Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Encore #2: The Valley of Steam

Episode Date: July 10, 2026

Narrator: Thomas Jones 🇬🇧 Writer: Thomas Jones ✍️ Sound effects: car driving on road 🚗  Welcome back, sleepyheads. Tonight, we return to one of our earliest episodes - from late 2019. Reykjadalur is a spectacular geothermal valley in Iceland that you can hike through, reaching a point where the natural waters that run through the mountains are the perfect temperature to bathe in. 😴 Get Sleepy Premium Listen completely ad-free and access our entire catalogue of stories and meditations by subscribing to our ⁠⁠premium feed.⁠⁠ Your support means the world to us and makes it possible to keep the show running! ❤️ Get your 7-day free trial: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠getsleepy.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠ Connect Stay up to date on all our news and even vote on upcoming episodes! Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠slumberstudios.com/getsleepy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/getsleepypod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/getsleepypod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our Apps Redeem exclusive unlimited access to Premium content for 1 month FREE in our mobile apps built by the Get Sleepy and Slumber Studios team: Deep Sleep Sounds: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠deepsleepsounds.com/getsleepy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Slumber: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠slumber.fm/getsleepy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FAQs Have a query for us or need help with something? You might find your answer here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get Sleepy FAQs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ About Get Sleepy Get Sleepy is the #1 storytelling podcast designed to help you get a great night’s rest. By combining sleep meditations with a relaxing bedtime story, each episode will guide you gently towards sleep. Thank you so much for listening! Feedback? Let us know your thoughts! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠slumberstudios.com/contact-us/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios. Check out our podcasts, apps, and more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠slumberstudios.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. That’s all for now. Sweet dreams ❤️ 😴 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios. To listen, add free, access our entire catalogue of episodes and support the show directly. Check out our premium feed by going to get sleepy.com slash support. Now, a quick word from our sponsors. Hey, it's Andrew. I'm the host of Send Me to Sleep, another sleep-inducing podcast from the Slumber Studio. network. On Send Me to Sleep, you'll find classic stories specially narrated to help your mind relax and drift off into a good night's rest. Some fan favorites are The Secret Garden, Emily of New Moon,

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I look forward to seeing you now. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. This is our second encore episode, and I'm so excited to be revisiting this story tonight. It's one that I wrote a number of years ago after an amazing visit to Iceland. Iceland. Iceland is one of the most scenic and breathtaking countries I've ever been to, and the lesser-known spot featured in tonight's story was a real highlight of the whole trip. If you ever get a chance to visit, I really do recommend it. Affectionately called the Valley of Steam, probably for the benefit of us English-speaking folk.

Rick Yadalur is a spectacularly. geothermal valley that you can hike through, reaching a point where the natural waters that run down the mountains are the perfect warm temperature to bathe in. So, ensure you're nice and cozy in your bed. Allow your eyes to close if you're yet to do so, and prepare to be transported to the Icelandic mountains. This is where our story begins. Approximately 50 kilometres outside of the Icelandic capital, Rikovic, lies a secluded feet of nature. The Valley of Steam.

This isn't a tourist hotspot like the infamous Giza's or Gulfos Waterfall. Visitors here tend to learn of its existence by what. word of mouth, making for a unique and intimate experience. As you pull up amongst a scattering of parked cars at the end of a long, tarmac road, you open the door and step out into the crisp, clear air of rural Iceland. It's a late afternoon in early November, and the sun is just beginning to dim ever so slightly, as evening, draws near. There is a small cafe situated on the right of the road, with several rambler types sat inside. They're enjoying a hot drink after a hike of their own. Just as they are, you're well

prepared for the ultra-cold climate. Tup in warm multiple layers. A thick scar and gloves. You pull a backpack out of the boot, stuffed with bath towels and swimming. It's a certified paradox to what you'd expect to be carrying in such conditions. Such as the magic of this geothermal valley. As you begin the hike into the mountains, you encounter a few early obstacles. Firstly, a small and narrow bridge across a shallow stream of water and a rocky surface. From here the root leads into an expanse of orangey brown, slightly sandy mud path. Already, you're greeted with a collection of steamy hot pools.

They generate a thick white fog that climbs high into the air and drifts across the mountains on the ice-cold breeze. The unique sight instantly fills your body with dopamine-fueled joy. Sulfuric gases linger in the air. giving off a smell that is akin to rotten eggs. It's rather less revolting, however, in the knowledge that the smell is credit to a pure and natural wonder. Streams of hot water flow down through the crevices in the mountain surface.

Some so hot that they might scold you if touched, skipping over the bubbling streams and miniature pools of water brings a childlike sense of amusement to the faces of all visitors. Further up the initial hill, an information sign explains that the walk to the bathing pools is roughly three kilometres long, with the evening beginning to draw in, a hasty pace will be required. Over the next hour, the mountains wind round and round, up and down, and the hike certainly isn't a park-like stroll. The route is easy to follow as you walk a purpose-made path

covered in a dark grey layer of gravel, stands out against the plush greenery of grass, trees and hedges, and it will come in handy on the return journey also. Tired legs are frequently invigorated by the awe of the scenery across the vast landscape. In the greater depths of winter, these mountains are invariably covered with thick layers of snow. Daylight lasts as little as four to five hours during this time,

and the walk would therefore be even more challenging and dangerous. However, the sky above is clear and the sunlight is bright enough to illuminate the mountains for now. As the height continues, the altitude gradually drops as you head to, towards the valley, there's an abundance of streams and obstacles to cross. Most are achievable, thanks to makeshift bridges and other inventive methods. A hiker clearly needs a sense of trust and courage in oneself to make it to the eventual promised land, not least for the fact that daylight is becoming more and more dim. Thoughts of turning back creep into the mind as you realise

the scope of this trek, which feels a lot longer than three kilometres at this point. The repeated twists and turns of the pathway as it winds around the mountains, keep you wishful that the bathing pools are just around the next corner. Inevitably, this leads to frustration and concern with nighttime on its way. However, after navigating a few more tricky obstacles, You begin to see thick clouds of steam flowing out of the mountainside in the near distance. For a short time, the pathway runs adjacent to a bubbling hot stream of water, emitting a thick white fog. The sign warns that the temperature of the water exceeds 100 degrees Celsius.

As you wander through, the steam warms the exposed skin of your face. Your sight is distorted and you take extra care with each step. Drong-sulfuric odour penetrates your nostrils as you breathe heavily up the toilsome climb. Before long the fog clears again and a small sign appears to your right to the delight of every hiker. It reads, Valley of Hot Springs 250 meters. The legs are revitalized with energy. The final part of the trek is experienced with great anticipation as you scamper with hurried legs towards the valley.

Small signs continue to count down every 50 meters before eventually the mountains open up and you see a wonderful network of steamy streams. The sun glistens on the water as it drops below the horizon. It's like a gift. The bathing streams are complemented by mermaid bridges and platforms alongside. Being late in the day, most remaining visitors are packing their swimwear, ready to head back through the mountains. However, as you walk a couple of minutes further upstream,

there is a dozen or so visitors still enjoying the warm waters. some of them have brought alcoholic beverages and are clearly frequenters to Reykjadello. Next to this busy spot is a sight screen, providing some privacy for changing into swimwear, bearing a mind that the temperature is at best zero Celsius or 32 Fahrenheit. The thought of removing your copious layers of thermal clothing is quite terrifying. after reluctantly changing into a tire that would usually be reserved for a hot summer's day. You rush from behind the sight screen and head for the water. Even now, it still seems inconceivable that the natural spring could be warm enough

to nullify the chill of the Icelandic air. However, as you carefully take your first step into the water, you realize why so many people make the long hike to get here. The shallow liquid that rises just above knee height gently immerses your skin. It looks as clear as the water you drink from a tap and it fills as warm, if not warmer, than the water you would bathe and shower in at home.

You feel yourself overcome with a delightful, sense of softness and peace, feeling complete gratitude for the moment. This is an experience unlike you lower your body down, laying stretched out beneath the surface of the water. Instantly your muscles relax and you feel at total ease. Bowing yourself a moment to appreciate the soft, warm water on your skin. might even be inclined to lay back and immerse your neck and head in the warmth as well. When you open your eyes again, you see nature's beauty on display all around.

The evening sun casting shadows across the immense mountainous land. In the midst of this enchanted valley, you feel cut off from the rest of the world. hiding place, shared only with a few strangers, chatting away in their native language. The scent of sulphur still very much, but by now your nasal senses are used to it. Beneath you, the rocky bed of the stream is smooth but firm. Finding a comfortable position and keeping fairly still is therefore, and as you lay, the water flows so gently and create It's a tranquil sound as it washes over the rocks. For as long as you please, you can simply kick back and absorb yourself in the beauty

of your surrounding. I even feel yourself beginning to ease into a sleepy state. Your muscle and helps you feel completely cozy and restful. Light fading. Lay your head on the soft, grassy verge and feel the goodness of the fresh warm water on your skin. You breathe the crisp, cool, unpolluted air deep into your lung, as if experiencing a full body deep.

You lay warm and enveloped a magical stream and braving the cold, full clothing. Your muscles are relaxed and refreshed, but most of the return route is on a gentle declining gradient. All is calm and fully contented in the valley of steam.