The Chronicle, No. 669, January 2016

18 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Exploring Iceland By Huw Williams and Fergus Cameron Watt, Photographs by William Webb and Gavin Turner

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Camera film of the trip onTeddies TV: www.stedwards oxford.org

Rarely does one have the opportunity to travel to such an intriguing and idyllic region of the world as Iceland, famous for its plethora of spectacular natural wonders. On arrival at the beginning of Exeat, we were greeted by a blisteringly cold wind. Our highly talented and somewhat eccentric tour guide, Ragga, instantly took us at great speed to one of the most eagerly-anticipated destinations of the trip, The Blue Lagoon. One of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions, the aptly-named Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa, home to warm, soothing sapphire waters rich in minerals such as silica and sulphur, said to have medicinal properties (a highly debatable claim). The geothermal nature of the spa meant that the warmth of the water was generated entirely by heat radiating from the core of the earth. Everyone was somewhat taken aback by Iceland’s compulsory no-clothes shower policy, but we enjoyed a highly relaxing, serene evening in the Lagoon, and then made our way to the capital, Reykjavik. The next day we went on the renowned Golden Circle tour, which featured many of the most intriguing attractions on the island. The journey to our first stop, the Hellisheiði Power Station, gave us our first real taste of the startling beauty of the country itself with its towering but peaceful mountainsides enclosing us within a world of steamy, flowing rivers, cascading waterfalls and rocky, green valleys. The Hellisheiði Power Station is the largest geothermal power plant in Iceland and is the third largest in the world, producing a whopping 2,300 GWh of electricity per year. We learnt how energy is harnessed from geothermal power as well as how effective and sustainable it is. Our next stop was the Friðheimar Farm, a series of geothermally heated greenhouses where tomatoes are grown and cultivated. We then continued to Geysir, often cited as the most famous geyser in Iceland, and tipped to be the largest and most explosive of all. We were warned by Ragga, prior to our trek upwards, that streams of scalding water trickled across the landscape creating a barrage of dense, white steam. The pungent odour of sulphur

also lingered, further adding to the initial discomfort heading up to the geyser. Once in position however we watched in awe as jets of steamy, turquoise water were fired to unimaginable heights up in the air from a gaping crater-like hole in the ground. Although fatigue was beginning to set in, we moved on swiftly towards the momentous and surging Gullfoss waterfall. The Gullfoss was true testament to the awe-inspiring

nature of Iceland. After a perilously misty and heart-stopping walk towards the waterfall, we encountered a raging torrent of foaming white water that plunged to stupendous depths of over 30m into a gaping crevice as if vanishing into the depths of the earth. The final visit on the Golden Circle tour was to the idyllic Thingvellir National Park, which provided spectacular views of the dramatic rocky and mountainous scenery as well as the flowing rivers and lakes. The National Park was also situated directly at the plate boundary between the Eurasian and North American plates, allowing us to walk along (and for the crazed amongst us to slide between) the ridge of the two boundaries. The following day, our first stop was the magnificent Seljalandsfoss waterfalls. The first of these waterfalls was a 20 ft cascade with a navigable path behind the falling torrent. The walk proved to be as perilous as it was jaw-dropping. Our second waterfall visit quickly followed which turned into a race to the top. Winding up alongside the 50 ft waterfall were stairs that were testing for most. However, the sights at the top turned out to be well worth the walk as our third waterfall of the trip was undoubtedly the best. The panoramic views of not just the waterfall but also the south coast of Iceland were incredible. Our next destination, the infamous volcano Eyjafjallajökull, was fascinating in its