Franz Josef: the full Monty

Here is a photo of the entire Franz Josef Glacier.

I made the gruelling hike up to Alex Knob to take this photo. The round trip is over seven hours, and you gain 1000 metres of elevation. I hauled the 4×5 camera up with me.

Once again, the hike is classified as moderate. It would be moderate with fewer scrambles up tree roots and rocks, and if the trail was in better condition. As it is, I would rate it as moderate, with many difficult sections.

Look closely at the vertical black streak that runs up the right side of the glacier. It is wider in the bottom 1/3 of the photo. To the left of where it narrows, there is a large bluish patch, with long horizontal cracks. It goes from the left edge of the glacier across to the black streak. That is where the full-day guided trek gets to “play”.

Also, if you look at the very foot of the glacier, you can see the ice cave (which I have labelled “Darwin’s Cave” because people go there to remove themselves from the gene pool.) The cave is the black dot, with a large white dot of snow (ie. the snow from the roof collapses) under it.

I should also mention something I forgot in the Glacier == Danger story: In order to reach the foot of the glacier, you have to cross two barriers. The first is over 2km from the glacier. It is a wooden fence that you have to clamber over. The valley up to the glacier has experienced large rockfalls, recently, so the entire trail up to the glacier is officially closed.

The second barrier is a rope fence about 500m from the glacier. Once again, you have to step over the ropes. At both locations, there are plenty of signs warning of the danger, and with pictures showing ice chunks falling on a person, getting swept away by water currents, and a couple of other hazards.

So, no one who ventures near the ice cave can claim ignorance of the dangers!

I am travelling north, away from glacier country, and up the west coast.