Sharon’s Blog

Mentioned Gerard, our guide. Really nice young man who told us all sorts of glacier facts – few of which I’ll remember accurately. He was relatively new at this – only six weeks – and I was glad I didn’t find that out until well into the trip or you might feel worried. He made sure our crampons were on properly (the straps had to be laced around your ankles sort of like point show ribbons, so I was right at home) and had the job of hacking steps into the ice for us so we wouldn’t kill ourselves as we climbed up and down the rolling hills of ice. He taught us how to walk like cowboy penguins (think John Wayne in a tux?) and stomp into the ice so we’d keep our footing. Most of all, he was really cute and the girls all wanted to take him home with them. Wonder if he’d be duty free…

Seriously, he had gone to school to do this kind of thing, as had Jenny. Different courses, but similar ends – guiding unsuspecting tourists through some of the beauty, but also dangers, of this great scenery and returning us all home thinking it was safe and easy. Gerard only had to help me out of one crevasse…so I think I did OK.