Great excitement as six super jeeps arrived to begin today’s adventure with the British International School of Chicago. Having mounted incredible sand dunes on the black volcanic beach, we had fun on the seashore looking out to the Westermann Islands.
Racing around the black sands was exhilarating, before going up country through the rivers draining Eyjafjallajökull and Katla’s ice caps. Finally we arrived at the awesome sight of the glacier snout of the former glacier, which is retreating at an alarming rate.
We travelled further up the valley of Porsmork (Thor’s goalpost) until we reached our lunch stop before ascending Valahnukar 465m from the sea level. Base camp being about 50m this was one serious climb for Chicago students whose horizons are literally horizontal.
Exhausted on their return they contributed these augenbliks (Icelandic spelling!):
1. It’s not advisable to ‘swim’ in the meltwater at the snout of a glacier
2. The sense of achievement on reaching the summit was so rewarding
3. The view from the top was awesome
4. Being adventurous is not for everyone
5. Iceland is a very small country but it has immense landscapes (my personal favourite).
Missed Cath’s previous blog of her time in Iceland with the British International School of Chicago? Read it here.