News

Over February half term, forty of our A-level geographers headed out on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Land of Fire and Ice. Iceland is a spectacular place to observe tectonics, coasts and all things geography so was a fitting expedition to deepen our knowledge and admiration for the natural world.

Bright and early on Tuesday morning, our team rallied to school ready and raring for the trip ahead. After a brief 3-hour flight over the Atlantic Ocean, we arrived at Keflavik airport and were swiftly greeted by our excellent tour guide Geoff. Heading into Reykjavik, we were stunned by the unique landscape that awaited us and quickly discovered quite how cold the temperatures really were (-9 degrees!). Making the most of our first day, we ventured into the centre of town for a chilly night-time wander through Reykjavik.

Upon facing drastic snow and a yellow weather warning for blizzards, our second day commenced with snowball fights, but we were quick to stop for fear of disturbing the hidden people (who lie in the heart of Icelandic mythology). The day was filled with spectacular waterfalls and picturesque snowy scenes viewed from within the warmth of our highland coach. In the nick of time our road to the hotel was cleared safe for driving and thank goodness for that as that evening provided us with the first of three opportunities to see the spectacular northern lights. After a well-deserved hotel breakfast, our crew headed straight to a glacial lagoon before popping over the road to take in the famous diamond beach, covered in crystal clear glacial ice chunks. Our day continued with a quick trip to Viik where we purchased souvenirs and explored the infamous black sand beach. To much excitement for our geographers, we ended the day with a coastal view of a cave, arch, stack and stump – a frequent face in the geography landform specification.

On the penultimate day of our trip, we trekked up Sólheimajökull glacier equipped with crampons and ice axes – a highlight for much of the group, particularly when one of our distinguished group leaders, Mr Rogers faceplanted into the ice in a valiant effort to save a student their own demise. After recovering from this pandemonium, we deepened our knowledge of Icelandic landforms with a trip to Hvítá (white rivers) and Gullfos (golden falls), especially memorable considering the gorge followed multiple fault lines on the Mid Atlantic Ridge. To end our time in rural Iceland, Geoff took us on a spectacular evening walk surrounded by the Icelandic sunset. Despite a solum feel that the trip was nearing its end, we made the most of the final day with a virtual Flight Over Iceland and a lava show to celebrate our adventure.

On behalf of the students, we would like to give a big thank to all staff who made this trip possible, as well as our amazing tour guide Geoff and our coach driver Haldor!

Ava and Maggie (Year 12)