Year 11 Geographers Recall Their Time Spent in Iceland

Harriet Sharpe and Millie Hall (year 11) recall on their time spent in Iceland over the October half term.

“Over the October half term, around 70 pupils from Year 11 travelled to Iceland for a once-in-a-lifetime geography trip to explore the land of fire and ice. Over the course of the 5 days, we had the chance to see some of Iceland’s most spectacular sights and learn information from the experts.

Day 1 – 16 October 2022

It was bright and early on a Sunday morning, as 70 pupils journeyed by coach to Heathrow airport, where we took over Terminal 2 with a sea of blue hoodies, and boarded a plane to Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport. After catching up on some well-needed sleep, we landed in an unfamiliar airport. We were immediately drawn to Iceland's unique landscape, with its flat and empty plains of lava fields, and great glaciers and snow-capped mountains on the horizon.

Our first stop was the Fly Over Iceland Experience, and my goodness was this a way to start the trip. The experience captivated the thorough beauty of the wildlife and scenery of Iceland from Skogafoss to the city of Reykjavik.

By the time we got to the first hotel, everyone was looking forward to a good night’s sleep, but the day wasn’t over yet! After dinner, we were met by a magical experience of the Northern Lights. Everyone grabbed their phones and cameras to capture the phenomenon of colour displayed across the sky. We were so happy to see them as not all the students from previous trips were as lucky as us.

Day 2 – 17 October 2022

On the second day, we woke up very tired yet excited for another day full of activities. After starting off with a delicious self-serve breakfast (including a waffle machine), we proceeded to meet our tour guide Stefaan and our bus driver Karvaar. They drove us to Þingvellir National Park, Selfoss. The national park is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a tectonic plate that spreads through Iceland. What makes this experience so unique is that you can walk between two tectonic plates. This distinctive and magnificent landscape draws in tourists from all over the world.

We then proceeded to our second stop of the day, the secret lagoon. This mystical lagoon is a natural hot spring dating back to 1891. It’s very popular due to its warmth (38-40 Celsius throughout the year). The water is always flowing, clean, and rich in sulphur (creating the distinct smell).

We then moved onto our third stop of the day, the spectacular Stokkur Geyser, one of the most active geysers in Iceland erupting every 4 – 10 minutes up to 40 metres tall! All the students stood around the barrier ready to capture the burst of water. Afterwards, we proceeded to the gift shop to spend our korona (of course).

Our fourth stop was the spectacular Gullfoss Waterfall, which translated means Golden falls. On our visit there was a rainbow that made the experience all the more worthwhile. It was a magical sight. After visiting this natural phenomenon, we transferred from Hotel Vellir to Hotel Vatnsholt which was where we spent the next two nights.

Day 3 – 18 October 2022

It was the morning of the event that we had all been anticipating; the glacier walk. We headed to the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier, the fourth largest ice cap in Iceland, covering nearly 600 square kilometers. It sits on top of a well know active volcano, Katla. After being kitted up with harnesses, crampons, pickaxes and helmets, we set off on our glacier walk, very apprehensive about slipping on the ice. But with our crampons to stabilise us, we shuffled through tight gaps in the ice cap, until we finally reached the top. Our tour guide allowed us to hammer at the ice.

After lunch at a café and a look around a few shops, we drove to a very different location - the famous black sand beach. We walked on the beach in the wind. Sand was going in our eyes but the views were still spectacular.

After leaving the beach, we travelled to the famous Skogafoss waterfall, once again greeted by a rainbow. We had the option of walking up to the plunge pool (to get drenched) or to climb the 527 steps to the viewing platform at the top of the waterfall. The students that braved the plunge pool returned in a very, very wet state and crawled back onto the bus to go to the next waterfall, Seljalandsfoss, which we could walk behind.

After a long day we returned to Hotel Vatnsholt and participated in the Teachers Quiz night, before getting some sleep for the next busy day to come.

Day 4 – 19 October 2022

We started the penultimate day with a visit to the Lava Museum, which taught us about the history of the volcanoes in Iceland and which ones had recently erupted. We all agreed that the best bit was the viewpoint because we were able to see a large amount of Iceland from one place. After we had all piled back into the bus, we headed to our next stop, the geothermal power plant, where we heard about howthat Iceland creates most of their power.

From here we went into an exhibition displaying different types of rocks, then headed to the Perlan Planetarium which was a fantastic experience. The first video we saw taught us about the Northern Lights - where they come from and what they actually are. We also had the opportunity to participate in an interactive -10⁰C Ice Cave Experience!

Next, we went into Reykjavik to explore the city.

Day 5 – 20 October 2022

We started our last day at the recently erupted Fagradalsfjall, where we got a close-up view of the new lava. Even though it was particularly cold (since it was very exposed), we were fascinated by the still steaming rocks. It was nothing like anything any of us had ever seen before, and we all felt grateful to have the opportunity to see this natural phenomenon.

Our next (and last) activity was a crowd favourite. The Blue Lagoon was a prefect end to a brilliant trip, and we were all buzzing to have this opportunity. The popular tourist attraction has a temperature of around 40⁰C and provided us with a very relaxing experience before we had to get back on the bus. The experience was topped off by each student being allowed a drink from the bar! We then headed back to Keflavik airport, very sad for the trip to come to a close.

The end!

On behalf of the students, we want to thank the staff who accompanied us on this exhilarating trip, but particularly Mr Smith. This trip would not have been possible without his detailed planning and knowledge of this breath-taking country. We are all so grateful for the sensational experience that he gave us all and we all loved every second of it.”