Glacier Trips

Why arrange a glacier-focused trip?

Bring the topic to life

Living in a country where there are no glaciers left, the topic of glaciers can sometimes seem a bit abstract for students. A school trip focusing on glaciers can help to bring the topic to life for them.

The Yorkshire Dales are famous for limestone pavements, which were created when glaciers scoured the bedrock. Your students will be fascinated by the opportunity to explore this spectacular evidence of glacial erosion.

The Yorkshire Dales are also home to many U-shaped valleys, carved out by glaciers during the last ice age. And when the glaciers retreated, they left behind banks of moraine and fields of drumlins. Visiting some of these will help to bring the geography they’ve learnt in the classroom to life. Your students will better understand the effect that glaciers have had on the landscape and will deepen their understanding of the processes that have created the landscape they see before them.

Whether you choose to visit the Yorkshire Dales, to see how glaciers have shaped one of our most iconic landscapes or prefer to travel to Iceland or Switzerland to see glaciers first-hand, your students will love this opportunity to see geography in action.

While a trip in the UK can show your students the effects that glaciers have on a landscape, the one thing it can’t offer is the opportunity for them to see a glacier for themselves.

Iceland and the Swiss Alps both offer the opportunity to see glaciers and are fantastic destinations for supporting this topic both at GCSE and A Level.

In Iceland, students will experience first-hand the natural system of a glacier and how geomorphological processes affect the landforms within this dynamic landscape.

You’ll be able to visit the Sólheimajökull glacier, which will be an unforgettable experience for your students. They’ll likely be impressed by its size, but it’s currently retreating at a rate of about 100m every year. Your students will be able to see how the glacier has carved out the valley and this will help bring glacial processes to life for them.

An excellent alternative to a trip to the Swiss Alps – here your students will enhance their understanding of glaciers whilst experiencing the ecosystems and biodiversity of this alpine country.

This diverse destination offers something for all ages – A-Level students can use this destination for their case studies, while GCSE students may like to complete a field activity related to glaciers.

You’ll be able to visit Langgletscher where, as well as seeing a glacier for themselves, your students will also be able to follow a trail that tells the story of how the landscape around the glacier was created, and how the glacier has changed over time due to nature, climate change and human activity.

Inspire them

The opportunity to explore the power of glaciers in shaping our landscapes can also inspire a real passion for geography in your students. After all, by getting out into the field, they’ll see how crucial geography is for helping us to understand the world around us.

They’ll also have the opportunity to learn more about how climate change is affecting glaciers. Seeing how quickly some of these glaciers are retreating is shocking and will show them just how critical the situation is becoming.

Your school trip may not only inspire them to love your subject, it could inspire them to want to get involved in protecting the environment and battling climate change.

Enjoy the trip as much as your students

Originally founded by former teachers, we understand the value of geography school trips and how to make them successful.

Your trip will be completely tailor-made, to ensure that it meets your specific requirements and learning objectives. And we’ll be on hand throughout the process to answer any questions you have.

In fact, we’ll be with you every step of the way, from now until you return home at the end of your trip. While abroad, you’ll be able to reach us with just one phone call, at any time of the day or night. And, with this comprehensive level of support, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy immersing yourself as much as your students.