ICELAND TRIP

Have you ever walked on lava, climbed a glacier, or swam in geothermally-heated pools? We were lucky enough to experience this, and more, in five packed days on the A Block Geography trip to Iceland.

The trip began at 3am on what we thought was a cold morning. Little did we know.... Although this may sound like the worst possible thing to do on a Thursday morning a couple of days before the Easter holidays, spirits were high. Bags loaded, we set off to Manchester Airport and by late morning we were in Iceland. As soon as we stepped foot out of the airplane, the cold hit us, and we were no longer complaining about England’s! But we had a warm welcome from our wonderful tour guide, Petur, and met our new home for the next week – the coach.

And just like that, we were on our way to our first stop: a site which made us feel like we were in a Geography textbook– one containing a wave-cut platform, stacks and stumps. Our next stop was a huge geyser - extremely interesting to look at, but the smell of sulphur that hung in the air will never be forgotten. Petur was eager to widen our knowledge of Iceland, so he took us to visit the beautiful coast, filled with famous landforms and lots of great examples of sedimentary rocks. But the highlight was our arrival at the Blue

Have you ever walked on lava, climbed a glacier, or swam in geothermally-heated pools?

Lagoon. Petur saved the day by telling us how to prevent damage to our hair from the high mineral content in the water, and once we entered the lagoon, we had plenty of things to do such as getting our free silica facemask and applying it in the thermal pool, and swimming up to the bar where we got to enjoy a free drink. All and all, a great experience and a very relaxing one, something we all benefited from, after our early start. The day ended with fish and chips, a snowball fight and a good night’s sleep at The Lighthouse Inn.

On the second day we headed off into the Icelandic landscape, bound for its Wild West Coast. In a bitterly cold wind, our coastal walk began, superbly led by Petur, the best tour guide we could ask for. He not only explained in detail all about the landscape but also took the time to inform us about local Icelandic myths (mostly involving trolls). After that we embarked on a journey below the surface into a lava tunnel from a recent eruption. As we proceeded further underground, the temperature dropped and our light source diminished. Luckily, we were well equipped with torches, that was until we decided to turn off all our lights, and we were able to experience the bizarre feeling of standing in the earth, in pitch black, only hearing the few drips of water within the tunnel. Once we returned above ground, our next stop was a remarkable frozen waterfall, accompanied by a perfect example of an arête.

IT ERUPTED FRIGHTFULLY INTO THE AIR - SOMETHING WHICH TOOK US BY SURPRISE

Day Three was a favourite, consisting multiple stunning sites, a visit to a thermal spa and a trip to see Iceland’s most popular waterfall. We stopped many times during the day to experience some of Iceland’s most beautiful and picturesque landscapes and Petur took us to see another, much larger geyser. We were met by the now familiar smell of sulphur in the air, but, as we approached the geyser, it erupted frightfully into the airsomething which took us by surprise. Advancing with more caution, we were standing only a few metres away when it erupted again. This time we were positioned directly underneath it and we saw the full scale of the steam and water, which was phenomenal. The last activity of the day was Gullfoss Falls, one of the most famous landmarks in Iceland. There were two viewing points from different heights, which enabled us to see the sheer scale of this landform. Equally astounding was the expense of everything in the gift shop. However that didn’t stop us from buying souvenirs for friends and family.

We enjoyed dinner at our hotel, where we were informed by Petur that the weather forecast for the next day wasn’t looking great, with cold temperatures accompanied by a lot of snow. This had meant we would have to wake up 30 minutes earlier, to travel through the inescapable snow. Just as we thought the evening was ending, we saw a flicker of light in the sky. We were shocked when we realised it was the Northern Lights. It started off small but grew, eventually spanning across the whole sky in a spectacular display of green and purple, and it really felt like a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience.

Day four began by looking out of the window to be met by the white glare of the vast amount of snow which had fallen, and was still falling. But in our warmest gear and with a very skilful driver, we headed off to our next destination – Iceland’s Lava Museum. The museum was very informative, and we got to watch an interesting video on the different volcanoes in Iceland throughout the years. – and, of course, visited the gift shop. Our next stop was another beautiful partly-frozen waterfall - and an intense snowball fight which left us all covered in snow. The highlight of the day was the hike up a glacier. Luckily at this point, the weather had cleared so we were able to have a stunning view down the valley. We could see the detrimental effects climate change is having on Iceland and its glaciers and walked through a long crevasse going through the glacier, where we had the chance to take some excellent pictures. Then one more waterfall - Seljalandsfoss - to see before the hotel, a delicious dinner, and a good night’s rest.

Our last full day in Iceland took us back to the capital Reykjavik. The Perlan Museum showcased so many different aspects of Iceland, from glaciers and volcanoes to wildlife and the Northern Lights, a captivating show in their planetarium, and the chance to walk through an ice cave. All of this was topped off very nicely by ice cream (courtesy of the teachers) whilst taking in breathtaking views of Reykjavik from the 360˚ platform. A short bus ride took us to another lava tunnel, where once again we were equipped with a torch and crampons. This cave was similar in size to the other we had visited but was much more intricate and detailed, due to its being formed during a larger eruption. Petur then took us to the newest lava field in

Iceland, produced from a volcano which had only erupted 18 months ago and was still warm to the touch! It was cool enough, however, for us to be able to walk on it for short periods of time. Back at the Lighthouse Inn, it was time for the highly-awaited photography competition, with Abigail E, as the welldeserved winner.

Our final travel day started with another very early start – a 5am wakeup – but we returned home with many amazing experiences that will be remembered forever. We would like to thank all the staff who provided this fantastic opportunity for us – Mrs Wilbraham who organised the trip, and Mr Howell, Mr Wake and Miss Hill who accompanied us.

Eva L (10A), Kate W (10M) and Luna V P (10F)