7 Tips for Hiking a Glacier

Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand is one of only three places in the world where you can walk from rain forest to a glacier in less than an hour. Spend a day on it, and you'll find an eye-opening look into a glacier's scope, power and beauty. Best of all, you don't need technical ice-climbing skills to enjoy yourself. Here are some tips to help you enjoy the experience.

1. The tour operator breaks its tours into groups of about 10. Pick your group carefully. The first group may backtrack a lot after running into dead ends among the folds of the glacier. The last may move slowly enough to drive you crazy.

2. Bring your own sturdy, full-shank boots with at least some amount of Gore-Tex. They will feel way better than the beat-up loaners. During this entire trip, My La Sportiva Trango Trek GTX boots became like best friends. A good pair of wool socks will also keep you happy.

3. Sunscreen is critical - UV rays double-team you by bouncing off the ice.

4. Don't over-hydrate, or the bus ride back to the town will be the longest ever. Or you'll just wind up relieving yourself in the rainforest, where the odds are that a tour group will come along (not that I'm speaking from experience).

5. In the summer, this won't be as cold as you think. Wear lightweight quick-dry pants (no jeans!) and layer your upper body. An Under Armor-type long-sleeve shirt and a pair of t-shirts should do well for you with the loaner overjacket the glacier guides provide.

6. When using crampons, keep your toes pointed straight up or straight down. Step with a little extra force, and you'll dig right in. Don't go sideways, or you might roll over your ankle.

7. Want bluer ice and more caves? Go in the springtime, just after winter. Cold temperatures compress the ice and cause it to turn bluer during the winter, and meltwater carves the caves out.

Another tidbit that isn't really a tip: On a fitness scale of 1-10 (1 being easy, 10 being hard), I'd call this a four. It moved at a slow pace and simply wasn't all that extreme. But it was beautiful and oddly moving. Even if you're a fitness nut who thinks your heart has to beat 180 times per minute for anything to be interesting, you will still love this.