Goodbye from Iceland!
June 27, 2024
Well, the first session is finished! The kids are on their flights and heading back to the States. We had a blast with your kids, as I’m sure you’ll hear.
The last few days were a blur. The day after rafting, we had a nice, easy day touring around the country, checking out waterfalls and parks – oh, and blobbing (duh). On our final morning, we packed up camp one last time and hopped on the bus for our final activity: snorkeling.
We pulled into the lot just after noon and quickly set to the task of gearing up. The group was divided again into two sections: John, Thomas, Harrison, Frank, Cooper, and Wells in one; Ginna, Anna, Elle, Sophie, Talia, and the leaders in the other.
The dry suits were stifling in the open air, and we waddled to and fro, desperate to enter the cold, cold waters and get to snorkeling. Before we knew it, we were off, faces down in the water and eyes cast into the depths below.
After forty minutes, we were just about finished, so we filed out, changed out of our dry suits, and enjoyed a little hot chocolate before getting back on the bus and heading to Reykjavik. Once there, we made a quick stop for souvenirs – with a few students, Frank, Thomas, and Cooper, emerging with puffin and Viking hats – and gathered at a burger joint for a banquet.
And that’s all she wrote! We returned to the bus hostel and prepared to depart in the morning.
Once again, it was a pleasure leading your kids, and we can’t wait to see what lies in store for them!
-Daniel and Alli
Adventures in Iceland
June 25, 2024
Since our expedition into the volcanic wilds, life has gradually slipped into something like ‘free and easy’ for the 1B gang. We’re still practically swimming in rain and wind, but we spend more time on our backs.
ICE 1B slept in on the morning of the 21st, rising late to a little bacon and eggs in the communal tent. After a leisurely breakfast, we had a little time to kill before the main event, so we slipped onto the road for a hike. Unfortunately, the weather took a turn for the worse during our drive, and we were forced to hike up a hill for an hour or so. On the bright side, we all needed a bath. We had a quick lunch at the top and headed right back down to make our reservation at the Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel. We arrived just in time, donning headlamps and helmets before descending into the depths below.
The tour was actually rather short but nonetheless interesting. I’m a little hard of hearing, but a few things came through clearly: the tunnel and the lava formations within are old (really old), and caves are cold (like, really, really cold). In all seriousness, the tunnel was pretty cool; however, it would be misrepresentative of me to omit that, after our little soak on the hike, we were all freezing. That said, we enjoyed ourselves, and, moreover, the cold made our journey home and the dinner that awaited us all the sweeter. ‘Spaghetti Bolognese’ – pronounced Bolog- knee-sey, if your name is Harrison. Have you ever heard a name so fine in all your life? Well, suffice it to say we were mighty pleased. Thomas and I could be seen finishing off the last scraps of sauce straight from the pan.
The next morning, we awoke a bit earlier and broke camp after a quick breakfast of yogurt and granola, topped off with the ever-welcome hot chocolate. We jumped in the van, drove a couple of hours, and boarded our vessel for the day’s activity: whale watching. Dressed to the nines in great, all-encompassing spray-suits, we strutted down the gangway and rocked that poop deck like we were bred for it. At least, that’s how we began our voyage; by the first thirty minutes, a few of our number had descended to the mid-deck to alleviate symptoms of seasickness. Nary a whale was seen, but laughs were abundant. While the majority of campers settled into the cabin to rest and vainly await a call for any sightings, Harrison, Sophie, and the leaders sat on the top, laughing as the pitch and roll of the ship cast us hither and thither. Finally, the ship returned to port, and we disembarked only to reembark our van for the journey to camp.
We arrived at camp, set everything up, and gathered in our communal tent for a quick dinner before heading to bed. It had been a long, but nonetheless fruitful, day.
The next morning, we woke up late and ate breakfast. After assembling in the van, we made a short twenty-minute drive to the rafting venue, put on our wetsuits, and gathered into a bus that ferried us to our put-in. The guides split us into two groups: Thomas, Harrison, John, Frank, and Wells in one boat; Sophie, Talia, Elle, Ginna, Anna, and the leaders in the other. Elle and Talia, figuratively, ate wave after wave; meanwhile, Frank literally dipped his head into the water and drank straight from the frigid river beneath us. Shortly after we’d floated the first few rapids, we stopped to jump off the sides of a small canyon that bordered the banks of the river. Soon after, we embarked for the last half of our float, but war brewed on the horizon: a naval skirmish that will surely stand among the greatest engagements of our age. The boys launched their offensive. Their guide, hooking his paddle on Alli’s life vest, pulled one of our own into the water. The gauntlet, now thrown down, Team Dragon (a moniker coined by our guide) was ready for the challenge. Talia made a valiant but ultimately vain effort to throw Thomas into the water, and the boys soon retaliated, boarding our vessel in hopes of throwing me, your scribe, into the water. They failed. In the melee, Talia somehow ended up on the boys’ boat, while Frank, John, Thomas, and Harrison wreaked havoc on the SS Dragon. Their objective, still relatively dry, the boys returned to their boat and continued down the river. The remaining float was short, but your humble witness watched as the boys and girls, standing upright on the sides of the boat, braved the final rapids and carried us home.
We disembarked, pulled our boats ashore, and stripped off our water-soaked gear for a nice change of pace: hot water, saunas, Pepsi, and delicious cheeseburgers. Not a scrap was left, and the students lingered in the waiting room, playing Uno or pool and listening to Ginna play the ukulele.
However, before we settled down at camp, we stopped at a dairy farm for a little fresh ice cream. Wells was particularly appreciative of the farm. Afterwards, we found an old friend: a landlocked blob on which we jumped in spite of full bellies. After driving back to camp, the gang settled in, ate a dinner of chicken burritos, blobbed (again), mooned-up, and listened to Talia recite an original story loosely related to cows.
All is well in Iceland, and we’re thoroughly enjoying our final few days with your kids!
-Daniel and Alli
A Tremendous Time Trekking in Iceland
June 22, 2024
ICE 1B entered the country in a sort of daze – a six hour flight with fleeting, intermittent sleep guaranteed than near-every individual aboard the Arctic Adventures van stared blankly about the treeless, rolling country-side. Nevertheless, camaraderie flourished; captained by our fearless guide, Zachary, the gang made a few stops about the environs of Reykjavik – one active geothermal hot spring and the bridge between continents (Iceland houses the intersection between the Eurasian and north American continents) – before settling down at a park for a quick lunch. The kiddos joined a few locals on a land-locked blob before the gang bounced to its first proper activity: a leisurely soak at the Sky Lagoon. Let me tell ya, the lagoon was lux – hot showers; warm, waist high waters, and occasional cold plunges for those so inclined ensured that any lingering woes were washed away. After a couple hours’ lounging, the warm waters soothed our sulking spirits, and we marched on to the hostel for a pleasant, and much needed, night’s rest.
We awoke with fervor, stuffing our clothes in duffels and jumping out one door and into the next. Our van, spurred on by the sweet, sweet sounds of 90’s and early 00’s country, sped off to lanmannalauger – one pole of the legendary Laugavegur hiking trail. The scene was stirring: vast, towering mountains of sulfurous basalt and a rolling landscape of stagnant, desiccated lava melt wordlessly impressed upon each traveller a sense of awe and wonder – our quarry lay deep in those mountains, beckoning.
After setting camp, consisting of a large communal tent and half-a-dozen two-person tents, we followed Zach up a nearby peak, the blue peak. Though the leader team knew a day-hike was on the itinerary, I don’t think either of us really believed we’d start with such a bang – a cool 2k feet of ascent and decline in just four short miles: the gang rocked it, marching up the mountain like pros. Sophie, despite an evident fear of heights, found her way up, proudly proclaiming that ‘this is what we’re here for: getting outside of our comfort zones.’ On our descent, Anna, Sophie, and Ginna made a small snowman, add the rest of the gang in all of their excitement, started throwing snowballs at anything and everything in sight.
Though further peaks would have to wait, plenty was found awaiting the group in the communal tent: cheesy salmon pasta, and lots of it! After dinner, our group’s sojourner, Ella Slade of Moondance HQ, instructed the group in its new favorite pastime: Egyptian Rat Slap, a card-game for which Talia proved exceptionally gifted. Not too shortly after, Harrison had a righteous come-back after getting the hang of this exciting slap card game. All the while, John was deeply captivated by his copy of The Lord of the Rings, a book that just so happened to have the movie adaptation be filmed in the very hills we spent our trekking in! After a long day, we all tucked into bags and rested soundly in advance of a long, arduous day of hiking ahead.
The morning of our third day, the gang awoke, packed tents, and laced boots to strike out into the mountains ahead. I guarantee each of you parents will hear something about the hike we completed that day: seventeen miles, ~3k feet of elevation, and roughly five hours spent trudging through the snow – topped off by a constant, steady drizzle. It took us ten hours to complete the trek, but WE DID complete it. There was ample opportunity for complaint, and, yet, I was struck by how little I witnessed; on the contrary, what I saw was nothing short of inspirational: Cooper, ever-equipped with a smile and shades, laughed off the conditions which might’ve routed lesser-trekkers; Anna, outstripping her lifetime hiking mileage in a single day, walked, undaunted, through wind and rain with a poise that belied her experience; Frank, laughing his way up and down the varied peaks and valleys, lifted his company to greater-still heights; Wells, hot on the heels of Zach, eagerly marched against the biting wind; Ginna, quietly resolute, led by example, showing her friends the way to that oh-so sought-after campsite: one foot in front of the other.
We coasted into camp that night, set up our tents at the foot of a spectacular lake, and tucked-in to an Icelandic lamb-stew. After dinner, LODs, Frank and Sophie, led the group in a memorable, albeit, abbreviated Moon-up, and we hopped in our bags.
Our next day’s hike led us along a largely-flat, dusty path alongside a monstrous glacier – itself, surrounding one of Iceland’s many volcanoes – and past a most-imposing mountain, aptly named ‘pointy peak mountain,’ before parking us in foothills wedged between a massive gorge and the glacier above. We received word that the next day would be characteristically Icelandic, which is to mean wet and windy, and we encouraged the group to shore up their tents in anticipation of what Zach expected to be a ‘torrential’ downpour; however, as of yet, the weather remained pleasant. After a dinner of Icelandic hot dogs, LODs Elle and Thomas, alongside Zach, led us to an outlook over the gorge for moonup.
The following day proved, perhaps, the most trying: we awoke to wind and rain, which, though relentless, was not yet quite torrential. We packed up tents and gear into the communal tent, after which we somberly deconstructed our last remaining shelter and struck off into the winds. I should mention that Zach has a real knack for dissimulation; despite the campers’ best efforts to glean intent and objective, Zach artfully manages to dissuade, misdirect, and discourage all attempts at uncovering any sort of details surrounding daily operations – from time on trail, to distance, to weather, Zach always comes out on top. He manages to concoct the perfect blend of truth, ‘untruth,’ and ambiguity, such that each student is left just short of bewildered. At times, even we, the leaders, were forced to question his intentions. All of that said, there is no hint of malice in his efforts: Zach’s illusions are carefully calculated to guide campers to heights they never imagined themselves capable of reaching: like a rather swarthy Bulgarian siren, his sultry song promises reprieve around the next visible corner where naught but dismay awaits and, likewise, conceals sweetest reliefs (namely, campsites and cookies) behind the guise of rivers, hills, and hollers. I have not the heart – nor the poker face – to execute such guile, but I sure as hell am glad that he’s on our side. Before we knew it, we were in the midst of a dense birch forest – the first real forest we’d seen since our arrival. We cruised into camp after a couple more hours of hiking, and set up camp in nice, soft patches of grass. We ate grilled salmon and rice before a rather subdued moon up in our communal tent and scurried off to bed for some much-needed rest.
With the Laugevegar trail behind us, ICE 1B capped off its trekking section with one final day hike, but not before a warm breakfast of porridge in the communal tent – the heart and hearth of our little band of miscreants. The hike was spectacular – far beyond my skills to relate; naturally, I’ll try anyways. The path wound up a mountain trail just behind our camp up a seemingly-endless series of ‘steps’ constructed from wooden pegs. As we crested the first hill, we immediately began to descend on the other side, affording a sublime view of the valley behind us – massive, clustered peaks, braided creeks, and a thick, verdant coating of moss that seemed to cover everything in sight. We followed the trail as it wrapped back around the mountain and into the valley of our camp before bidding farewell to the trail and boarding a bus to our lodging for the night: a hut with warm beds, hot showers, and a full kitchen for Zach to work his magic – and magic he worked. We ate grilled lamb steaks and fat boiled potatoes with butter and salt – all of it lathered in garlic aioli. It was nothing short of decadent.
In the morning, we awoke, shoulder to shoulder, in a nice, warm hut. We ate hot porridge and set to packing our gear into the van. After a few hours’ drive, we arrived at a geothermal pool for a dip in the waters. Among hot tubs, slides, and pitched games of ‘star,’ the campers experienced a rather touching cross-cultural exchange with some local kids – Frank proved especially popular with them. Afterwards, we drove to a food hall, and the students gorged themselves on burgers and fries, which, to our surprise, were easily on-par with any burger I’ve eaten in the states. We went for ice-cream, packed into the van, and drove to a campsite out-front of a local museum outlooking a grand fjord. Once there, we pitched tents, set up the communal, and goofed around before a quick dinner and a moonup, led by Wells and Sophie.
We have tremendous pride in each of your children – they’ve exceeded our expectations at every turn of our journey; with the trekking behind us, we look forward to a week of relative ease, enjoying the sights and delights of this gorgeous country.
Signing off for now,
Daniel & Alli
Shoutouts:
Wells: Hope all is well, Iceland is beautiful!
Sophie: Happy Birthday, Mom and Happy Father’s day!!
Frank: Happy Father’s Day – miss Y’all!
Anna: this has been a challenge, but definitely a blessing – say hi to Rufus!
Harrison: Happy Father’s Day – Hey Cooper and Swift!
Ginna: I love ya mom and dad – check on the cat!!
John: tell Lachlan that he’s missing out!
Talia: love you so much – hope Norway is fun!
Elle: love you so much – having lots of fun! Thomas: Love you, Mom and Dad!
Safe Arrival in Reykjavik!
June 15, 2024
Hello Iceland families!
All students have landed safely in Reykjavik and the group is excited for hiking tomorrow! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.
-Moondance HQ
