Day 2 Skogafoss

Last updated: Jan 30th, 2019


I always like to think of this day as the spectacular one. We got off to an early start, leaving the hotel before 8.45 am straight to Stora Dimon. Most of students made it to the top with a few being entertained by Mrs Hortop at the base of the hill. It was quite windy, but there were great views of the glaciers and the out-wash plain.

Our next stop was Skógafoss, the great new platform at the top affords an uninterrupted view of the waterfall from above. Whilst this is another steep climb it did not stop us from being ‘treated’ to a song by Izzy, Sarah, Kyra, Lauren, Alex and Calum.

The whole group were clearly hungry because most of the sandwiches and all of the cake disappeared. However, the apples the size of bowls were less popular.

Students were awestruck by the sight of the Sólheimajökull, the glacial tongue. This glacier is retreating at 100 metres per year and leaving a trail of debris in its wake.

I told the students that for our next stop we would be going to the beach. At this point the wind picked up and it began to snow, by the time we got to Reynishverfi the wind was gusting strongly and hitting us straight in the teeth. Not many of the students wanted to linger at the basalt columns, but a few hardy souls hid under the cave and watched a sea spout begin to form and bounce around the crest of the waves.

After the icy blast, we took refuge at the café in Vik. Our coach driver explained that as party leader I was entitled to a free pair of socks. To be honest, I did not believe him (he has spent so much of the trip mocking my Icelandic pronunciation that we have a hard job working out when he is being serious).

Our final stop of the day we visited Seljalandsfoss, we walked round the back of the waterfall and most of us got pretty wet. Tom was fantastic, helping those who were less steady on their feet.

We have had a packed day and it was pretty cold with biting winds.

When I asked what words would best describe today these are some of the things they said: vertical, steep, ‘reem’, windy, variable, mountainous and fun.