The People
The South Pole is a place that demands the most of human nature, being the only continent on the planet that does not have humans as natural inhabitants. Not only does the environment require specialized skills for living and surviving but also a balanced and though mentally.
Few places in the world breed this kind of personality better than the country of Iceland, here people have lived and prospered on and above the Arctic Circle.
Icelanders has been brought up to enjoy the almost impossible to traverse topography their nation offers. This is done by modifying cars that don’t plough through the deep snow on the glaciers but “floats” on top of it on humongous wheels and tires. These cars are a reflection of the Icelandic nature, overcoming impossible challenges by thinking out of the box.
Hjalti Vigfús Hjaltason
Hjalti is born in Iceland on September 24th 1969 and has been working for Arctic Trucks in Iceland as a foreman at the modification garage since 1997. He is a very experienced driver and has build used his 4X4 vehicles in the harsh Icelandic environment since he was a teenager.
In April 2007 Hjalti took part in a grueling and adventurous trip, over 1000 kilometers to the Magnetic North Pole. This expedition was organized by BBC’s television show “Top Gear”, associated by Toyota UK and Arctic Trucks. Hjalti’s role in this expedition was being a driver and a mechanic. This expedition was, in Hjalti‘s own words from the Top Gear show: „A great success“.
Gísli Jónsson
Gísli is born in Iceland on July 7th 1977. He has been working at Arctic Trucks Iceland modification shop since 1998 and he has worked on modifications of cars for expeditions to Antarctica, Greenland and the Magnetic Pole. This is however the first time he will be going on an expedition himself.
Gísli has been a member of a Search and Rescue team in Iceland for over 12 years and has 15 years of off-road driving experience. He has taken part in countless rescue expeditions all over Iceland, often as a group leader, both in summer and wintertime. Those expeditions are often made under extreme pressure and in the worst weather imaginable. This experience will no doubt be very useful to Gísli in the harsh terrain of Antarctica. Gísli has always been fascinated by the Polar Regions and he has dreamed of joining an expedition of this kind. Now it looks like his dream will come true!
The team building the cars
As important as driving and maintaining the cars in polar conditions are the skills and experience to build the machines that has to ensure the mobility and safety necessary for the people using them.
The team of mechanics are employees of Arctic Trucks Iceland, they all have many years of building highly specialized cars for Icelanders, rescue teams and not least themselves and their families.