During the Easter break, a group of Senior House Geographers and Scientists set out to explore the wonders of Iceland. Iceland is an island which is located where the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans meet and was created by divergence at the Mid Atlantic Ridge. 'The Golden Circle' is a land full of volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, mudpools, jagged coastlines and other incredible geographical features, unmatched by any other place.
Having landed in Keflavik and driven across the Reykjanes Peninsula, the group’s first stop was the ‘Bridge between Continents’ that divides the North American and Eurasian tectonic plate and spans the fissure called the Mid Atlantic Ridge. The children witnessed the effects of continental drift before walking through the sulphurous fumes of the Gunnuhver hot springs. At Krysuvik they explored the geothermal landscape, coloured by multi-hued mineral deposits.
Day 2 began with a drive through the valley flooded in 2010 by the Eyjafjallajokull glacier burst. The next stop was Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which is a former sea cliff, now located inland due to isostatic rebound. Seljalandsfoss is one of Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls and the group followed the pathway behind the curtain of water and had the opportunity to take some photos (and get wet!). The next stop was discovering the hidden Gljufrabui waterfall (or ‘The Canyon Dweller’). Gljufrabui is a small waterfall north of the larger falls of Seljalandsfoss. The falls are partially obscured by the cliff rock, but the children followed a trail to enter the narrow canyon where the water plummets dramatically into a small pool.
One of the many highlights was an exploration of the frozen glacier tongue of Solheimajokull. A wonderland of ice sculptures and deep crevasses awaited the group’s discovery and the experienced glacier guide taught them how to use basic ice equipment, crampons and ice axes. Afterwards, they visited the stunning coastal landscape at Dyrhólaey. Dyrhólaey, which translates to Door Hill Island, is of volcanic origin and was once an island before joining up to the Icelandic mainland. The exhilarating and educational Icelandic Lava Show enabled the children to learn about life in close proximity to volcanoes like Katla, and witness an incredible molten lava display as it rolls over a huge block of ice and see it flowing, hear it sizzling, and feel the heat that radiated from it.
The following day the children visited the tiny village of Vik, walked along Reynishverfi’s black sands, and viewed the Reynisdrangar sea stacks. They saw how humans have responded to volcanic threats through the building of dykes to protect the village as well as viewing the basalt columns. Next was the famous Skógafosswhich waterfall where they were even able to fill their water bottles with fresh water from the River Skoga. They visited the ‘greenhouse’ town of Hveragerði – 45 km to the east of Reykjavík and a place of abundant geothermal activity. The greenhouses are heated by hot water from volcanic hot springs and one, Sandhólshver, was formed during the violent South Iceland earthquake of 1896. Behind the town of Hveragerði is Reykjadalur, a geothermally active valley. Through this valley flows the Varmá, meaning Warm River where the group took a short walk to hot springs and mud pools.
One of the most photographed waterfalls in Iceland, Gullfoss waterfall, was next on the agenda and they viewed the 33m drop and the mile long gorge on their walk. The group moved onto the site of Geysir, a spouting hot spring that gave its name to all the world’s geysers. Despite rarely erupting, its neighbour, Strokkur, erupts every 10-15 minutes and the children experienced the spray from the spout. The day was spent visiting the truly wonderful aspects of Iceland called 'The Golden Circle' before enjoying a soak in the naturally heated waters of the Secret Lagoon and eating at the Hamburger Factory in Reykjavik.
After a walk around the capital's centre on the last day, the children experienced the ultimate flying ride - 'Flyover Iceland'. This innovative ride simulated the experience of flying over all corners of the country, as 80% of it is uninhabited. Miss Anne-Marie Grant, Head of Geography, commented, “There is no place on earth where fire and ice can meet and create so many spectacular landforms. It is truly a magical place.”
