we did the trek on franz josef glacier today, it was amazing. it does exactly what it says on the tin - feels like walking on a giant icecube! the hiking company give you proper hiking boots and spiky yolks for your boots (crampons) . The textures you feel through your feet while climbing up the glacier are great; it goes from rock hard solid ice, to slushy melted stuff, to brittle chunks that crush under your spikes. i really enjoyed the half day hike. the guides carve out steps every morning to walk and climb along, and the routes change gradually as the ice melts every day. we walked through a cave that had only been accessible for the last 4 days and would soon collapse and the guides would have to find another route to the top.
the glacier is advancing down the valley 1m and 5m upwards every day - put that in your pipe and smoke it mr. gore... i'm totally serial!
