Celebrating Christmas at the South Pole
Einar Torfi Finnsson will be spending two months away from his wife and two children. Mbl/ Kristinn Ingvarsson
Mountain guide Einar Torfi Finnsson will not be spending a traditional Christmas in Iceland but will be taking his cross-country skis and a group of three people to the South Pole. The trip is organised by Icelandic Mountain Guides and Adventure Consultants and will take approximately two months.
Finnsson has worked as a mountain guide for years and has experience from taking groups across Sprengisandur and Vatnajökull in Iceland, as well as several trips to Greenland. He leaves for Punta Arena in Chile on November 15th and from there he flies to the South Pole where the skiing trek begins. The group will be dragging 70 kilos of supplies with them on a pulka and will be getting supplies three times on their journey. Temperatures as they get nearer to the Pole will be reaching -40 degrees Centigrade with a continuous wind facing them which adds a wind chill of -20 to -30 degrees.
When asked how it feels to be away from his wife and two children at Christmas he answers that his family are not thrilled at the prospect, but that this time he could'nt say no to such an adventure. His wife is also an experienced guide and the family have travelled extensively together, both in Iceland and abroad.
Icelandic Mountain Guides are organising further trips to both the South Pole and the North Pole and offer a trip to the latter starting at 89° and 111 km.
