The 30-day expedition, facilitated by Hyundai Motor, saw Patrick and small team take on almost 5,800km of icy terrain in bitter conditions. They not only had to cover extreme distances at temperatures down to minus 28-degrees Celsius but also had to plot new paths on floating ice caps.
Arctic Trucks were approached by Hyundai Motor due to their Antarctica expertise in route-planning and vehicle re-engineering that allows tackling extreme conditions and terrain. A front and rear sup frames were built under the Santa Fe to fit the portal gear and hold new suspension and steering system. Large fender flares were fitted to accommodate the Arctic Trucks 38 inch tyres.
The Arctic Trucks expedition team arrived ahead of Patrik Bergel to prepare the support vehicles for the mission. The support trucks, which have all serviced many expeditions in previous seasons, would spend 10 months during the Antarctica winter before being digged up again. Strong winds pack snow around the cars and around the engine but the interior normally is well preserved as the team would tape up all breathing holes before leaving. For this particular expedition three support vehicles were used: two 6×6 AT44-s and one AT44.
