An absolutely unique and awesome experience! Having never been on a glacier before, we wanted to really experience and treated ourselves to the 5-hour IceWalk Deluxe tour ($175CAD/pp). It was expensive, but definitely worth it!! One of the cooler things we did on the trip, and in general for that matter!
We did the morning walk, and started our journey promptly at 9:30am. We arrived around 8:45 to check in, meet our guide, and get our equipment (more on that later). There were 12 of us on the tour with our guide, Forest. Forest was SUPER knowledgeable and friendly - answering questions about the ice, ecosystem, and showing us different things along the way. He made sure all of us were safe crossing any water, or getting too near any crevasses. He also provided support when making difficult crossings and stopped frequently to point out structural changes/interesting facts about the ice. We even got a really neat lesson on how to use an ice screw (so cool!).
I'd say that my husband and I are pretty active hikers/athletic people, and although the air was thin (and chilly) I didn't find this particularly strenuous. We were short of breath at times from continual exertion at elevation, but was mostly walking on a slight incline - moderate, at best. Don't worry about it being slippery, because the cramp-ons they provide remedy that!
The ice walk is definitely superior to the busses you watch going up/down the mountain - we were able to walk all the way towards the ice wall. Standing at the base, this ice wall looks like it might be 1 mile walk, but in reality it's over 4 miles to the ice wall (8 miles roundtrip) - appearances are VERY deceptive on the ice.
Despite it being July 30th - we arrived dressed in layers, especially since it's so cold in the mornings (~50 degrees). I arrived wearing long yoga/hiking pants with hiking shoes/socks, a tshirt, fleece, and a raincoat in my backpack. Once we got on the ice, I wore the raincoat the entire time, it was chilly and the wind-resistance was key. We were warned that the temperatures change pretty rapidly over short time/distances - from +3 to + 18 C (about 40-60 F). Don't forget a hat AND sunglasses (and sunscreen!). It's bright out there!
At the base/check in area, after you sign the waiver, they have a bunch of extra equipment you can borrow, including: hiking boots or shoes, rain gear (my husband reluctantly put a raincoat in his bag, and was really grateful once we got started!), gloves and hats, instep crampons. read more