Franz Josef Glacier
Just a quick note to add another amazing experience to the list.
Today we headed up to the terminal face of the Franz Josef Glacier. About a 25 minute walk from the carpark. The Franz Joseph is a bit more spectacular than Fox at the moment and seems to have more of a presence to it, it seems more alive.
Now we were going to be shown just how alive. The river flows out the bottom of the glacier and through a kind of ice cave. Jamie spotted little bits of ice falling down and they gradually became more regular and increasing in size until, as I was looking down, a huge section about 50 tonnes fell down sending water flying and a huge thud through the air. I did manage to snap the aftermath though.
However there was the feeling in the air that there was more to come. Other people were getting excited too. I started to record a video on the camera and gradually the same series of little bits of ice falling in occurred and about 50 seconds into the video a huge section which must have weighed hundreds of tonnes crashed down into the river below sending ice and water everywhere. The huge pile of ice blocked the river entirely and the flow gradually came to a stop.
Ten minutes later the ice started to move and the river burst through carreering down the river bed bringing some huge icebergs of maybe 5-10 tonnes along. One of them hit a rock and shattered. The camera was finally full. What an experience........again.
Hopefully catch up with Stephen and Corrine tonight. There is no mobile phone coverage here so it's hard to get in touch but it's a small place and we're bound to find them.
Literally cool.
Today we headed up to the terminal face of the Franz Josef Glacier. About a 25 minute walk from the carpark. The Franz Joseph is a bit more spectacular than Fox at the moment and seems to have more of a presence to it, it seems more alive.
Now we were going to be shown just how alive. The river flows out the bottom of the glacier and through a kind of ice cave. Jamie spotted little bits of ice falling down and they gradually became more regular and increasing in size until, as I was looking down, a huge section about 50 tonnes fell down sending water flying and a huge thud through the air. I did manage to snap the aftermath though.
However there was the feeling in the air that there was more to come. Other people were getting excited too. I started to record a video on the camera and gradually the same series of little bits of ice falling in occurred and about 50 seconds into the video a huge section which must have weighed hundreds of tonnes crashed down into the river below sending ice and water everywhere. The huge pile of ice blocked the river entirely and the flow gradually came to a stop.
Ten minutes later the ice started to move and the river burst through carreering down the river bed bringing some huge icebergs of maybe 5-10 tonnes along. One of them hit a rock and shattered. The camera was finally full. What an experience........again.
Hopefully catch up with Stephen and Corrine tonight. There is no mobile phone coverage here so it's hard to get in touch but it's a small place and we're bound to find them.
Literally cool.
posted by PeterZ at 5:14 PM
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