Making hiking paths in a Majestic Canyon

WORK/PROJECT: SEEDS volunteers will take a part in a project on the south side of Iceland in the canyon Fjaðrárgljúfur close to the town Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Fjaðrárgljúfur is one of the most visited places in Iceland.

The volunteers main tasks will be to create and improve walking paths to make the visit to Fjaðárgljúfur more secure for guests. Volunteers will learn a new technique for repairing walking paths as the host is using grinds made out of 100% recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Volunteers will also be helping with the reclamation of old paths with seeds and fertilizers, as well as other maintenance projects in the area.

ACCOMMODATION: Volunteers will stay in a school house equipped with a kitchen; sleeping on mattresses in sleeping bag accommodation. Please bring a sleeping bag. Volunteers will have free access to a swimming pool.

Food ingredients will be provided and volunteers will share the duties of preparing and cooking meals.

Please do not forget some traditional food from your home country for the international evening.

LOCATION: This camp is located in south east of Iceland, close to the town Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Kirkjubæjarklaustur is a part of the municipality of Skaftárhreppur and has about 120 inhabitants. The scenery is truly spectacular, with the glacier Myrdalsjökull to the west and Europe´s largest glacier Vatnajökull, containing Iceland´s highest peak, to the east. The area is welcoming with mountains that stretch proudly towards the sky and to the south there is infinite beauty stretching out from the sky to the sea.

The project will mostly take a part in and around the canyon Fjaðrárgljúfur. Fjaðrárgljúfur is one of the most beautiful and lovely canyons of Iceland. Fjaðrárgljúfur is rugged and impressive; the canyon is about 100 m deep and about 2 km long. The river Fjaðrá runs through the canyon. The river has its source in the mountain Geirlandshraun and falls off the heath edge in this stunning canyon until it makes it down into Skaftá river.

It is believed that Fjaðrárgljúfur was formed at the end of the last Ice Age, about nine thousand years ago. When the glacier retreated, a lake formed in the valley behind a hard resistant rock. Because the cascade has been so large, it was powerful in digging out the canyon. Eventually the lake filled with sediments and the river's strength dwindled. When the lake filled up completely, the river began to dig itself into the sediment layers which it had previously left in the valley. Fluvial terraces on both sides in the valley give an indication about the original height and location of the lake while a deep channel in the palagonite serves as a silent reminder to the power of nature.

LANGUAGE: English will be the official language in the camp; high proficiency is not a requirement.

TERMINAL: Closest International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camp and vice-versa, which apart from being cheaper and more convenient, allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting and tourist sites.

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 180 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

The host will organise some free-time activities depending on the weather.

Please bring warm clothes and outdoor wear as the weather in Iceland can be quite unpredictable, even during the summer months.

AGE: 18+