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WGHS
Dear Parents,
ICELAND TRIP 2015
MONDAY 19 – FRIDAY 23RD OCTOBER 2015
TH
WGHS Geography Department is planning to run an excursion to Iceland in the October half term of 2015
departing on, Monday 19th and returning on, Friday 23rd.
Iceland is an exceptionally interesting country that offers huge potential for geographic study. The girls will
have the opportunity to visit glaciers and volcanic landforms as well as to learn how people have managed to
live with the hazards associated with an area that is geologically active.
The excursion, whilst aimed at students who plan to, or who are studying Geography in the Sixth Form would
also be of benefit to students studying Geography at GCSE.
Iceland is an expensive destination and the cost of the excursion will be £980 for a five day / four night visit.
The cost covers flights, full board accommodation, all activities and travel within the country. The excursion
will be arranged through ‘Discover the World’, a company with over 10 years experience of organising school
trips to Iceland. Please find attached an example itinerary to be used as a guide but note that at this early
stage it will be subject to change until the flights are booked and pupil numbers are confirmed.
If your daughter wishes to take part in this exciting opportunity please complete the enclosed form and return
it to Mr Hargreaves with a cheque representing a non-refundable deposit for £100 made payable to WGHS by
Friday 5th December. I cannot be flexible on this deadline as flights have been reserved and will be resold if
the deposit is not paid. The balance of the total cost will be due in early January and around this time we also
plan to hold a meeting in school to provide parents with exact details of the itinerary and answer any queries.
There are a limited number of places and priority will be given to those currently studying Geography at A
Level and GCSE. The intention is to run this trip once every two years which will ensure everyone has the
opportunity to go.
Mr Hargreaves
Head of Geography
ICELAND TRIP 2015
MONDAY 19TH – FRIDAY 23RD OCTOBER 2015
Daughter’s name: ........................................................................................
Form: ..............................
I wish my daughter to participate in the Iceland Trip from Monday 19th to Friday 23rd October 2015 and
enclose a non-refundable deposit of £100 (cheque made payable to WGHS).
Signed: ………..................................................................................................
Date: ……………………………
Please return this slip, together with the £100 deposit cheque, to Mr H Hargreaves by Friday 5th December.
An Example Itinerary
Please visit www.discover-the-world.co.uk for photographs and information provided by the travel
company.
Day 1: Fly from the UK to Keflavik, meet your guide and transfer to the Blue Lagoon where
you can take a dip in the milky blue geothermal waters of Iceland’s most famous attraction.
Continue to your overnight accommodation in rural Iceland in time for an evening meal.
Day 2: Visit Alvidra to see the changes in sea level (raised beach) and view natural hazards
(earthquake and rock falls). You will see the Bruarhlod canyon, with lava stacks and faults
before continuing to the impressive 32m high waterfall at Gullfoss, formed as the Hvita river
carved its course through a fissure in the lava bed – the falls drop in two stages and then into
a gorge. Drive onwards to Strokkur which is Iceland’s most reliable geyser spouting every 5
minutes or so. Return to your rural accommodation with an optional evening swim in either
Hveragerdi or Selfoss.
Gullfoss
Strokkur
Day 3: Travel to Hellishedi Power Station to see uses of geothermal energy. Then on to the
rift valley at Thingvellir, where the divergent North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are
pulling apart at an average rate of 2.5cm a year – it is also the site of the first democratic
parliament set up in 930AD. Look out for ropey lava as you make your way across the
landscape, passing many fissures. Continue into the capital where there are a variety of
options...

Visit Perlan, a Reykjavik landmark. This futuristic glass-domed building comprises large
circular tanks holding the city’s naturally-heated water reserves above which, sits an
outdoor viewing platform.

Enjoy a walking trail through the city and down to the harbour.

Visit Hallgrimskirkja, the striking church which dominates the Reykjavik skyline. Built so
as to mirror natural basalt columns, take a look inside this impressive building and for a
small additional fee, take a lift to the top of the tower (74.5m) for some spectacular views
over the city.

Take a trip to Kringlan, the largest shopping mall in Reykjavik with over 170 shops,
restaurants and other services.

Go swimming at one of Reykjavik’s many geothermal outdoor pools which offer facilities
ranging from hot pots, steam baths, saunas and water slides (entrance fee payable
locally).

Join a three-hour whale watching trip from the harbour (weather dependant).
Hallgrimskirkja
Perlan
Day 4: Drive east and visit Seljalandsfoss, a narrow plunge waterfall where the water
plummets over a former sea cliff, far enough away from the bedrock to allow you to walk
behind it. In contrast, the waterfall at Skogar is a broad, block waterfall that thunders 60m
over a cliff edge. Close by is an interesting museum which looks at rural life through the
ages, complete with re-constructed turf houses - a great opportunity to see how the
Icelandic way of life has been influenced over the years by the country’s geography and
harsh climatic conditions. The Solheimajokull glacier is the next port of call where the glacial
landscape combines with the volcanic. At Myrdalsjokull there is an optional trip up onto the
icecap which sits above the still active volcano, Katla. Visit the black sand beach and dunes
at Vik, the most southerly point of Iceland. See incredible hexagonal basalt columns and
impressive cliffs of Reynishverfi. The coastline between here and Dyrholaey is worthy of
study with a variety of features including Iceland’s answer to Durdle Door – an immense
natural rock arch. If the roads are open, visit the lighthouse perched on the headland and
perhaps spot puffins.
Seljalandsfoss
Day 5: En route to Reykjavik pass through the small ‘greenhouse’ town of Hveragerdi, a
place where there is so much geothermal activity here it is possible to swim in naturally
heated waters and to even boil an egg in them! The latest hot springs to have appeared
here did so in 2008 after the Olfus earthquake.
Alternatively visit the Krisuvik geothermal area and see bubbling mud pools and hot springs
en route to Keflavik for your return flight.