Nov-Dec-Jan | 2019-2020

FEATURE

layers, realizing quickly that the weather in Iceland changes regularly and would be our driving force. Over the course of the 4-day hike, we experienced all kinds of weather. We had sunshine and cloudy skies, wind and cold breezes; we would be warm from constant moving and would be cold when we stopped for breaks. The rain pelted against us at times, pushing us to walk faster and we experienced four seasons in one day. Each day we hiked between 20-24 kilometers, passing through the most spectacular and diverse landscape I have ever seen. Rich and vibrant colored mountains, deep valleys, glittering obsidian lava fields, glaciers and hot springs and geothermal pools are just a small par t of what we saw. We crossed 5 icy rivers which were refreshing on our tired and achy legs. We trekked long hours through black lava sand, stopping to admire waterfalls and canyons and wondered when we would see Frodo Baggins entering the gates of Mordor! We spent hours talking and getting to know each other and I was even known to break into song every now and again to lighten the mood when our bodies would be slowing down. The days would be long and strenuous, but one of the many things that kept us going was knowing that we were all doing this for a cause we believed in, and also the fact that there

23 THE AMERICAN CLUB SINGAPORE