FANTASTIC VOYAGE

NICOLE VAUNT SHARES HER JOURNEY TO

THE LAND OF FIRE AND ICE

ELOQUENT Nicole Vaunt, July 2020’s Penthouse Pet, says, “Exploring the southern coast of Iceland is a dream come true. This arctic island is endlessly inspiring: the geothermal pools run blue, mist hangs heavy on the mountains and each bend in Ring Road brings you to another beautiful waterfall.”

Nicole’s recent visit to the Nordic nation was her third, and the blue-eyed beauty admits, “I would travel there for the magical landscape alone, but this time I had a more mischievous motive in mind—posing on and among the giant, epic icebergs!”

The provocative model says of her edgy shoots, “I love knowing I’m adjacent to danger, but conveying serenity and ease as I move fluidly through each pose.”

Having grown up on the water, Nicole knows it can be as beautiful as it is deadly. “‘Never turn your back on the ocean’ is an old lifeguard motto for a reason, but I live for the rush of adrenaline that comes from creating in a risky environment,” she explains. “I was on my toes—literally and figuratively—never forgetting the sneaker waves on the black sand beach of Reynisfjara could surge up and overtake me at any moment.”

This adventurous spirit confesses she did underestimate one risk: Icelandic horses. “Don’t let the locals hear you call them ponies!” she warns. “They are tiny, on average between 13 and 14 hands [which is less than 60 inches tall], but I soon realized they have a very spirited temperament!

“The first part of our shoot was easy. Sitting astride a chestnut-brown fellow, I felt calm and glorious, alternating between pretending I was Lady Godiva and a general leading her troops into battle. The trouble started when I dismounted and started posing with him and his mare. Holding the reins of both—and feeling like a winsome maid enjoying her return from the fields—I felt a sharp nip on my left arm! Apparently, Princess felt I’d gotten a little too cuddly with her mate and she needed to remind me of my place. She’s an aptly named little gal. That ended the shoot, and I walked away wondering what a real bite felt like—and if I’d gotten off with just a warning!”

Next, Nicole achieved her goal of posing amid icebergs at the Jökulsárlón lagoon.

“Cold water can make immersion deadly; it drains your body heat up to four times faster than cold air. The ambient temperature on Iceland’s Diamond Beach in September is 50 F, but the average temperature in the Jökulsárlón lagoon is 25 to 30 F,” she says.

“I picked a favorable iceberg and waded into the water with a gasp and a laugh. In extreme environments like that it’s vital to know what you’re doing and do it quickly. I always check the forecast beforehand, and I’m very good at getting undressed in less than 10 seconds. Sometimes I get dressed again even more quickly!”

Nicole recalls, “Five minutes into the shoot, the sound of a glacier calving went off like a gunshot. I knew I had less than a minute to scramble back to shore because the resulting waves would toss me off my frigid perch. The light was perfect, and I wanted to continue. But I knew I shouldn’t, and the photographer finally yelled, ‘Don’t be a hero!’ I’ve learned to listen. No photo is worth an injury or death. My lower limbs were lobster red when I emerged, and I was carried back to where my shoes and hot chocolate were waiting.

“My feet were frigid, but I couldn’t stop smiling. I did something new—something no one else has accomplished. When I climbed into bed that night, I drifted off with a deep feeling of contentment.”

The next morning, Nicole awoke to the soft light of morning but lingered under the covers with a cozy wool blanket by her side that was locally knit from the “absolutely adorable sheep” dotting the entire countryside.

She says, “Aside from a few scratches and a small bruise blossoming on my thigh, I felt amazing. But there was one more thing I wanted to do before I went home, and I was glad my photographer was as happy documenting playtime as he was adventure time. ;)”

INSTAGRAM: @vauntastic

WEBSITE: vauntastic.com