We got up early, and were herded through the Franz Josef Glacier Guides reception area to get all the gear we would need. Then 80 of our closest friends were bused to the glacier drop off point and we all walked to the flood basin in front of the glacier. Neither of us was feeling very positive about this tour we were going on at this point. We aren’t the biggest fans of tours and nature experiences with tons of other people. However, then they divided us up into smaller groups and our stress dissipated a little.
With our pick ax and crampons, we started up the huge glacier. There had been some rain, so the guide had to do a bit of train maintenance and creation for us to get through. The blues of the ice were amazing and the contrast between the cold ice and the rainforest that surrounded us was stark. Though we would have liked to have picked our own path a bit more, we had fun going through the ice, playing with our ice picks, and pretending to be explorers. Just as we were about to get off the glacier, the clouds that were looming all day finally let go their rain droplets. We were so grateful to have a full day of walking on (not just looking at) a glacier with no rain. ( http://www.franzjosefglacier.com/ )
But after that, it rained. And it rained. And it rained for the rest of the day through the night and through the next day. This was not the regular rain that you get back in Jersey. This was that hard, pounding rain that you get in pockets when a thunderstorm comes through. Only it was over 36 hours long. Rivers flooded, roads were washed away, and there was no way anyone was getting on the glacier for awhile. It was a good thing we decided to get to the Franz Josef a day earlier!
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