A Heli-hike on the Tasman Glacier in Aoraki/Mt. Cook
- Rediscovering New Zealand: An Expedition to the Subantarctic and South Island Adventures
- Our Adventure Begins in Queenstown
- A Day Trip to The Remarkables and Glenorchy
- Te Anu and Milford Sound
- An Overnight Cruise in Doubtful Sound with Fiordland Expeditions
- Our "Galapagos of the Southern Ocean" Expedition Officially Begins
- Embarkation Day: Setting Sail for New Zealand's Subantarctic Islands
- Navigating Rough Seas at the Snares
- A Day in the Auckland Islands
- Discovering Macquarie Island
- A Glorious Day at Sandy Bay
- Christmas at Sea and the Wonders of Campbell Island
- Exploring Enderby Island
- A Surprise Second Shot at the Snares
- From Disembarkation to Dunedin
- A Heli-hike on the Tasman Glacier in Aoraki/Mt. Cook
- Lake Tekapo Weather Woes
- Chasing Dusky Dolphins in Kaikoura
- Hiking the Abel Tasman Coast Track (well, part of it)
Our journey from the Otago Peninsula to Aoraki/Mount Cook was a transition from misty clouds to glorious sunshine, marking a beautiful start to the New Year. With little traffic early in the morning, our drive was smooth, though it gradually filled with holiday travellers as the day progressed.
Aoraki/Mount Cook is ridiculously expensive due to supply and demand. We booked months in advance, and selected the Hermitage Hotel. Our accommodations were simple but comfortable, offering a stunning terrace view of the surrounding peaks.
Dining options in Mount Cook Village were limited. The Hermitage Hotel provided three choices: the upscale Panorama, requiring reservations months in advance; the Alpine Restaurant, offering buffet service for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and the more relaxed Sir Edmund Hillary Cafe, which was open from 10-4. Outside the hotel, The Old Mountaineers was popular on TripAdvisor, but it was unexpectedly closed during our visit. Our remaining option was the Chamois Bar at the Lodge, which had the lowest ratings on TripAdvisor and was only open for dinner. We tried the cafe for our first meal, but the line took forever and the food was overpriced and mediocre. I’ll do almost anything to avoid a buffet, so we tried Chamois our first night. The food exceeded our expectations, the service was fast, and the views from the dining room were great.
We were in Mount Cook, also known by its Māori name Aoraki, for three reasons: some light hiking, a helicopter trip to the glacier, and night sky photography.
The Hooker Valley Track
The weather was spectacular, so after lunch, we decided to do the Hooker Valley Track. Despite having hats, sunscreen, and water bottles in our room, we somehow set off for the hike with none of these items. The hike was mostly flat, with a few suspension bridges over rivers, where we stopped to splash some cold glacial water on our faces. The views were spectacular, and with the walk from the car, the hike totalled about 12km.
Heli-Hiking on Aoraki/Mount Cook
So much of our road trip through the South Island was dependent on weather, so we were nervous when we woke to clear skies followed by thick fog. This weather pattern repeated itself four or five times before eventually clearing. Phew!
The heli-hike experience started with a safety briefing and gearing up in special boots and waterproof outerwewear provided by the tour company.
There were 10 people in our very diverse group: a couple from Hong Kong, two couples from Korea, a New Yorker, and a Brazilian. When they divided us into two helicopters, they assigned the six Asians to one, and the four non-Asians to another. It wasn’t due to race but due to weight 🙂 Andy got to ride up front for the brief 5-minute flight to the glacier.
Once on the glacier, we met our guide who explained how to put on crampons. Putting them on was easier than expected, however walking in them required some thinking. It’s hard to explain, but you have to kind of kick into the snow with the front part of your foot, rather than walk heel-toe as you normally would.
We couldn’t have asked for better weather. The sky was deep blue and there wasn’t a hint of wind. We stopped to take a few photos before proceeding on the hike. One unique aspect of this tour was that it visited ice caves. I’m not sure why, but I expected a room-sized cave with a nice big opening which we would walk into on level ice.
Instead, the entrance was basically Andy-sized and dropped straight down. There were steps carved into the ice, each one about as long as my legs. There was also a thin rope for additional support.
Our guide instructed us to descend to the bottom (with whomever we were travelling with) and then continue out the other side of the cave. No one wanted to go first, so I said I’d go second if Andy went first. Andy descended backwards into the cave, while I followed, lowering myself down also in reverse. It was disorienting not to see where I was going, only hearing Andy’s voice guiding me. When I reached the bottom, I was surprised to find Andy wasn’t there. There was a small opening on the ground leading further into the cave. The only way through was to lay flat and crawl through the icy, narrow passage.
Faced with the daunting prospect of belly crawling through crushed ice in a constricted passage, my first instinct was to retreat and climb back out the way I had come in. The thought of backing out seemed less intimidating than pushing forward. However, the exit seemed as challenging as the tunnel ahead, especially since the first step to climb out was about hip height which would be difficult to manage without assistance. Encouraged by Andy’s successful passage and knowing that getting stuck was unlikely, I decided just go for it.
This crawl, while nerve-wracking, gave me an adrenaline rush unlike any other as I commando-crawled through the crushed ice. Once I emerged on the other side, I was both shocked and proud to have made it through. My first words were “what the actual f%$&!”.
We waited for the rest of our group to explore the cave, though two only went to the entrance for photos and two didn’t even get that far. Next, we continued to traverse the glacier, examining various crevasses and other smaller caves, where water rushed down the entrances soaking our socks and boots. Despite the wet and cold, the experience was exhilarating and unforgettable.
Time on the glacier is typically an hour, but there was a delay in our helicopter pickup so we were there almost two.
Stargazing
That night, we had planned to join a stargazing tour but were thwarted by the weather. Aoraki/Mt. Cook is a dark sky reserve so the night sky would have been spectacular to see, however we were still smiling from the the amazing heli-hike so the cancellation wasn’t the end of the world.
Next Up — Lake Tekapo Weather Woes
