The Trip
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December '06 Vehicle preparation begins
Vehicle undergoes preparation in Arctic Trucks workshops. The Hilux has more than 240 hours labour spent on it including the fitment of unique in-car camera systems. A bespoke trailer is also constructed.
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February '07 Local testing begins
Local testing begins and includes deep snow evaluation on glaciers. The suspension is revised for a much firmer type after this testing.
The test drives were very successful but it was clear that people need to have more experience in driving on snow. We needed to drop to a very low tyre pressure to clear some situations.
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April 17-20 '07 Local testing begins
Local area driving testing continues with repeated cold weather start up evaluation.
It is clear that big boulder fields could become very difficult for us to pass. The info we have is that after Check Point 1 there is a boulder field at least 40 km long and up to 100 km wide.
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April 20-24 '07 Human cold weather preparation begins
Human cold weather preparation begins including three days camping on the sea ice, a five mile walk with equipment and sledges, makeshift aircraft runway building and polar bear training. Satellite imagery was obtained by the BBC which helped with route planning.
The last two nights we have been sleeping on the ice, putting up the tent many times and being trained how to face polar bears. We also practised walking while pulling a sled in case this became necessary.
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April 25 '07 Challenge begins
Film crew, presenters and all support teams leave Resolute at 13.00 for the Magnetic North Pole - 320 nautical miles away. The day's target destination was Bathurst Island. Garmin 276 satellite navigation systems and laptops were used for route analysis. These systems were particularly useful as the local Innuits had limited knowledge of the terrain beyond Bathurst Island and, using the satellite data, land height lines could be clearly seen and navigated.
The ice was rather smooth as we set off from Resolute and we were able to drive quite quickly. We arrived at the campsite around 10 in the evening and ate dinner at around 2 am.
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April 28 '07 Tough terrain
The Hilux makes its way across very tough terrain consisting of 20 - 200cm thick ice which was broken up with sharp edges and frozen solid into even thicker ice with pressure ridges. On top of this was snow up to 1m thick, making it difficult to obtain good traction.
Now we found ourselves in a fight to try to find the best way through this. I went ahead, climbing up to the highest ice ridges to get a better view.
The car edged its way through, over or inbetween one obstacle after another. Eventually we found some smoother areas and set up camp very late that night.
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April 29 '07 Conditions are taking their toll
Local Innuit guide Glyde and Emil Grimsson of Arctic Trucks scout ahead on snowmobiles to find a clear path for the vehicle, and where necessary cut down ice boulders with chainsaws and ice axes. The Hilux sustained some damage to the additional fuel tank and rear shock absorber after a collision with an ice block but this was able to be temporarily repaired.
Judging from the satellite photo, we had 4-5 km to go until we would get to a large area with one year old ice which would be better to drive on.
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May 2 '07 (AM) We made it!
The next morning the GPS confirmed that we had arrived at the magnetic North Pole, our Hilux followed by the supporting Land Cruiser and another Hilux had made the trip across the snow and were ready to turn around and carry us back to Resolute.
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May 2 '07 (PM) Vehicle moves to Issachen disused weather station
The Hilux is moved to Issachen disused weather station approximately 20 miles from the Magnetic North Pole. This is a large group of buildings and a runway which was last in full operation 29 years ago. The runway is used annually for moving Polar Challenge competitors out of the area but all other evidence of life there simply stopped in 1978.
A very eerie place with period newspapers, shoes, unfinished food, furniture covered in snow, bear footprints and doors banging in the wind!
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May 3-7 '07 The return journey
The Hilux Invincible had lived up to its name, and although bore the scars of its gruelling trek, was in good enough shape to complete the return journey back to Resolute.
It was a great adventure, Although at times the terrain looked impassable, the vehicles and drivers always stood up to the challenge.