Brentwood School - Brentwoodian 2020

19 “On the first day of our fieldwork trip to Iceland, having had an early start, we went straight from the airport to our first site. We visited some extinct volcanic craters from when a fissure had opened up in the past allowing lava to reach the surface. Having climbed these craters and taken far too many photos, we headed to some hot springs. These were something most of us had never witnessed with our own eyes, and this gave us our first real look at geothermal activity on the island. From here, we completed the rest of the golden circle, including a visit to the stunning Þingvellir, with breathtaking, but contrasting, landscapes in every direction. As we neared the end of our action-packed first day, with our journey that same morning feeling as though it was a week ago, we firstly stopped off at Geysir, carefully positioning ourselves so that when it went off, we were all soaked. Then, with the minibus seats consequently drenched, our now despondent driver, dreading that evening’s clean up job, took us to our final destination, the Golden Falls. The falls appeared almost out of nowhere as we descended along the path, but I can certainly say they were the most impressive waterfalls I have seen. Almost as incredible as the scale of the falls was how close we were able to get. And with that, our final stop of the day, we headed back to the hotel, where full use of the hot tub was made by all.” By Adam Richards ICELAND DAY 1 DAY 2 “The day started early, as we had to drive to the Solheimajokull Glacier on the South of Iceland. The glacier was a massive feature covered in dark rock, which turned out to be volcanic ash. We were able to climb this glacier, with the aid of ice picks and crampons. Although it was very slippery we made it to the tops with zero casualties. At the top, we had a magnificent view of the valley. Sadly, the glacier was clearly melting as the guides told us that the glacier used to be much bigger and reach further down the valley. It was incredibly strange to be walking up a feature made of ice just like you would with a steep mountain or hill. After this, we headed to the coast, where Dyrholaey arch and Reynishverfi beach are situated. The coast was made up of high cliffs, along with arches, caves, stacks and stumps. However, what really stood out to me was the black sand beach. After this, we headed to Skógafoss. The waterfall was very powerful with tonnes and tonnes of water being hurtled over the edge. We were able to walk to the top of it using many steep stairs, after which everyone was exhausted. However, the incredible view across the valley was worth it with the sun low in the sky in the background. Next, we headed to another waterfall called Seljalandsfoss. This waterfall had eroded away behind it, so we were able to walk behind it which was beautiful. Finally, we were able to head back to the hotel. Although we were all exhausted the natural beauty of Iceland made up for it.” By Rachel Keenan “After yesterday’s busy excursions, we started 20th October with a nice lie-in followed by a trip to the natural hot spa. It was a glorious naturally heated pool surrounded by even hotter natural springs. We spent around an hour relaxing and soaking in the refreshing minerals, laughing and giggling at just about anything. We then hopped on the coach and journeyed to the service station, where we gobbled down a quick lunch and prepared ourselves for the unforgettable experience: The SuperJeep Tour! The group divided in two, climbed up into the van and we buckled ourselves in for a bumpy ride. After drifting round gravel bends and blasting “Highway To Hell” we arrived at our first stop, Thorsmök, an incredible valley formed from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano. The valley was breathtaking, leaving all of us gawking at the wonder that met our eyes. The next stop, after another wild journey in the jeep, was an immense gorge lined with rich green moss and winding rivers. We trekked through the gorge to find a hidden waterfall buried within the hillside. It was a magical grove, 400 metres high, with a freshwater waterfall barrelling through it. Each of us took turns climbing the rocks, some even venturing to put their head under the falls to really feel the pressure water carries with it. Whilst DAY 3