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West Coast
THE GLACIERS
The Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers
are of particular interest in that
they are the most low-lying of
their type in the world.
Franz Josef is the first glacier
on the southwards route.
The glacier plunges down from
2700m to only 300m above sea
level. Franz Josef and Fox
Glacier are both fed from the
same neve (snow catchment
area) which is located on a
plateau high in the Southern
Alps. The neve is up to 300m
deep and forces its huge mass
down under gravity. As the
glacier has moved intense
pressures have caused crevices
and splits in the ice of up to
100m deep.
Maori legend claims the glaciers
are formed from the frozen
tears of the mythical goddess
Hinemoa whose lover fell to his
death while they were climbing
together in the mountains.
Fox Glacier Guiding
West Coast