The Trip of a Lifetime: Sept. 20, 2011

We returned last night, safe and sound, from a four day backpacking trip in Southern Iceland on the country's most popular hiking trail. The trail is about 31 miles long and runs north to south from Landmannalaugar to Thorsmork.

We left Friday morning and headed east to the start point. Our wonderful Icelandic guides, Pauli and Rosa, met us at Solheimar and quickly built a great report with us: hospitality, knowledge, confidence, compassion, and great food. It was nice to see a new part of Iceland, though Solheimar is beautiful itself. Along the way, we ran into the annual sheep roundup in this region of Iceland. Sheep spend their summers grazing in the mountains and are rounded up before the winter. Farmers from all around the area are required to help out. Some were on foot, some on horses. Border collies were all around, keeping the sheep in line. We drove at about 3 mph for a good 20 minutes as thousands of sheep ran by.

The first day of hiking was difficult. It had begun to rain and it was already near 2pm by the time we got on trail. We climbed over 400 meters in elevation Friday afternoon, facing more wind and rain with each step uphill. The weather, combined with the realization that I was not in as good of shape as I had thought, made for a very pessimistic Elise. I spent the hours thinking of excuses to skip out on the next 3 days of the trip; I thought there was no way I could face more of this harsh landscape and physical challenge. We reached the hut and it was a sight for sore eyes! The hut was heated and full of cozy bunk beds, stoves for coffee, and geothermal pipes to dry wet socks on. 

The "Super-Jeep" that transported our food and luggage from hut to hut

Day two, we woke up to strong winds at our elevation of 1012 meters. This made for difficult hiking, especially along ridges. Wind rushing over the mountains came down like a tunnel, making it hard to move forward. This day was much improved from the first though. We climbed on a glacier, saw some hot ponds, and got a terrific view of the mountain lake Alftavatn where our second cabin was located. The sun peaked out throughout the day and put a big smile on my face. The hut we stayed at here was much newer and very fun. Instead of bunk beds, all the beds were right next to each other (no space), which made for a very silly sleepover.

 Sunset from our room at the second hut

Day three.... I close my eyes and sing "Arabian Nights" to myself. This day was mostly flat, but the majority of the hiking was over the sand flats near the glacier Myrdalsjokull. The winds were a sustained 20 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph. I'd be talking with someone, then all the kneeling on the sand because of a big gust, then jump back up and ask "Can you say that once more?". Conversations weren't very deep that day. We reached that third hut in Emstrur by 2pm, so we took a little side trip to a nearby canyon. I didn't stray too close to the edge, but definitely got an appreciation for the immensity of it from a safe distance. That evening in the hut was lots of fun. After playing several rounds of Spoons (the card game), the had a hearty dinner of tortellini and heard Icelandic ghost stories well into the evening. Needless to say, I had a hard time going to sleep that night with the wind howling and ghosts on  my mind.


Day four was spectacular. The sun shone on and off all day, often mixed with rain. We saw about five different rainbows yesterday, each one brighter than the last. The hike was so enjoyable and the scenery was incredible. About an hour from the end, we crossed a small river. The water was cold but so refreshing. We walked the final kilometer in an Icelandic birch forest, right in the foothills of the volcano/glacier Eyjafjallajökull. I didn't realize how much I missed the fall colors of Wisconsin until we walked through this forest. After being surrounded by ice, stone, and moss for days, it was so healing to be among trees again. We also hiked this last part silently, to give us a chance to appreciate and fully experience this land around us once more.

Birch forest

The bus picked us up at Thorsmork, and the fearless driver drove confidently over many a river on the way out. We stopped for pizza and soda on the way "home" to refuel on grease and sugar. It was sooo good. My first shower and soak in the hot tub were great and it's nice to be back. I don't feel like I can fully explain all that happened on the trip. It was beautiful, challenging, gratifying, and renewing. I was pushed further than I thought I could go, and am proud of myself for completing the trip. The land was gorgeous beyond belief: mountains of every shape and color, glaciers with their own climates. I gained muscle, confidence, and humility. I experienced just a small part of what Iceland has to give and I will never forget this trip. That is all.

-Elise 

One Seed at a Time

Hekla Reforestation Project Photo Essay - 30 September 2011

The simplicity of color, shape, and texture I encountered in the birch forest provided the perfect environment for reflection on my role in communities—our CELL community, Sólheimar, and our community as inhabitants of Planet Earth.

An interesting paradox occurred when I looked not at the forest itself, but upwards and outwards from within the forest: I felt like a more intrinsic part of the ecosystem.  Seeing the golden yellow leaves and dark grey branches of the trees against a pure blue sky gave me an immense feeling of inner peace.  As my fingers met seed after seed, I realized that the work we were doing would allow future generations—of Icelanders and of the entire world—to look out and up at the intricate lace created by the birches.

The shape of the seed cones spoke to me of the powerful journey each seed will experience.  Like little ecological space ships, they will bear a multitude of seeds to settle new lands.  Not all will be successful; some seeds won’t germinate, and some seedlings will be pushed up by the frost, but with our help the birch forests will thrive.  In a way, the CELL Dozen are our own seed cone: transplanted from our lives in the States, we have been placed into a complex system of feedbacks with our new Icelandic landscape.  We learn from and are fed by those who give us shelter—the canteen, our friends in Sesseljuhús, Rosie, our farmhouse hosts.  In return for their nurturing encouragement, we will sprout new ideas, new energy, and new enthusiasm for improving our joint environment.

Each individual seed lends its own unique strength and flexibility to give our harvest a distinct texture.  Each seed holds the potential to produce a strong, beautiful birch.  Yet the seeds together have a synergistic effect—one seed feels different than a seed cone, and one birch feels different than an encompassing birch forest.  When individuals, be they seeds or CELL students, band together, they can produce something much more environmentally valuable and wholesome than they could on their own.

Tracy Mandel

Hekla Forest September 30

Well the Hekla Forest was definitely not what I expected, but it didn’t disappoint! While picking seeds off the birch tree today, all I could think about was how it finally felt like fall. My favorite season. And it didn’t just feel like it, we were engulfed in it. Each birch had brilliant arrays of orange, pink, red, yellow, green, brown, black, and white. Just spacing out and picking the seedpods off the skinny branches was amazing. I started to feel everything, the slight stickiness of the branches and leaf endings, the crispness of the cool air, how warm my fleece was making me, how the music I was listening to (classical Beethoven) was perfect for the moment. Its funny Sarah discussed “mindfulness” in her learning forum because I think that was one of the most mindful I have been in the past few days.

            Sometimes it’s easy to forget I’m in Iceland and I’m experiencing something special. But back to the seed picking, this mindful state sent my thoughts into haywire. I started thinking back to one of my favorite quotes of all time, “And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty, and beauty stayed his hand. And from that day forward, he was as one dead." I’ve always found this quote to perfectly show the power of beauty and not the kind of beauty as in physical human beauty but inner beauty, natural beauty, untouched, uncontrolled, ever strong, ever-alive beauty. This kind of beauty overcomes and stops “beasts” in its tracks. This is the kind of beauty I have been experiencing here. This is the kind of beauty I cherish in my life and what has caused my passion for all I’m learning and doing.

Now, it’s a different task to identify who the beast is in the quote. The meaning of this character has changed many times in my life including today. It’s easy, in the environmental field, to see humans as this “beast” that challenges the place, safety, and even existence of beauty. When we all watch movies that tell about Monsanto (and most mass food production) or read articles on the “average” human consumption I just feel so bad and feel like such an ugly part of the natural world. But, this feeling changed today. In part influenced by how simple today was and also the book I’ve been reading, “The Natural Step”. My book is about the quiet revolution started in Sweden by a cancer scientist who decides that what we need to create a more sustainable world is to create a new way of thought. To sit and discuss and share all our separate views in a way that is never negative and only constructive. Creating the future of sustainability by agreeing in all aspects. 

This leads me to the simplicity of today. We were picking seeds for a collection that would later be planted in order to continue the work of the Hekla Forestation Project to continually improve the environment of the region and Iceland as a whole etc. Our simple act was part of a beautiful cause. These two things shows me how not ugly and beast-like humans are. I don’t think of myself as a rare person to think this way. We as humans have developed with an intelligence that sets us apart as a species. We can think of the future and implications, and can imagine outside ourselves and can release our basic survival instincts and think about others. On the first “solo time” I mentioned that I was thinking that humans don’t really have a place in the world, we can be so un-natural and removed from the rest. But, I am starting to realize that our place in the world is to figure it out. We are created with the capability to make mistakes and see and learn from the consequences. We didn’t harm our planet with the point to harm the planet. We didn’t’ evolve technologically to further remove ourselves. We aren’t terrible people because we can begin to understand what we have done and do something about it. The quote still has relevance to me, but after today in comparison with humans and the environment, both sides of the story hold beauty within.

 C. E. Donovan

Reykjavik Expedition

Moving Planet - September 24th

            Earlier this semester, the folks at Solheimar took part in a global event called “Moving Planet,” which is a day dedicated to reducing fossil fuel dependence. The goal is to reduce the amount of Carbon Dioxide particles in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million. The starting line of the nine-kilometer race was in Minni-Borg, so Solheimar offered to provide us with a bus ride. After reflecting upon this offer I felt immediately confused. Why would we drive in a fossil fuel operated vehicle to an event intended to raise awareness of our dependence on those very same fossil fuels? Fortunately, almost everyone else was on the same page as me, and we decided that it would be best to walk to the starting line.  Upon waking up, though, the weather did not look favorable for our ambitious plan. Initially I was unsure if we would still walk to the starting line, but with the persistence of others it was easy to rally for the 100 minute walk. Although the wind and rain wasn’t exactly ideal, it was good to spend some time talking with the other group members. One part of the walk I distinctly remember enjoying was the opportunity I had to pet the horses near the roadside. It had been almost a month since I had spent any time up close with a non-human species of mammal, and I had almost forgotten what I’d missed. The black horse that initially walked up to the group was somewhat shy at first, but once he realized that we meant no harm proved to be very friendly. This experience was incredibly refreshing actually, and I hope to spend some more time exploring and meeting the local horses.

            The run on the way back was also a positive experience. I spent some time jogging with John and the runners from the Selfoss running club. Even though I couldn’t understand much of what the runners were saying, it felt fantastic to be united through such a unique medium that all humans have evolved to share. I’m sure the familiar mixture of joy, keen mental awareness and muscle ache is something that most people can relate to, if not appreciate.

            Spending time with the group at the café post-run has been one of the highlights of the trip so far. Everyone was tired out and the room was awash with endorphins; I got the overwhelming impression that we were finally beginning to form lasting bonds of friendship. I also enjoyed getting the chance to experience chocolate milk for the first time in a while, and it reminded me of the comforts of home. I’m sure I’ll get to spend many more similar days with the group, and I cannot wait.

September Day

Tracy, Christina, and Lily in Solheimar Forest

Laura, Hank, Tracey, and Tracy in Solheimar Forest 

CELL group walking to Brekkukot

Beginning

This blog chronicles the adventures in sustainability of a group of ten
students and two faculty from the United States who are living and
learning in Iceland with the Center for Ecological Living and Learning
(CELL) during Fall semester 2011.

On September 4, 2011, a group of ten students and two faculty will begin a
twelve week adventure in sustainability through community in Iceland.

Who are we?

The Center for Ecological Living and Learning (CELL) offers life-changing
sustainability education programs for students who believe that they can
make a difference in the world: students who would like to play an active
role in creating long-term solutions to problems facing our local and
global communities and environment.  Our programs focus on a theme of
sustainability through community and students learn about the concepts of
sustainability while living in one of the world's unique eco-villages
called Solheimar - a community of one hundred people committed to living
more compassionately and sustainably (see www.solheimar.is).  At the end
of this unique program, students develop action plans that empower them to
return home and employ what they have learned in their own lives and
through implementing sustainability initiatives in their own communities.
This individual and collective action is at the heart of what CELL is all
about!  For more information on CELL, visit our website at:
www.cellonline.org.

Stay tuned for reflections from students and faculty on their Iceland
adventure in sustainability through community.