Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 4 (August 1, 1928)

To Franz Josef Glacier

page 47

To Franz Josef Glacier

(Concluded.)

It comes as a surprise to most to find that Franz Josef glacier approaches almost to the narrow strip of plain between the mountains and the coastline, and that the tourist is landed by the service car almost at its base.

Franz Josef is one of the most remarkable glaciers in the world, in that it descends to a lower altitude than any glacier outside the polar regions. It is about eight miles long, and in that distance drops from over 8000 feet above sea level to about 700 feet at its base. Its lower portion flows between bush-clad mountains, and there is a wonderful contrast between snow-capped peaks, dark green forest, rugged cliffs and the delicately white and blue tinged glacier.

What a thrill the tourist receives when suddenly emerging from the bush near the Tatare River, the glory of the Waiho Gorge is unfolded before his eyes. There, in the centre of the picture, surrounded on all sides by gaunt cliffs and rugged snow-capped peaks, is the river of crystal glistening in the sunlight. Lower down are the gorge hills covered with the dense forest for which the West Coast is famed. That first sight seems to drive away all weariness and dull care, and the threshold of Host Graham's Hostelry is corssed with jubilant anticipation of the days ahead.

Once in the capable hands of the two Graham Brothers, there is no further need to worry. To them this region of the Southern Alps is an open book, and, according to the desire of the tourist, they will arrange gentle jaunts or alpine exploits of the spectacular kind.

The glacier, however, is the first point of interest to most. The tourist, therefore, usually repairs to the equipment shed, and dons spiked boots, and with alpinstock in hand sets out with his party for the valley of ice—as did the writer. A few hundred yards from the hotel he passes by a fine traffic suspension bridge over the Waiho River. (On our last trip this river was a raging torrent, carrying down to the sea huge blocks of ice.) The three-mile walk to the face of the glacier seems but a few steps, for the track passes through avenues of monarchs of the forest, beautiful glades luxuriant with Prince of Wales feather ferns, with every here and there peeps of the raging river, the snow-capped peaks, or our objective, the glacier itself.

At a point where the full glory of the glacier unfolds itself to view, we halted and had lunch. Then, crossing a small arm of the river (over a plank and stepping stones) we started the climb up the terminal moraine, and at last stood on solid ice. Here, the guide goes first and cuts step after step, and we follow, keeping carefully in the cut steps, for often the ice is too slippery to stand on, even where the flat spot does exist, until the surface is broken.

The progress made depends largely on the number in the party, which on the occasion of which I write, consisted of about forty persons. Progress, therefore, was fairly slow. For two hours we wended our way up hills and down valleys of ice, making detours round the huge crevasses (caused during the rapid descent of the glacier into a more temperate climate), and viewing the variety of delicately tinged ice formations. Returning to the base of the glacier, we walked round to where the Waiho River belches forth from the mouth of a huge ice cave.

A walk such as this satisfies many, but the full glory of the glacier cannot be realised unless the trip to Defiance Hut is made. This hut is situated at a point about three miles up the glacier, at an altitude of 2500 feet. From here a wonderful view of the whole length of the glacier is obtained. At the head of the glacier are the Minarets and Graham's Saddle, which are in the main divide about 9000 feet above sea level. Graham's Saddle is the pass used to cross over into the Tasman Valley and on to the Hermitage, a trip only made by those with some mountaineering experience. Below Graham's Saddle is a gigantic basin consisting of huge snowfields, from which the glacier descends by a huge icefall unsurpassed for beauty anywhere in the Alps. A wonderful view of this fall with its enormous pinnacles of ice and vast crevasses is obtained from the Defiance Hut.

In 1913, when I made my first trip to Cape Defiance, there was no hut, and our party slept (in sleeping bags) under a huge rock. I can well remember being awakened in the middle of the night by the moon rising over the main divide at the head of the glacier. All the ghost stories ever heard or imagined were dwarfed into insignificance by one glance at the glistening whiteness all round, the stillness broken page 48 only by a distant waterfall, a mountain avalanche, or a fall of ice on the glacier below.

(From this point, in 1913, I made the ascent of Mt. Moltke, which is over 7000 feet in height and covered with perpetual snow. The weather, however, precluded any attempt at the climb this year.) After a climb of 1000 feet up a slope of loose rubble, one of the most beautiful of alpine gardens is passed through. Here is delight for any lover of Nature, especially about the month of February, when the flowers are at their best. Then, higher up some easy rock formations are encountered, until finally the eternal snows are reached, and the mountain topped after about three hours’ climbing.

The peak in question is so far west of the main divide that one of the most magnificent views in the Alps is obtained from it. Away below is the narrow strip of plain with the Pacific Ocean beyond, on the right the Franz Josef Glacier, and on the left the Fox Glacier, while behind is peak after peak as far north or south as the eye can see. Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman appear only a short distance away, although roughly 20 miles. From this vantage point the full beauty of the Franz Josef is seen, and a wonderful view of the huge snowfields from which the glacier falls.

A glimpse of the beautiful Buller River, West Coast, South Island.

A glimpse of the beautiful Buller River, West Coast, South Island.

While making a cup of tea with a spirit lamp on this peak, the mists gradually rolled in off the sea, first of all enveloping the lowlands, then gradually rising higher, until only the snow-capped peaks jutted from the mist like huge tombstones, and, finally enfolding us, shut us off completely from the outside world.

After a long halt at the alpine garden on the way down, we reached Cape Defiance for lunch. We then recrossed the glacier and arrived back at the hotel in time for dinner.

There are many other points of interest to be visited in this region if the tourist has time. A day on Lake Mapourika is well worth while, and the short walks to Canavan's Knob, Callery Gorge, and Peter's Pool are very interesting. But perhaps the most interesting of all, apart from the glacier, is the hot spring which is situated in the bed of the Waiho River about a mile above the hotel. The water is pumped up to a bathhouse on the bank, and many descend from the glacier on this side of the river to take a refreshing dip in the mineral waters after the strenuous exercise of climbing.

The West Coast Express makes this trip one easily undertaken, and it is no wonder that every year sees the tourist traffic to this delightful region on the increase, for indeed it is one of Nature's fairylands.