Scaling Franz Joseph Glacier

#ScalingFranzJosephGlacier

The Franz Joseph Glacier is approximately 7000 years ago and is a massive 12km (7.4 mile) long sheet of ice
 It meets the river valley below onto an ecosystem of a rainforest which is located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the South Island of New Zealand
In 1865 German explorer and geologist Julius von Haast named the ice flow plus area after (at the time) the Austrian Emperor 
 
 KeyTip:
  The village of Franz Joseph has a small population ( around 450) so book accommodations early as the area will swell up to 2500+ (adventure seeking) travelers like myself  per day.

Now depending on your budget or fitness level you have a few options to explore the glacier;
A) Aerial Sightseeing by helicopter of around 20 minutes with a snow landing for photos 
 B) A two hour walk to the terminal face of the ice sheet
C) Heli-Hike  that gives you the return helicopter ride plus a 2.5 hour hike on the upper parts of
 the glacier 
 D) Guided Ice Walk with a full briefing, plus with equipment that is needed for ice climbing

 Guided Ice Hike

First there is the full instruction on safety at the Glacier Base Building, plus then the guide will equip you with all the gear needed
During our classroom session i noticed some of the folks here we not certainly dressed for the elements, but for an amusement ride as in; dress shoes, shirt/tie and even baby strollers 😏 
One of the guides noticed my concern, then came over and told me that the walk out to the glacier tells us who is going onto Franz Joseph, phew! 

 Crampons
 The history goes back to 1929 when Laurent Grivel made the brilliant invention of two front points allowing climbers to stand face up when scaling the steep ice and snow
 Which i certainly took advantage of on Franz Joseph

The Summit
To the top (as far as safety will allows us to go) because of the crevasses, avalanches
plus falling ice

Rules
Most glacier climbs only allows guided tours for those reasons as i have always told my friends
(some who think i am crazy for some of my adventures i have done around the world)
There is no sense me doing a risky journey if i am not around later to talk/blog
 about it later jajajja

    At first your cautious; but because Franz Joseph sits amidst a rainforest (the ice is considered soft) 

             so then after awhile your thinking like Spiderman 😄 so scaling with confidence.

 

Climate Change
Unfortunately in the past ten years Franz Joseph has lost almost 1.6kms (1 mile) of its mass
 Estimates say by the year 2100 there will be probably no ice left in the head of the valley where
 the glacier sits now.

Other Hikes
 Here are some options then to eliminate the carbon footprint in the area and to do our small part in the slowing down of the melt;

A) The Franz Joseph Glacier Walk; a short thirty minute return, plus it is without any steep climbs and has an observation deck 

 B) Fox Glacier South Side Trek; is a two hour roundtrip hike without difficulty plus also has
great viewing areas

 C) Roberts Point Track; is a five hour out-and-back walk with an adventurous element to it.
 It has swing bridges, side streams and open areas of rock plus the viewing area platform that sits
at 2000 feet above
This  gives you a view of the glacier, mountain peaks plus valley below

D) Alex Knob; is a eight hour there and back hike so for only experienced walkers, but well worth it for the views of the glacier, Sothern Alps and surrounding landscape

 E) Mount Fox Route; is for only the most advanced in hiking as its a tough climb to the summit during this eight hour return trek 

Respect The Elements
There were two brothers from Australia who were crushed to death when hundreds of tons of ice fell on them because they walked beyond the warning signs
So again people; NATURE CAN KILL YOU, so respect the surroundings and listen to the guides who are here to show you how to enjoy the area safely

In Closing
 I remind my readers that although the Franz Joseph landscape changes daily (mostly due because of the ongoing weather patterns which  influences its growth or retreat)
 and add in with some of the hikes that go through ice tunnels or crevasses,
the area is considered very safe

Fun Facts;
A) Lord of the Rings; This area was used for the filming of that movie

B) Maori Folklore; the name of the area was Ka Roimata which legend says was from when the Gods froze the tears of a grieving woman who had lost her lover

C) Franz Joseph; is only one of three glaciers in the world that descends into a temperate rainforest
So then lets add in the beach
 and you can experience all three in one day here on the South Island of New Zealand

 Crevasse
 As i return to my base camp you understand the meaning of the word as your living it;
its a long narrow opening in a glacier made by cracking under
 internal pressures

 

Tijuana Oscar

#TijuanaOscar

Have a funny story to pass on as i was in Los Angeles for a Fitness Competition and as per usual after the event i go to my favorite eating establishment, the Hard Rock Cafe

Then of course buy a shot glass with the name of the city that chronicles my travels from around the world

 So having a full day before flying home i knew from the internet that there where other cafes in La Jolla, Newport Beach plus San Diego.

So the bell toll for thee as i head down the Pacific Coast Highway to have a meal, then get my glasses plus the memories which all was completed as planned

Well being the adventurous type and eying the prize across the US Border, i had to get to the Hard Rock in Tijuana, but you cannot take a car rental into Mexico so i parked it in San Diego then jump onto what must of been a 1970s bus. 

As i look down from this piece of metal (that shouldn't be on the road)  i knew i made a mistake as there must of been a 16km (10 mile) lineup to get back into the States because of  Post 9-11....oh well, I'm stuck now so lets get that HRC glass.

 I must say TJ is the dirtiest place i have ever been and everything is for sell from people to drugs, but i ignored all that then found my nirvana at the Hard Rock, had a small meal, got my shot glass then got the heck out of Dodge

Well by the time this creaky old bus got through the US Border Customs with its searching of the vehicle inside / underneath, processing of documents of passengers etc time is a ticking

 So i am running late to get up to LAX. with the California traffic, GPS not helping plus also factor in as most large airports the car rentals are off site, so more lost minutes

So by the time i got up to my Air Canada ticket counter i am too late, but the rep looks up and saw me holding my award from the fitness event (wrapped up to stow it in the overhead compartment) she blurted out; You Won Canada an Oscar!

So at first i was not sure what she was talking about but then i clued then sheepishly replied; Yes Yes a Proud Day for All Canadians 😄

So before i could explain what the trophy was really for, the airline employee gave me Business Class Seat for the next days travel, Overnight Hotel and Airport Transfers all because of my Tijuana Oscar

So this shot glass might be small people, but it carries a big story jajajajaja   

Thank You Hollywood err Tijuana 😂

Alcatraz Prison

#AlcatrazPrisonTheRock

When visiting my favorite city of San Francisco you cannot help but look out into the bay and see Alcatraz (Spanish for Pelican; named by explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala who discovered the "Rock" in 1775) Its been used for many things from a lighthouse during the California gold rush (1849) with the increase in shipping traffic. A fort during the American Civil War (1861) to protect the city from Confederate Raiders. A prison for soldiers convicted of desertion, theft, assault, rape plus murder, also the army used Alcatraz as a place of incarceration for Hopi, Apache and Modoc Indians captured during the many Indian Wars. But it was in 1934 when it opened up as a Federal Penitentiary is what most people know it as. It was a place where most of the 1545 inmates where considered "problems" in other prisons (from many escapes or troublemakers) To quote rule #5 "You are entitled to food, clothing, shelter and medical attention; anything else you get is a "privilege" so as you walk the grounds you can sense that it was a place that would defeat your soul. In 1963 because of increased costs plus maintenance, the prison was closed and is now a National Park for all to take in this piece of iconic American history . So don't be disappointed as you need to book early, especially the spooky night tours either on-line or if in the city you can go to Pier 33 near Fisherman's Wharf. 

 A) The Alcatraz lighthouse was the first on the Pacific Coast and has been in operation since 1854, with the light being automated in 1963

 B) After the great earthquake of 1906, 176 prisoners from San Francisco jails were temporarily housed on the island

C) Al Capones cell is unknown, mostly because part of his 4.5 years were spent in a hospital isolation ward.  But the famous gangster did have time to play banjo in the prison band 😀

D) Robert Stroud (Birdman of Alcatraz) had canaries at Leavenworth Penitentiary, but never had any birds at Alcatraz

 E) There were no executions on the Rock,  just 5 suicides plus 8 murders

 F) Prisoners remained on Alcatraz on average 8-10 years 

G) Deer Mouse is the only land mammal on the Rock 

H) The sharks that swim around the island are sand sharks and not "man-eaters"

 KeyTip; to really enjoy the history experience, take advantage of the audio tours that is provided in all languages with individual headsets

As you can read the sign, the Native Indians were treated horribly in the past

So in 1969 a group occupied the island in protest of the US Government policy of 

terminating the tribal sovereignty

Finally after nineteen months on Alcatraz by the demonstrators, President Nixon reversed and ended 

the seizure of the Indian lands

 

Island Prison
Throughout history (because of the isolation) it was the thought process of using islands
 to incarcerate people.
But generally it costs three times as much to maintain those facilities with everything that has to be shipped from the water, fuel, food and staff
Plus add in the erosion from nature, so constant expensive repairs

Others Turned into Tourist Sites
A) Robben Island South Africa; famously housed Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners
B) Ile Sainte-Marguerite France; with the famous prisoner "Man in the Iron Mask" now has a shipwreck museum, has ancient Roman artifacts plus an aquarium
C) Spike Island Ireland: was a monastery and military/civilian prison, finally closing in 2004
D) Asinara Italy; once housed Mafia inmates now is a nature reserve
E) Islas Marias Mexico;  closed as a penal colony in 2019 and now a biosphere park

The Gardens
 They were initially planted by the military families starting in the 1860s, which were maintained by both officers plus prisoners that turned the "Rock" into a green space
Because of the harsh conditions here, it led to the development of a tough, resilient plants
 that still thrive today

Exercise Yard
The dirt was paved over in 1936 and because of its small size, a section of the wall behind first base was padded to prevent injuries
Inmates were allowed up to five hours on weekends but if they misbehaved that "privilege" was
taken away

D Block
The six cells at the end of this row served as solitary confinement with the prisoners
subjected to cruel conditions

The Hole;
 The inmates were kept naked in total darkness, the holding cell had a sink plus toilet which the guards controlled the flushing
Sometimes were only fed bread and water, plus made to stand for nine hours with their hands tied above their heads

Rufe McCain
After an escape attempt he was confined to The Hole for over three years
After his release, he stabbed another inmate to death but got an acquittal based on the grounds that the holding area had "irreparably damaged his psyche"

The Cells
They were small; as you can see 1.5 x 2.7 meters (5 x 9 feet) with a cot, sink and toilet
Even though your "cellmate" was close, no one was allowed to speak to each other
except mealtimes and recreation breaks
Later this was deemed to be too harsh and was revoked

Hot Showers as a Security Measure
Not because the prison was kind, the idea was the inmates would get accustomed to the warm water so would be less likely to survive a swim through the cold waters of San Francisco Bay

Good Food
The jail was known for having the best food within the Federal Prison System
This had a purpose, as authorities believed if well fed
 resulted in less trouble
Some prisoners actually had jobs in the kitchen, laundry room or tending the docks
which they earned between 5-12 cents per hour

Rules
A) Inmates were allowed one visit per month which had to be approved
 by the Warden
B) No physically contact was allowed
C) Conversations were monitored by a correctional officer via an intercom system and with the
 topics of prison life or current events, strictly forbidden 

Escapes
Between 1934 - 1963 there were fourteen separate attempts to get off the Rock
Of the 36 men who tried, it resulted in their capture or others drowning in the bay

1962
The brothers John and Clarence Anglin plus Frank Morris
Well planned out, from the deception of the dummy heads, to using the vents to get onto the roof. then the homemade raft from the 50 stolen raincoats to cross the bay
Open Case
US Marshals Service continues to search for any information on the three men

The Civil War
The barracks on the island became the housing for the three hundred civilians
 whom some worked here
 The community included a bowling alley, soda fountain shop and a small convenience store

Daily Life
Families did most of their shopping on the mainland
 They would use the prison boat twelve scheduled runs each day, even the children took the ferry
 to attend school in San Francisco
But the kids were told never to discuss where their father worked, due to the potential
 of a kidnapping 

Odd Facts
A) Alvin "Creepy Karpis" Karpowicz; he served the longest time here (25 years) and had to be transferred to another prison when Alcatraz closed
He was eventually deported to his native Cuba
B) Seagulls; nine species of this bird family call the island home with the last count being
 5000 residents, so watch your step as you visit
 As the odds are pretty good you might walk into some poop or something falls out of the sky
Just to give you a reminder of your time on the Rock 😅