www.foxguides.co.nz For those with a half-day available this popular trip is a great eco-adventure and full of variety and interest. Walkers are kitted out with sturdy leather boots and other equipment, before boarding one of our buses for the short drive through the rainforest and into the glacial valley. This valley was carved out by the ice during past ice ages and shows dramatic evidence of the power of the ice. Your guide leads you on a walk beside the river bed to our secret track which zig-zags steeply uphill for forty minutes through ferns and regenerating temperate rainforest. From high on the track you enjoy fantastic views of the glacier and its upper and lower icefalls. From its high point, the track winds down to the edge of the ice. At this point you are outfitted with instep crampons specially designed for these ice conditions, and you follow the ice steps cut by the guides. The route takes you onto the ice amongst crevasses and ice ridges and leads you onto the middle of the glacier for spectacular views of the icefall and lower glacier. At least one hour is spent on the ice and, depending on glacial conditions, you will return to the bus using either the same secret track or a different track that follows the edge of the ice. Your guide will be with you for the duration of the trip and will enjoy passing on fascinating details of the natural history of this landscape. Access to the ice varies as the glacier changes and alternative routes may sometimes be …

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