cutting to the chase an start off with the best! went on a heli-hike to franz josef yesturday afternoon. got to the check in at the tour place an they phoned through for the weather report.... pilot says its fine for now but it could change within 30mins (AARRGGH!!!). so we were keeping everything crossed that the weather would stay nice while we were waiting for everone else to arrive.....

when everyone had checked in and read our little card basically saying we wouldn't sue if we get injured (not making nervous at all!), we were all marched off to the 'bootroom'. this is where we were all kitted up in hiking boots and waterproof jackets, hats and gloves, looked like we were off to the antarctic or something! after all that jazz it was time for the helicopter ride!!! out we went to our helicopter, we got to sit in the front coz we were small!!! one advantage to being small, always get to go in the front of a helicopter flight! off we went over gorgeous scenery of the snow capped mountains and then we see the glacier! basically looks like a big ass river of ice tumbling over the mountain! looked amazing from above going over all 3 of the ice-falls then actually landing on the ice!

after getting onto the ice, we greet our guide who funnily enough is from swindon! seems like a nice bloke and gave us our spikes for our boots. yes, i said SPIKES! how else can you walk on ice! those were a bit wierd to get on and walk on actually. after we all get them on (me being the last and needing the most help sadly), we start to walk or hike more like!

up we get onto the ice just walking around then we get to our first 'feature' a big massive crack in the ice below us or what they call a cravass. this was just a tiny one compared to ones we'd later be jumping over but apparently they can go really deep to the rockbed beneath. up we hike for a while then we get to an ice tube and it was me first to go get a picture. up i clamber onto the slippery ice ledge for a pic then the guide says to climb all the way through! yep, so slipping and sliding i went to the other side of the tube. was quite surreal crawling through pristine crystal blue ice, but it was worth the pic!

another few minutes of walking and a another ice feature! this time we had to squeeze through a cravass. basically trying to squeeze your body through a very narrow space with huge ice walls surrounding you, not one for the claustraphobics out there! the only thing about that was the water that was rushing past our feet at the bottom! got a little damp on the feet front! we then go past an ice pool and our guide jokes, do you fancy a dip? i don't think so!

some places we walked on were slightly too steep for us amatuers so our guide had to make steps for us with his pick-axe, yep an actual pick-axe! there he was chipping away every so often. we stopped off below the ice fall for a while, the closest he's been with a group. was absolutely amazing watching and hearing massive boulders of ice come tumbling down so far from above. this was pristine white-blue compressed ice that hadn't been exposed to the sun at all, an amazing experience! it was so loud we could only imagine what an iceburg would sound like!

one of the next 'features' he took us too was an actual waterfall. then he made us climb up it! he'd carved some steps out on an earlier trip and had made safe for us to do the same.... i was dubious all the while. the first of the group, a guy, got up fine. then his girlfriend (who is a lot taller than me) tried and failed. i thought if she couldn't do it, i'd have no chance! the guide helped pull her up then it was my turn. first step was fine, then the other too, and the other.... then uh oh, my legs were twisted and there was nowhere for me to grip on slippery ice! had some help on the last step up.... but was a valiant effort on my part! after the climb we had to squeeze through the narrow corridoor of ice (past the guide too!) and back out onto the glacier.

our last feature involved crawling..... had to start by crouching into this ice tunnel and consequently crouch-walking thorugh the thing! luckily i didn't have to crawl through in the end as i'm so small! was so cool as we were hot from all the hiking we'd done but this completely cooled us all down! was an amazing end to a fantastic day. ended up going down on the helicopter with our guide which was a nice ending! the best fun i've had in ages but boy, did my legs hurt the next day or two!!!