Arctic Trucks

Today we met the snowmobile-train, the Norwegian Antarctic Research Expedition conducting a science survey in Antarctica.  They started off from the Norwegian base last year towards the South Pole  and are now on their way back from the South Pole heading towards the fuel drop.   It was really special and enjoyable to meet them there.   We have now tried to drive in their track and it is really good, my fuel consumption is close to half compared to making the track, which is great as their track is going rest of the way to the Pole.   We are having a small problem with Kenny‘s car but I‘m working on it.   I heard from Hjalti and they are making a very good process so hopefully they will be with us within a few days.

All the best,  Gísli

January 6th, at 22:30.

Click here to go the webpage of the Norwegian Antarctic Research Expedition.

We are in good spirit, we have rested here at the start line today, I took some time to look at the cars and everything seems to be working fine.   Yesterday we drove 50 km south to film the competitors and then came back here.    The snow conditions are ok, still a bit heavy, and the first car can make the track doing 20 to 25 km/h with a fuel consumption approx 75 to 80 liters per 100km.   The second car that follows in the track has much lower fuel consumption but following the track does not allow us to go much faster as the track becomes very uneven.   Tomorrow we plan to take the film crew and some extra oil, 200km south and set up a new camp there.   We will leave them and go back to the start line for our crew and stuff the following day.   The fastest ski team is doing much more distance than anybody expected, during the first two days they have covered 100km and the distance between the first and the last team is already very big, this could impose a new challenge for us to be able to support everyone.   

Send everyone our best wishes. – Gisli.

January 5th, at 22:50

We are now finally back on track, we left the 400km fuel drop 50 minutes ago.  We are driving in Gisli‘s and Kenny‘s tracks, the track is full of snow but we can still see it.  It is a fairly easy drive but we are going 20-25 km/h.  

Sending our best – Hjalti

January 5th, at 19:20

The race just started,  the competitors are disappearing into the white right now.   We will stay here one more night  and I will use the time to bring more fuel from the old start line and further south. Hopefully Hjalti and Tony will be able to get here without problems but in case not I‘m now preparing for the scenario that Hjalti and Tony will not come.    The snow conditions around the fuel drop where very tough and even though it is a bit lighter here I‘m assuming the worst,  meaning the fuel consumption will be somewhat higher than we expected.  Around the fuel drop I could only do 5 km/h  when tracking ahead alone but with Kenny behind and using the push bar we could do 15 km/h.  Once the track is hard, it is easy to follow,  the fuel consumption falls drastically but less if the wind has filled the tracks with snow.    Still the hard track is often very uneven that really pushes the suspension.  One shock absorber in Kenny’s car got damaged but I managed to fix that quickly.   With only two cars and one trailer but having to carry equipment and people meant for 4 cars and 4 trailers, we will need to do many trips back and forth along the race line.  If the snow conditions will be very tough we will not have enough fuel to do this for more than a few hundred km.

January 4th, at 10:20.

Gísli Jónsson

We have moved the start line 70 km south, found a good place there to land and marked it well for the flight that should come in later tonight.    We are back at the old start line fishing up fuel that was dropped here some time ago, the parachutes did not open and so the barrels sunk deep in the snow but we are doing ok finding them and getting them out thanks to the crane we have.  Now as we don‘t have the other two cars with us for the next few days the pressure on us has increased considerably.    Before the competitors land we plan to have moved 35 barrels there.   With only two cars and one trailer this means a few trips.   Once the plane lands we need to take on the BBC film crew and their stuff, 5 guys and really function as two teams until Hjalti and Tony come.  It is going to be very crowded, the cars heavy and we are going to have to go back and forth along the race line.   The weather is good and the conditions ok but with this load of fuel we had to use push bar which is working very well.   It also prevents Kenny to hit me again, but once he felt a sleep driving and drove straight into me and damaged the rear hatch.  The cars are still doing great, the engine is fantastic and I‘m really happy for all the preparation we made back home.

Gísli Jónsson

Friday January 2nd 2009, at 14:00

Gísli

We are planning to leave from here in a few hours; the flight has been confirmed, later tonight.  It is a bit cloudy now but very nice weather.   I‘ve been trying to download the track from Gisli but the connection is too unstable.... (the connection was cut off)

Friday 2. Jan 2009 at 12:40

Hjalti

After having driven the last 500 km in 40 hours, we rested at the old start line.  We are now up again and driving towards a new start line.  We will find a good spot to land on and then go back to the old start line get some fuel that is there and move it to the new start line.  The weather is good and the snow conditions fine.... (the connection was cut off)

Thursday  1. Jan 2009 at 19:30

Dr. Ian