Geographers Visit Iceland

At half term 19 intrepid Year 11 geographers put on their winter woollies and headed off for five days of exploration in Iceland. They were led by expert geographer and volcanologist, David Edwards, and given the unpredictability of Iceland’s volcanoes this was reassuring to say the least.

On arrival at their first hotel the group was soon to discover just how seriously Icelanders take their swimming – hot pools abound and geothermal springs are two-a-penny for locals and tourists alike to enjoy. Day one began with a trip to Hellisheidi Power Station, which helps Iceland to produce 100% of their energy needs from geothermal energy. This was followed by a trip to the Secret Lagoon, a local treasure and far less crowded than the more famous Blue Lagoon. Day two included visiting Gulfoss waterfall, some spectacular geysers which spout columns of boiling water and steam every couple of minutes, where the most committed photographers got soaked in the process! On day three the group explored the beautiful coastline of Reynishverfi and the Dyrolaey peninsula, before heading off to Sólheimajökull for the much anticipated glacier climb and cave experience.

On the final day there was a walk behind the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, before enjoying some free time in Reykjavik, although Iceland is possibly the world’s most expensive country so that soon put a stop to much shopping.