A group of Central Elgin Collegiate Institute students got far more than anticipated on their March Break field trip.
About three dozen students along with their teachers journeyed to Iceland.
One of their stops was to Grindavik to visit a volcano that, two days later, would violently erupt.
Student Robbie Gruendler tells myFM when it exploded into action this past Saturday, they could clearly see it from their hotel.
Gruendler says it was classified as active and he describes what it was like to be extremely close to a volcano that, in less than 48 hours, would begin to spew a powerful lava stream.
He says seeing the northern lights in Iceland would have been memorable, however their close encounter with an erupting volcano was “a cool experience.”
Gruendler admits the concern was whether the smoke and ash might disrupt air travel in an out of Iceland as has been the case in the past.
They could clearly see all of the action from their hotel, about 20 km distant from the volcano.
We asked him what the experience was like seeing such a volcano up close, not realizing two days later everything would change.
Gruendler notes the trip to Iceland and, moreso the volcano experience, just may have a lasting impact on him.
