is considered affordable if you want to have an aerial view of Franz Josef and its glacier.
I was quite lucky because Asians being tinier/lighter, got to sit at the cockpit with the pilot. So I was treated to a clear view through the windows. Have also embedded a video of the glaciers before we landed. :D
I met some Singaporeans in NZ and they asked me about the attire etc. So I thought I should share it here as well. Basically, Franz Josef Glacier Guides (the organiser I used) will provide you with the warm jackets and pants. A red beanie is also given (which you can choose to bring home as a souvenir!) Ice claws for the shoes are also provided. The clumsy me took a while to get used to it, but if I can do it so can you!
All hikers will be provided a tiny pouch to store the essentials you can bring up. It is big enough to store a tiny bottle, a powerbank, a phone, a go-pro etc. We managed to to stuff a lunch box into the hubby's pouch o.O! I bought a handful of wrapped chocolates up and it came in very handy. I think I am just a person who use up my energy too fast. Whatever you can't bring out, you can just throw inside a locker, which can be rented with NZ$2.
The whole hike itself took about 2 to 2.5 hours. Basically, all you will be seeing would be different types of formation of ice, which could grow to become boring...except we had an exceptional guide...Matt. So Matt would share interesting facts as we hike through the areas, pointing out sights and increasing our knowledge on ice formations.
He is also the navigator carving though the ice path, photographer, teacher etc. It was a lot of fun and this even come with entrance to the Glacier Hot Pool. I am sorry I didn't take any photos inside because the hubby said it was rude to take photos. There are 3 pools inside and I only stayed for half an hour cos we didn't have any more time. :(I wish we had upgraded to a private pool instead (FYI, do it early cos it gets booked out fast!)
Remember to put at least 2 days at Franz Josef because the Heli-Hike is very weather-dependent. We almost couldn't scale up and boy I was bumped. I tried to comfort myself on the money we could save...but hey this is one place I really wanted to go, it's really not about the money!
So one reason why this activity is a little more on the pricey side is because it came with a short helicopter ride. It is really good for people who have never taken a helicopter (not me by the way!)
And it is considered affordable if you want to have an aerial view of Franz Josef and its glacier.
I was quite lucky because Asians being tinier/lighter, got to sit at the cockpit with the pilot. So I was treated to a clear view through the windows. Have also embedded a video of the glaciers before we landed. :D
I met some Singaporeans in NZ and they asked me about the attire etc. So I thought I should share it here as well. Basically, Franz Josef Glacier Guides (the organiser I used) will provide you with the warm jackets and pants. A red beanie is also given (which you can choose to bring home as a souvenir!) Ice claws for the shoes are also provided. The clumsy me took a while to get used to it, but if I can do it so can you!
All hikers will be provided a tiny pouch to store the essentials you can bring up. It is big enough to store a tiny bottle, a powerbank, a phone, a go-pro etc. We managed to to stuff a lunch box into the hubby's pouch o.O! I bought a handful of wrapped chocolates up and it came in very handy. I think I am just a person who use up my energy too fast. Whatever you can't bring out, you can just throw inside a locker, which can be rented with NZ$2.
The whole hike itself took about 2 to 2.5 hours. Basically, all you will be seeing would be different types of formation of ice, which could grow to become boring...except we had an exceptional guide...Matt. So Matt would share interesting facts as we hike through the areas, pointing out sights and increasing our knowledge on ice formations.
He is also the navigator carving though the ice path, photographer, teacher etc. It was a lot of fun and this even come with entrance to the Glacier Hot Pool. I am sorry I didn't take any photos inside because the hubby said it was rude to take photos. There are 3 pools inside and I only stayed for half an hour cos we didn't have any more time. :(I wish we had upgraded to a private pool instead (FYI, do it early cos it gets booked out fast!)
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