our geographers in Iceland day 2

Another busy schedule today, set against the backdrop of breathtaking scenery

It's Day 2 of the UGS Geography trip to Iceland, and the packed schedule for our students has included explorations of, and visits to, the following:

AVA: Iceland Volcano & Earthquake Centre: as our students discovered, the LAVA Centre in Hvollsvollur is ideally located to reveal the volcanic forces at work:

Skógafoss: our students got to visit one of Iceland’s most impressive waterfalls.

The bottom of the waterfall is flat, allowing visitors to walk up to the wall of water.

Due to the volume of spray produced, a single or double rainbow is normally visible on sunny days, and as you can see from the fabulous photo below, our students had the privilege of witnessing this:

The waterfall’s plume spills 60m over a former sea cliff, now sited far inland due to isostatic rebound. Subject to weather & ice conditions, it is possible to walk behind the waterfall, and again our students were able to experience this amazing opportunity:

Glacier Walk at Sólheimajökull: this trip took our students on an exploration of the frozen glacier tongue of Solheimajokull.

A wonderland of ice sculptures and deep crevasses awaited discovery.

The experienced glacier guide taught our students how to use basic ice equipment, crampons and ice axes:

Reynisfjara: students enjoyed a walk along the magnificent black volcanic beach to see the awe-inspiring basalt cliffs and caves:

A truly awesome and action-packed day, with yet more to enjoy and discover tomorrow, including more local delicacies!

Many thanks to all of the accompanying staff for keeping us updated, and for sharing these wonderful experiences that our geographers have had the opportunity to enjoy and learn from.

We can't wait to share more!