Franz Josef Glacier vs. Fox Glacier Guided Walks

While searching the web some time back, I couldn’t find a comparison between these 2 glaciers that can help me decide which one to go for as a tourist on a tight schedule and could only pick one for our visit along the West Coast of the South Island. I am writing a personal comparison based on my views after trying both of them on 2 separate visits to NZ.  We took the full-day glacier hike package from the local guides. Fox Glacier was done in Jan 2009, while Franz Josef Glacier was covered recently in Dec 2010.

Arthur Pass on a fine day in Summer

Both glaciers are located on the West Coast of the Southern Alps with only one highway (road actually) called SH-6 (highway 6). If you are coming from Christchurch, you would probably take the scenic drive via Arthur Pass to Hokitika before reaching glacier country in the south. Or from the south starting from Queenstown or Wanaka, taking the only road (Haast-Wanaka Highway) stretching northwards to Haast and then Fox Glacier. The different between the 2 glaciers are just about 60km apart, connected together by a winding mountain road. Make sure you have enough petrol for your car if you are doing self-drive like us. Always keep your tank full when heading out to Glacier Country. There are places between Wanaka, Haast and Fox Glacier where there is no mobile phone reception and petrol station.

The Local Guides

Both towns in Franz & Fox Glacier have only one guiding company. This guiding business seems to be a tightly controlled business over here.  They seems to “own” the glaciers by having private trails, and unrestricted access to the glacier which is prohibited by the public. Yes, we understand there are safety issues involved as there are occasional deaths as a result or unguided hikers making a wrong turn or just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. These companies are named the “Franz Josef Glacier Guides” and the “Fox Glacier Guiding”. I took part in their full-day guided walk will only compare on this. Both charge a hefty fee with Franz Josef @ NZ$180 and Fox @ NZ$149 for the peak season (correct as of Dec2010). These prices vary according to the seasons and peak in summer. Do book in advance if you intend to join their hikes in summer. Visit their website for more accurate charging. You can make your booking online through their websites and prepayment is required to secure your booking. These guided walks are always in demand with tourist traveling all the way from Europe and nearby Australia. Not much of Asians around like us and those tour groups normally would not include glacier walks as part of their itinerary. Logistic wise, both are the same. Assemble at their office to collect your gears and board their little buses to bring you to the public car park near the glaciers. These same buses will bring you back to the office after the hike. Just a comment on the buses.    Think they are built for the small-built Asians which we find it too cramp with everyone on board. They don’t take pictures and sell to you at cut-throat prices. So bring all cameras and camcorders. Both guides offer the same types of hikes from half day hikes, nature walks, heli-hikes to ice climbing experiences.

Franz Josef Guided Walks

The Gears

These NZlanders really know how to run an adventure business. They literally provide everything you need on the glaciers. You can just come for these walks wearing nothing but that will not be possible.  Once you check in, you will be fitted from top to bottom including crampons for grip on the ice. Gortex jackets, waterproof shoes, toasty socks, fleeces, etc.  Quality of these 2 companies is about the same. Exception is on the crampons. At Franz Josef (Dec 2010), you get your little red pouch of crampons when you collect your gear. These crampons are those technical type which has spikes all around it, giving you better grip. For Fox (Jan 2009), we got them when we reached the glacier wall after trekking through a steep hill. These crampons were just a metal tooth that we attached to the sole of our boots. No grip to the front and back.  Depending on the weather, the guides will advise what extra clothing you need to bring. 

Crampons by Franz Josef Guides (Dec 2010)

Crampons by Fox Guides (Jan 2009)

 

Next, sticks. Well Fox glacier has their trademark on the wooden pole with an iron tip for you when you reach the glacier. Traditional yet good enough equipment for you to have better stability on the ice, and of course the in advert the digging of the ice with this pole. As for Franz Josef, you get to pick an ice-pick. Similar to what the pros use. These are much shorted but give good grip on the ice.

Franz Josef Ice-axe

Fox Guides Wooden Pole

 

The Glacier

Both glaciers are the gems of the Southern Westland, drawing thousands of tourists to this secluded part south island with only a single road.  

Franz Josef Glacier

Walking towards the Franz Josef Glacier

Starting the climb up the rocks

The walk starts from the car park which is open to public and guided group. Strangely, the guides led us through some private forest trails and out into the open gravel trail and eventually merge with the public trail. Don’t understand why such a detour into the forest as we can just take the same public route.  The initial walk is on flat ground with just some loose rocks, not much of difficulty. When we reached the terminal face, there was a rock trail (which is actually the glacier itself covered by loose rocks) that traverse in a zigzag manner until we reach the top. Take about 20mins to reach here where we took a break and strapped on the crampons. The glacier itself lies in a narrow valley between 2 steep mountains. It was said in the past when the glacier was high enough, the hut workers would walk from the mountain on the left to the right by across the glacier. And with this narrow geographical placement, It seems the glacier are push closer and thus have more towering ice crevasses than Fox Glacier. Ice is ice, both glaciers are the same. And they experience the same dust that was blown across the Tasman Sea from Australia.  Only after a heavy rainfall will you be able to see deep blue ice as most of the time are gray patches of dust and rocks.

On the ice going higher.

Ice stairs

 

Fox Glacier

Fox Glacier terminal face

 

Similar to Franz Josef, the walk starts from a public car park as you walk towards the terminal face of the glacier. When you reach the red danger sign, there is where only guided walks are allowed to proceed further. The trail beyond the danger sign led us to a forested trail on the left which runs steeply along the side of the mountain. When we reached the rest point everyone was panting and sweating hard. This is a tough climb and knowing that we have to take the same trail back. 

Where we hike up to this rest point.

Could not recall how long high we climbed, but it took us about an hour or more to reach a point which we descend a long flight of stairs to the side of the glacier. This is the place where we were given small crampons to fit under our shoes.   

Going down a flight of stairs onto the glacier wall.

Wooden poles were also given to us for the extra leg on the ice. Then it was a steep climb up the glacier wall which the guides diligently sculpture ice stairs for us. 

Walking on ice

Fox Glacier and the snow field up high.

Most of the time on the glacier was on waiting for the guide to shape out ice stairs and looking for routes.  The routes on a glacier are ever changing, every day to the guides can be something new, but the main access to the glacier should not change much. Ice formations on this glacier were not that dramatic, but the size of this glacier is larger than Franz Josef. It seems the sides of the mountain are not that close, so more space for the glacier to flow. Maybe that is why the ice-scape here is wider and lower, while that at Franz Josef is narrower but higher. I am no geologist, just a tourist comparing based on what I see.

In a nutshell, I feel that Fox Glacier is physically more challenging. If you like the towering ice formations go for Franz Josef. If you like vast openness of ice, then Fox will be the one for you.

 

The Village & Accommodations

Both towns have their fair share of accommodations. Motel chains like Bella vista are everywhere but they are franchise motels where you will feel any different from one town to another. Other motels in these 2 towns are of very good quality in terms of cleanliness and well-equipped. But in terms of price, accommodations at Franz Josef seem to be on the higher side than Fox village. And in terms of crowd, there seems to be more young travellers like student group that arrive in busloads. Franz Josef is a bigger village with more options in terms of food and accommodations. There is a supermarket under the 4-Square chain which has everything you need to a simple meal to cooking up a feast for your friends. There are more restaurants here at Franz Josef, serving similar menus and of course the pubs which are the only nightlight activity one can get out in this part of the country. 

Fox Village

Lake Matterson

 

Back in 2009 at Fox village, there were just 2 or 3 restaurant there and we actually had 2 dinners at the same place and almost ordering the same meal. Well they serve tasty meals there.  There was a provision and grocery shop that closes in the evening and of course a petrol station for desperate self-drive tourist needing the extra juice to drive all the way to Wanaka. One plus point of Fox village is that it is near to the famous Lake Matterson which you can catch Mt Cook on a clear day and its reflection on the lake when it is calm. And another 30mins drive from the town can bring you to Bruce Bay, a good location to base yourself if you want the mountain, the land, and the sea in just a short drive away. If you are thinking a romantic getaway, Fox village may be a better choice, and for pub goers, Franz Josef may be better for you. These 2 villages are not that far, so just drive between the 2 of them to experience the best of both villages.