Thank you to all Students!

Good evening, it's Miss Hollins here on Mr Pittam's blog! Just wanted to thank all students for making Iceland 2010 such a wonderful and memorable trip for all 4 staff: Mr Pittam, Mrs Glover, Mr Sutton and myself. Your outstanding behaviour on many occasions, and enthusiasm throughout the field trip (in spite of several early mornings!) for exploring the awe inspiring landscapes around us, makes you a credit to Idsall. I am extremely proud of you all - the future of Geography is very bright indeed!!

Additional Photos post-trip

Due the slow Internet connection in Iceland I did not have time to upload as many photos of the group as I would have wanted to. Therefore I post some additional photos here...

The Hotel

Hotel Hafnarfjordur was a fantastic base for our trip. The large rooms were secure, clean and well equipped. In groups of 3-5 the fact that they were all ensuite allowed everyone to be on time in the mornings both for breakfast and for our planned daily departure time. The pupils took full use of the wireless internet connection and laptop internet in the lobby to regularly update their facebook profiles and we were able to use two seating areas at the rear of the hotel in the evenings to support the pupils in completing their daily diary and geographic theory work.
The meals were superb, with both breakfast and supper being buffet style, many pupils went back for seconds or thirds although the three courses we had in the evenings meant that some did not feel the need to! The quality of the food was also excellent and helped to contribute to a great atmosphere amongst the group.

CP

Seljalandsfoss (Part 2) – Friday 3rd September

The final stop on our Iceland adventure was the marvellous Seljalandsfoss waterfall, a magnificent 50 metre high torrent of water. We were able to walk straight up to the display (taking photos all the way!). Then, as if that didn’t leave us awe inspired, we moved up a rocky path towards the waterfall and actually walked BEHIND it! This made everyone very excited and Liam even filmed the encounter!
Following a group photo, we spent a few minutes bathing in the waterfalls beauty before climbing up another rocky pathway and returning to the coach for the journey back to Hotel Hafnarfjordur. We were even lucky enough to see a huge and complete rainbow as we left the car park. A spectacular ending to a spectacular trip!

Verity (Year 10)

Seljalandsfoss (Part 1) – Friday 3rd September

Our last stop was Seljalandsfoss, a 50 metre high waterfall with a 30 metre deep plunge pool. We got the opportunity to walk behind the waterfall, in the undercut of the rocks that the erosion had formed. Walking behind the waterfall was a really exciting experience and everyone felt really good to be able to say they had completed the walk! The water was beating down into the plunge pool and the water was spraying at us just like fine rain. When we were right behind the waterfall we stopped for a quick group photo and then continued around the path to get back onto the bus in our soaking gear, yet smiling faces!

Hannah (Year 9)

Skogafoss – Friday 3rd September

We arrived at Skogafoss at around midday and even from the bus it was an amazing sight! Skogafoss is 62 metres high and 26 metres wide. We walked along a shingle bank right up to the waterfall and it looked huge! The spray was so intense it was like being in a car wash! We were completely soaked in seconds and our waterproofs weren’t much help! It was an amazing experience to be so close to what was the largest waterfall that many of us had ever seen. Back on the coach, it was a five minute journey to the café, where we dried out and had some warm food and drink. ‘All you can’ eat soup and hot chocolate for many of us!

Jack and Rob (Year 9)

Reynisfjara Beach – Friday 3rd September

We continued travelling east to Reynisfjara beach. The weather conditions were not perfect as it was extremely windy and wet. When we got there we put our full waterproofs on and walked down to the beach in the rain. The beach was covered in black lava sand and stones due to the rocks falling off the steep mountain sides. This beach is ranked in the top 10 beaches in the world due to the coastal landforms (stacks and arches) at either end of the black crescent and the glaciers and ice caps behind. However, due to the weather it not a brilliant view which was unfortunate. But the wind meant the waves were truly amazing and occasionally exceeded approximately 25 feet in height! The waves were so powerful that they were dramatically eating away the beach. We could see the beach being flattened and eroded before our eyes. On the shore there were basalt lava columns that we had hoped to climb but the rain and waves meant it was not safe today. If we cut the columns in half, we would see hexagonal shapes. After getting soaked and blown about, we quickly hurried back to the coach where thankfully it was warm and dry.

David and Toby (Year 9)