South Yorkshire Times, August 24.
Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in Iceland
Back to Home Cooking, Bath’s and Clean Sheets.
Two travellers returned to Conisbrough on Friday just longing for the taste of home cooking and the luxury of a hot bath and clean sheets. Mike Clifford, of Sheffield road, and Melvyn Exton, of March Vale Terrace, had just returned from an expedition into Iceland as members of a party sponsored by the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
Their journey began almost a month ago when they flew out from Glasgow to Reykjavik where they boarded a bus to make the hundred to 120 miles journey into the interior.
Properly surface roads are non-existent said Melvyn. The party was dropped at a ski hut, where they unloaded all the gear and provisions in preparation for the five-mile hike to their base camp 5 miles from the foot of the Hofsjokull glacier. It was almost 2 days since the boys had slept and when they did bed down for the night they slept for almost 14 hours.
The next day was remarkable for its rain and biting wind, and for another 5 miles journey back to the ski hut for provisions.
Football Too.
Melvyn said, “At the ski who there were nine prospective members of Iceland’s Olympic skiing team in training. One of them could speak English very well and we chatted to them quite a lot. One of their favourite games of football and we played them and beat them five – four.
Melvyn was a member of the photographic group, and although much of the work entailed carrying bulky equipment, he played a more practical part in helping to film the work being carried out by the other sections of the expedition.
As a member of the botanical group Mike was among the party who discovered a flower not catalogued in Icelandic government lists.
One Highlight.
With the photographic section, Melvyn accompanied the survey party to their separate base camp at the foot of the glacier and this provided one highlight of the trip when the journey a short way up the glacier.
Their task completed, the expedition’s return journey included two days in Reykjavik, and best of all hot baths.
Now the boys have to compile a log of their trip. The combined result will form the official log, which will be read at a “get-together” later this year, when film of the expedition will be shown and gold watches will be presented to the two outstanding members of the party.
Although Melvyn is doubtful about a return visit Iceland, there is one thing is sure: “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything,” he said