Your experience combines a short, exhilarating helicopter ride, jaw-dropping scenery and a two- and half-hour hike through the most spectacular glacier features. It's no wonder our guests often label their Glacier Heli Hike as the highlight of their visit to Aotearoa (New Zealand). Franz Josef Glacier is the fastest moving commercially guided glacier in the world. As a result, its features are constantly changing and no two trips are ever quite the same. You might find yourself sliding through narrow crevasses, navigating between staggering ice towers, squeezing through ice caves or if you are lucky, all three!
A reasonable level of fitness and agility is required. The glacier terrain is variable, with conditions that change each day. We provide you with all the gear you need to walk on the ice including boots, crampons, helmets, harnesses and trekking poles. Your guide carries an ice pick so they can cut a path as your trip progresses allowing you to move through more challenging terrain with ease. While the route may change from one day to the next, you can expect to be on the ice for two and a half hours, walking for much of that time but with frequent stops to explore the features, hear some stories and information about the glacier and of course make the most of photo opportunities. There will usually be some uphill components of the hike route but your guide will ensure to sustain a comfortable pace for the groups ability. There are also various glacier features to navigate including crevasses and narrow paths. A reasonable level of fitness and agility is therefore required to negotiate this type of terrain, but if you're comfortable with walking for over two hours then you will most likely be capable of completing our glacier heli hike trip.