Iceland review - 2019, Page 30

26
Iceland Review
enthusiasts. The society is open to everyone. Only a
small fraction joins the research trips even though
many more are interested in attending.” There are no
spectators on a trip like this – everyone has several
roles to fill. We’ve only just arrived, but it’s evident
that most of the group has been here before and
knows how things work. Scientists and volunteers
work seamlessly together. While Swedish Professor of
Geophysics Erik Sturkell and volunteers Jón Kjartans
and María Rún work on mounting ground-penetrat-
ing radar equipment on a sled, Ph.D. students Eemu
Ranta (from Finland) and Catherine Gallagher (from
Scotland) prepare their multiple-day trip into the
Kverkfjöll mountains to collect gas samples from the
geothermal system. Icelandic Search and Rescue
member Hlynur Skagfjörð and glacier guide Elísabet
Atladóttir will be helping post-doctoral student
Hannah Reynolds with laser measurements on
Bárðarbunga volcano and Grímsvötn lakes. The list
goes on and on.
The next morning, the group disperses all over the
glacier, well dressed in woollen clothes and protective
gear, but in the evening, most reconvene at the huts.
The buildings are austere but sturdy. The largest
sleeps up to 24 people, in tight quarters. The dormi-
tory doubles as a canteen, though not everyone can
be seated at the same time. In spite of the constant
close proximity, or perhaps because of it, the atmo-
sphere is light and friendly. Those more experienced
settle in the innermost bunk beds, while newbies like
me sleep closer to the kitchen. I introduce myself
to the man who will be sleeping next to me for the
coming nights. He introduces himself with the decid-
edly Icelandic name Rögnvaldur Kári Víkingsson,
but speaks Icelandic with a strong accent. Over an
evening coffee, he reveals to me that he was born and
raised in the Netherlands. Wanting to make a change,
he moved to Iceland, and now drives an oil truck in
the east. His thirst for adventure and love of glaciers
attracted him to the Glaciological Society, and he
began joining the spring trips.
The food is good, and everyone helps with the
cooking. The cooking regimen is followed closely:
there’s nowhere to pop out and get a missing ingredi-
Scientists and volunteers work
seamlessly together.