For me, glaciers have often conjured up images that are far from endearing, perhaps due to India’s icy, cold and conflict-ridden Siachen region.
Tasman Glacier over Mt Cook in New Zealand changed all that. With every step I took, sinking my feet into dazzling white snow, the ice was broken. The short ride in the eight-seater ski-plane through the Tasman valley and the towering mountains of Aoraki in the Southern Alps to reach the glacier destination was an experience of a lifetime.
When you know you are not landing on tarmac but on a bed of snow, your heart is in your mouth and your knuckles go white; but you simply cannot shut your eyes to the spectacular sight. The lone pilot seemed like the most efficient man on the planet at that moment.
Ironic as it may seem, upon landing, the glacier welcomes us with cosy warmth in contrast to the 600 metres of glacier ice beneath your feet. Having finished with taking zillions of photos and selfies, standing in the heart of Mt Cook, we soak in the moment, before the pilot signals that it’s time to leave.
The plane takes off from the snow field with a gentle whirr, and we sit with eyes glued to the window. The scenic flight traverses through the soaring, snow-capped peaks. The close-up view is incredible. As we approach landing, we are thrilled at the sight of our hotel at the foothills. We thank the pilot and walk away from the plane, the magnificent Mt Cook in the background appears friendlier!
If the glacier landing is the high point of one’s visit to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, a ride in custom-built MAC boats on the Tasman glacial lake is an experience right out of television.
One is up close with the glacial landscape and icebergs. We are amazed when the guide, while handling the wheel of the boat with one hand, bends out and scoops up a rock from a floating iceberg and displays it proudly. He encourages us to hold it, and lick it too. In most dramatic fashion, the guide steers the boat towards a huge iceberg and rams into it and halts – well, for the Titanic effect! Squealing tourists reach out to touch and pat the steel-blue iceberg.
On the flip side, the guide explains, the massive glacier is shrinking, which is resulting in the expansion of the lake. Around 14,500 years ago, Tasman Glacier was 85 kilometres long with 1,500-metre deep ice. The glacier is retreating by 480 to 820 meters per year and is expected to be 20 kilometres long by 2027. Clearly even the Tasman Glacier cannot escape global warming.
Coffee at Hermitage
Nestled amid Mt Cook National Park is the 133-year old hotel Hermitage. Since 1884 the hotel’s history has been associated with “fire, flood, triumph and tragedy”. After changing ownership, management and land, Hermitage faced its biggest setback when it was razed to the ground by a major fire in 1957. The New Zealand government intervened to restore its glory. It also expanded its tourist facilities by engaging Glacier Explorers and establishing the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre. For Mt Cook tourists, alpine activities begin from the lobby of this hotel. The breathtaking view of the ice-laden Mt Cook from the windows of most of its rooms, from its dining area, the reception and the lobby is the stuff dreams are made of.
(The writer was at Aoraki-Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand, on invitation from Tourism New Zealand)