The howling gales and torrential rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of the 60 GCSE Ardingly College pupils and staff who visited Iceland over the October 2026 half-term break.
As always, our annual trip was action-packed and unforgettable. Highlights included donning crampons and wielding ice axes on a glacier, venturing through a lava-carved cave with only our head torches to light the way, and walking behind some of Europe’s most powerful waterfalls, including the iconic Seljalandsfoss. We got more than a little soggy along the way!
Perhaps the most popular stop on the school trip came on the final day at the Blue Lagoon, where we relaxed in its warm, mineral-rich waters drawn from a 2,000m-deep borehole. To make the experience even more memorable, we all enjoyed coating our faces in silica-rich mud, leaving us feeling refreshed and rejuvenated for the journey home.
It was fantastic to see some of the theories we’ve been studying in the classrooms at Ardingly bought to life and we hope it’s made memories that’ll last a lifetime.
Planning is already underway for a return visit in 2027, and we can’t wait to do it all again!
