A glorious day appeared as it got lighter and lighter. The clouds began lifting and the snow-capped peaks began emerging. By the time the sun peaked out, Mt. Cook revealed itself. As I sat in the Hermitage restaurant having coffee and breakfast, Mt. Cook was on full display. And I was just hours away from landing on the Tasman Glacier directly below the summit of Mt. Cook.
As the time for the helicopter ride to the glacier approached my excitement built. And then we were off. What a rush I felt as we touched down and stepped out onto the glacier. I had dreamed of this moment for months, and here it was. We cramponed around on the glacier for nearly 3 hours and passed over and through some incredible blue-ice features. It was an awesome day. Unforgettable.
Later in the afternoon, I had time to spend in the Hillary museum. Hillary’s first summit of Mt. Cook was in 1947 and it is where he trained for Everest. Also, on display was one of the tractors he drove to the South Pole, becoming the first person to drive to the South Pole. Later he would travel to the North Pole, becoming the first person to stand at both poles and the highest point on earth.