Last week we hiked on Fox Glacier in the South Island of New Zealand. Our guide Dean found this ice cave, chipped out some steps, attached the knotted rope into the wall of ice and gave us instructions on how to make our way down into the cave. The only light in the cave came from the opening. The blue colour occurs because all the other colours in the spectrum have been absorbed by the densely packed ice and the further the light travels past the ice the deeper the blue glow becomes.
Amazing. How did it make you feel to go down there? Such a great photo!
Thank you! It was the most amazing thing I have ever done. We helicoptered up to the centre of the glacier and then spent two and a half hours walking on the ice, before helicoptering out again. Climbing down into the ice cave was fantastic, but climbing out again wasn’t so easy.
Wow! Where was that? You are so brave! Such a stunning photo!
Fox Glacier, on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. There are two glaciers, Fox and Franz Josef, and they are unique because of their proximity to the ocean and because they are advancing insteading of retreating. As for being brave, I wasn’t going to miss out on going down into the cave. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I must admit it was a bit freaky.
What a photo!
What a place!
Did you have to climb up the rope? I could NOT have done that.
Yes! We were wearing crampons on our boots – those metal spiky things that stick into the ice. I had to dig into the ice and push with my feet and pull myself up on the rope at the same time. It was not easy because the ice was so slippery, and my husband thought for a moment that he was going to have to push me up! But I did it all by myself. You should see the bruises on my knees!
So impressed. You should put that photo into a competition.
Thanks. It looks pretty amazing doesn’t it.
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Your eye really gets caught to this photo, amazing shot! I bet it was brilliant to visit that cave, I would have been scared though! This makes me want to go to New Zealand even more badly than I did before.
It was daunting but I wasn’t going to miss out. It was the best thing I have ever done.
Really incredible what you did! To say nothing of the photo……
Bravissimo!!!
Thank you. It was a real achievement.
It was!
I love this photo!! Dont think I would have made it down into the cave though….the getting out part looks quite difficult.
It was very tricky but worth the effort. Thanks.
Wow! that is astounding. I’m sure I would have been stuck at the bottom of the cave. What if you couldn’t climb out? Did they have a bac -up plan? So scary. I often overestimate my physical abilities, then I’m in a world of hurt!!!
I guess they would have to pull you out. I wasn’t sure if I could make it but once I got the hang of digging the crampons into the ice wall and pushing with my legs it was easier. I had some pretty impressive bruises on my knee afterwards.
I reposted it on my FB page. That was an amazing picture!!!
Thanks. Maybe I will get some more likers on my page via your page…
I don’t have many folks that liked my page,, though. I’ll reblog it here. That might help. It’s an awesome story!!! I’ll go back and get it now!!!
Marsha
Reblogged this on Marsha Lee and commented:
Can you imagine getting stuck down this hole? Unfortunately I can. Imagine it. Read what Carol actually did!!!! Amazing!!!
Thanks for sharing my story with your readers!
You are totally welcome. They love it!!!
Me too! AND it meant I could travel without leaving my site unposted!!!
Excellent…we are all winners!
YEAH!!!
Speaking of winners, who won the most comments in December competition?
Ralph was # 1 and Autty was #2. I think they both wore out, though, poor Ralph especially!!! He needs a nice vacation to New Zealand!!! You, Dianne Gray, and Adinparadise and Utesmile were all close , so I don’t remember. It changed daily. Renee was right up there too. So interesting. The only two from the U.S. were AD (who is NOT American) and Autty, who writes with a Scottish accent. The rest of you are English/Australian/German/New Zealand. I may be living on the wrong continent!!! This huge continent of North America and the ones who like me best (as indicated by my comment statistics) are the ones hardest to visit!!!! Either that or Americans just don’t write as much. Wonder what will happen this year? Whatever happens I love you all dearly!!! Even my American friends who don’t comment quite as much!!!
My silent hubby reads every day, and never comments!!! 
I can see a world trip coming on! You could buy a round the world ticket and visit each of us on your way! That would be fun.
All the way home from Sacramento that’s what I was thinking!!!!!
Wow, that is so amazing!
It really was amazing – one of those once in a lifetime things
What an amazing place, you wouldn’t get me down there though, haha.
Leanne, I wasn’t going all that way and then missing out! It was too unique an opportunity to pass up.
I can’t do places like that, would freak me out, but I am glad you did and I got to see the photo.
I do believe that armchair travel is nearly as good as the real thing, so I’m glad you got to see what I saw!
How beautiful, but that looks pretty scary!! I don’t know if I would have had the nerve to go down.
There were plenty of people to get me out if I couldn’t do it myself. But I was determined!
Good for you! I’m impressed.
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