the weather gods were smiling on this day
all was against making the helicopter flight to the top of the glacier
but a parting of the clouds meant that 6 lucky tourists got to go
i had previously undertaken this venture about 19 years ago
and had stayed fresh in the memory since then
so was keen to do a top-up and relive the experience
we boarded a very modern red and white helicopter
and before we knew it we were travelling at 140kph
following up the line of the majestic glacier
apparantly currently growing at a significant rate
thus defying and challenging global warming
(seems to be a large case of denial round here)
barry the pilot landed his craft with pinpoint accuracy
nosing up to a tiny flag planted in the ice
there is no easy way to describe the serenity of a mountaintop
the air on this day was perfectly calm and beautifully fresh
so the sounds of crunching snow and exhaling breath were amplified
the contrasts of the bright white ice and the deep blue sky
combined with the sight of very large mountain ranges
made for an overwhelming sensory experience
10 glorious minutes later and back into the bird
a hop over to the nearby fox glacier
for the return journey skirting over huge crevasses
and the sight of a gushing stream of ice-fed water
leading down to the glaciel river
flowing into the valley below
a few minutes flying along the coast
viewing lakes and forests
as we landed the weather closed in again
so we were very lucky
cheaper than a bungy jump
maybe not so adrenalin-pumping
but i suspect much more exhilerating
some tourist traps cannot be bypassed
long may the glaciers grow
