In the beginning there was darkness. It was the middle of the night and the moon was new, so what else did I expect? Dark as it was though, I could still see everything in my bedroom, the shape of the wall, the retro fireplace, even my feet, sticking out as they were from the end of the duvet to keep me cool on a particularly stuffy night. My curtains are thick enough to pretty much block out everything from the outside, but having a streetlight directly opposite meant that even the best curtains will let an orangey-glow in around the edges. I took a look at my watch and realised I had only been asleep for an hour, so rather than sit wondering about the marvels of sodium vapour fluorescent lighting, I turned over and ... read more

“So come out of your cave walking on your hands” The response to the plan for the first event was overwhelming. I was overwhelmed by the number of people that refused to read the blog and just wanted to tell me what the blooming hell we were doing. I was also overwhelmed by the number of people that said “I’m not flipping camping, count me out”. And so, for the second trip, I need to make things a bit more people friendly, no camping and no trips to one of the most remote places in the country. Luckily, with one eye on the budget, the second trip is all over in a day. For those sticking to the concept, listening to the music and trying to work out where we are going from the songs, you ... read more

There often comes a time in life when what was once clear cut suddenly becomes a little muddy, like a man with long hair and a leather jacket who won’t listen to any music unless it was written before 1987 (in particular music by a band that refuses that use anything other than guitar, drums and bass) suddenly discovering that he actually quite likes the new Burial album. And for me, that moment is now, for, having spent years trying to spend my birthday sitting quietly in a corner drinking ale and trying not to attract too much attention, I suddenly find myself wanting to do something memorable for the big 30th birthday that is fast approaching. It’s not hard to see why really; I have a mortgage, I have bills and I have a job ... read more

8:10 PM Travelling around Iceland, climbing volcanoes, waterfalls and glaciers can be tiring, and there is a lot to be said for sitting in a bath of sulphur, so our final complete day was a much more relaxed affair. We had always planned to end the trip at Iceland‘s main tourist spot, the Blue Lagoon, which sits in the lava fields between Reykjavik and the airport (via a slight detour), gently whiling away our last hours in its soothing waters. The Blue Lagoon is something of an accident, the by-product of the nearby geothermal power station. Like the other power stations in the area, it uses the hot water below the ground to generate electricity, after which the water is left to pour into the volcanic craters and holes next to it. Some clever person years ... read more

10:00 PM We had chosen to stop off in Skogar because of how close it was to Sólheimajökull, but despite being nearby, it took a very long time to get there. The site was a short distance off Route 1, along one of Iceland’s many unpaved roads, this particular one full of rocks and potholes, and yesterday’s storm had left pools and small rivers flowing across the road. Eventually we abandoned the car and walked, realising that we weren’t going to get all the way without a 4x4. As we arrived, pretty much on time as oppose to the 20 minutes or so early as we had planned, a small group were leaving the meeting area and heading for the glacier. Thinking we may have turned up too late, we ran after them (well Lyndsey did, ... read more