Sixth Form geographers experienced a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Iceland during half term. Accompanied by Head of Geography Mr Ross Johnston, Mr Alex Duncan and Miss Lizzy Morgan, the group headed out, ready to enjoy to packed schedule of sight-seeing in the beautiful country. As well as participating in the ever-popular tour of the Golden Circle, pupils also had fantastic activities such as a glacier walk and visiting a working dairy farm to look forward to, as well as the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights, and the anticipation was palpable.
Iceland is home to many of the world’s natural wonders; a sparsely populated North Atlantic island, Iceland is famous for its hot springs, geysers and active volcanoes, as well as – more recently – being the set of popular TV show Game of Thrones. Iceland is geologically active making it an ideal place to study many forms of geography in action; lava fields cover much of the land and hot water is pumped from underneath the ground, supplying much of the country’s heating. First on the list was a visit to the Blue Lagoon; set against a backdrop of black lava, the lagoon is one of Iceland’s most popular visitor attractions. The average water temperature is between 30-40˚C. The water, drawn from a depth of 2000m, is rich in natural minerals such as silica and blue green algae. The group then visited Hellisheidi Geothermal power station and visited the Eyjafjallajokull flood plain. Here, pupils saw first-hand an area affected by a jokulhlaup (glacier burst) from the recent Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption, where glacial flood water washed down the valley, creating distinctive patterns. The next stop was a visit to Seljalandsfoss; a waterfall spilling over a basalt cliff, which is a direct result of isostatic rebound of the land and its lava flow. When the weather is calm, it is possible to walk behind the waterfall, seeing the incredible sight from an entirely different perspective.
The glacier walk was a highlight of the trip. Taking place on the frozen glacier tongue of Solheimajokull, the walk took in a wonderland of ice sculptures, ridges and deep crevasses. Walking with an experienced glacier guide, the group was taught how to use basic ice equipment such as crampons and ice axes, and spent an hour on the glacier. The group spent time visiting the sights of the Golden Circle, such as Gullfoss - one of Iceland’s most photographed waterfalls – geysirs – where Strokkur erupts every five to seven minutes, reaching a height of around 30m and national park Thingvellir, where Iceland’s parliament was established in 930AD and also the place where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and rift valleys are clearly visible where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pull apart at around 2cm a year. Capital city Reykjavik, home to two thirds of Iceland’s 320,000 strong population, was also visited, with pupils taking in the urban sights such as the old port, the central lake and Hallgrimskirkja Church. The group also visited the Efsti-Dalur dairy farm, home to a barn-turned-restaurant with windows directly into the cow shed, where diners can see cows and calves in their daily environment.
The trip was phenomenal; action-packed and unique, the group were fortunate to see so many sights of natural wonder that will also aid in their studies. Mr Johnston commented that ‘all of the students were really well-behaved, taking in the sights with awe and wonder. There is nowhere else on Earth like it – it’s easy to see why the Icelanders believed in magic! We were even fortunate enough to see the Northern Lights, a truly enchanting sight.’
