Adventurer of the Week: Chris Escapes England!

Welcome to our “Adventurer of the Week” series! Each week we will feature individuals that were inspired to make every moment an experience in Iceland by going out on epic tours with us that allowed them to interact with nature.

This week's instalment of our "Adventurer of the Week" series tells the story of Chris, who came to Iceland in search of a change of scenery, got his feet on the ice and eyes up at the sky at some Northern Lights.

What motivated you to visit Iceland?

I was sitting in my office in London a few weeks ago, looking out at the grey english sky, and I thought I could really use a change of scenery. Some friends of mine had just decided go away to for some ‘winter sun’, but I decided I wanted to do something different: new scenery and new experiences.

I had been thinking it would be nice to spend some time in Iceland for a while now, and I thought, why not? So a week later I was stepping off a plane at Keflavik airport looking out over a beautiful snowscape and thinking this is exactly what I expected Iceland to look like (...only later that day did I find out that the snow had only arrived a couple of days previously!)

How long was your stay? Did you travel solo or with a group?

We came to Iceland for a week and loved every minute of it. Reykjavik was a beautiful city to discover, and we were incredibly lucky with the weather, not only did the snow come before we arrived (so that it looked the way we expected), the weather was clear almost all the time, and there was a lot of activity from the northern lights to boot! (although it was on the chilly side… but that was rather expected).

Which tour did you take and why did you choose it?

On my first full day in Iceland, I went on the Glacier Walk and Northern Lights tour. I have hiked up mountains before, and skied on a glacier, but walking up a glacier was something I’d never done before; given that the point of coming to Iceland was for new scenery and new experiences it seemed like the natural choice. A chance to see the Northern Lights after a day hiking over a glacier just seemed like the perfect way to cap things off.

What is one thing you will always remember about your tour?

Only one? There were so many! The history of Iceland, my sixth form geography lessons starting to make sense, the northern lights, and the troll stories…

But the most incredible thing for me was climbing up the face of the glacier and seeing the ice formations up close; the different ways the ice formed, the places where it was blue, the places it was clear like glass… and the layers of volcanic ash trapped within it. It really brought home how the glacier was a moving (almost living?) thing.

What is something that you learned about Iceland that surprised you?

Of course I had heard of the hot springs in Iceland, but I had never realised how pervasive geothermal power was… how many vents of steam we spotted driving along the road, nor how the abundance of energy is used to grow all kinds of vegetables in huge greenhouse farms!

If you had more time in Iceland, what else would you like to see and do?

I would have loved to have more time to explore more of the island beyond Reykjavik, along the coastal areas and inland, something for my next visit I’m sure.

What tips do you have for people who want to visit Iceland?

Drink the tap water! Water quality is incredible, better than most mineral water I’ve had. Bring good clothing options, even at the end of March we had near and sub-zero temperatures… but this was ok with the right clothing… a few layers and a good hat and scarf. The weather was no problem and we could just enjoy the incredible country.

What adventure are you off to next? What is your next dream adventure?

I am currently torn between the idea of returning to Iceland in the summer, driving the trans-canadian highway or visiting Cape Verde. I will still what the english weather inspires me to do next.

Chris’ adventure is only one of the many features that make for an unforgettable experience. Book your tour and join us for an excursion that is guaranteed to make memories that last a lifetime.

Have you been on a tour with us in Iceland and would like to be featured as an “Adventurer of the Week”? Feel free to email us at info@mountainguides.is.