For me, this was a life changing yet humbling experinece of a lifetime. There is much to be said about spending days near or around a glacier, with no sight of any life except the one or two team members sharing this immense sense of peace and serenity.

In addition, to think that you are contributing to science and the environment while having a grand time, to say the least, is something only few of us experience once in a lifetime.

Our Location:

We were camped in Skaftafell National Park in the South-Eastern portion of Iceland.

Sleeping quarters:

We were lucky enough to have our own 2 person tents in a very green part of the park.

Food:

We, the volunteers, were responsible for preparing and cooking our own vegetarian or meat eaters daily food. Unfortunately, due to the very high cost of living in Iceland, all food, mostly canned, was imported from Britain.

Showers / bathrooms:

Lucky for us, there were modern bathrooms and showers near our campground. The one drawback was sharing 3-person shower stalls, which after a few days, as tired as we felt, did not matter anymore.

Transportation:

Every day we were trasported via 4 SUV's, (2 Land Rovers, 1 Suzuki and 1 Pajero) to our field sites.

Daily schedule:

7:00a.m.Wake up call by jolly camp manager (we hated her for that!)

7:00 to 8:00 a.m. Prepare and eat breakfast. Prepare lunch sandwiches and daysack for the field;

8:00 to 8:30a.m. Leave for the field in different teams / vehicles;

8:30 to 9:00a.m. Start field work with your specific team;

12:00 to 12:30p.m. Half hour lunch;

12:30 to 6:30p.m. Back to fieldwork;

6:30 to 7:30p.m. Back to camp;

7:00 to 7:30p.m. Prepare dinner in groups and eat;

7:30 to 8:00p.m. Washing dishes for some;

8:00 to 8:30p.m. Briefings on some days;

8:30 to 9:00p.m. Bedtime (Thank God!)

Weather conditions:

Except for 2 days of rain and clouds, we had wonderful weather for the 2 weeks stay. Despite the nice weather, we had to be prepared to go from T-shirts and shorts to heavy waterproof jackets and balaclavas within 15 minutes. Temperatures ranged between 35 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit at all times.