For a person who lives in a place with no snow (San Francisco), I like ice a lot. In particular I love trekking about on glaciers. I’ve strapped on some crampons and clambered up a couple now, and there’s something about the crackle of the ice under your feet, the clean air, the fresh water and endless white that keeps me coming back for more.
My favorite so far is Perito Moreno in Chile, which you can also visit from Argentina, the glacier spans both countries in Patagonia. Perito Moreno is easy to access, you can basically walk right up to it after a short boat ride. To get to most other glaciers or ice fields, it’s best, or at least a lot less tiring, to helicopter in and out.
Fox and Franz Josef glaciers in New Zealand are next on my list, though I’m very tempted head just a little North some weekend to Whistler, Canada.
You don’t need to be in great physical shape to take a glacier walk, just reasonably active, but if you don’t think you’re up to trekking on the ice, I’d recommend a glacier cruise. Most glaciers are near water and usually cruises are in operation. I took a glacier cruise in Alaska, and it was gorgeous.
My advice when you’re on the ice: Take lots of pictures and dump that water bottle out and scoop up some fresh glacier water, it’s cold and it’s the best water I’ve ever tasted.
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