Nov-Dec-Jan | 2019-2020

FEATURE

would be hot soup and warm drinks when we reached camp. We travelled with a chef who would drive ahead to the next campsite to set up a kitchen and dining tents, so that we would be able to have hot meals at the beginning and end of each day. We would gather in the dining tent telling stories, staying warm and massaging each other’s tired shoulders.The campsites were basic, offering proper toilets, mini “mountain malls” where you could purchase simple supplies or snacks for your hike, and 4-minute hot showers – EVEN FOR 4 MINUTES ITWAS WORTH IT!

With 3 days of trekking 60+ kilometres and 4 nights of camping, our last day was cut shor t as bad weather caught up to us. We had reached the end of the Laugavegur Trail at Thórsmörk, and we were meant to spend the last day hiking the Fimmvörðuháls trail, a trail that would have been our hardest and longest hike passing over the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, but a storm had hit and the winds at the top were reaching over 51km an hour. The mountain needed to be evacuated, therefore putting a stop to our final stretch. We felt a bit defeated, not being able to finish our expedition and see the famous volcano, but there was little we could do. We celebrated our accomplishments and boarded the bus back to Reykjavik and watched as the mountains in the rear-view mirror slowly disappeared from view. I star ted this Icelandic expedition as a way to help and empower others, and I ended it by stepping out of my comfor t zone and empowering myself as well. I had never in my life trekked for this long or crossed such a vast terrain.To say I was nervous beforehand is an understatement. I had no idea what to expect or if my body would be strong enough to carry me through. With the help of Nadesh, my personal trainer at The Club, I trained rigorously leading up to my depar ture. I surprised myself at my own strength and endurance and the fact alone that I survived! Will I do it again? Of course I will! The question is… where to next?

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24 THE AMERICAN CLUB SINGAPORE