arne said... Last year we did a gletsjer hike in Iceland. It was so much fun, so we decided to book this one in New-Zealand as it combined a helicopter trip with gletsjer hike.
It has a very high price tag so we had very high expectations.
So first of all, the helicopter is not up to the mountain, but at the end of the gletsjer where the ice starts. Total flight time 1m25 seconds lolz.
Than the hike. It was so disappointing. You get crampons, but the guides than tell you these crampons are only made for walking on flat terrain, not for steep terrain, so they are continuously making steps in the ice. It's like a waiting game, wait 5 minutes, do 5 steps, wait 5 minutes, do 5 steps. Our group was small, only 6 people, imagine being with 20.
We have been on the gletsjer for 1h45 minutes. 45 minutes handling with the gear and waiting on the helicopter. One hour of hiking.
Total hike is so short, i think maybe 400 metres. You also only go like 30 metres higher than start.
Our hike in Iceland was 1000 times better and more challenging and only 1/3rd the price. this hike is like walking a prepared hiking path with a pause every 30 seconds.
We did canyoning, rafting, kayaking, all lots cheaper than this activity. And 100 times more worth it.
So my advice don't spend any money on the heli hike, not worth the money at all. Go for a decent helicopter flight, it's a lot more worth the money.