Thinking back on this past year the first word that comes to mind is gratitude. Gratitude for my good fortune in general but most of all gratitude for the people that surround me and make up the Arctic Heli Skiing and Bergmenn Mountain Guides family. And yes that is you and all of the great people that have come together to enjoy the mountains with my team and myself in years past.
This coming season will be the 10th season of heli skiing in Iceland and our 18th season of ski touring here on the Troll Peninsula. In that time our business has grown from one man with a laptop computer on his grandparents sheep farm to a world known and respected company in the realm of mountain guiding. A company that now plays a vital role in the local community and economy, providing jobs and security to multiple families as well as having created a completely new economic reality on the Troll Peninsula with the ‘’invention’’ of the place as a must visit destination for skiing.
This would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of my staff. People that have stood by me through thick and thin and always given a 120% effort in their work of providing you and everyone else with an unforgettable adventure in the mountains of Iceland and around the globe.
I am also thankful for the fact that we finished 2016 without any major mishaps or accidents in the mountains. This is as you all know not a given in our environment and workplace and only possible when you are surrounded by a team of guides as hard working and professional as ours are. May our good fortune continue in 2017.
The 2016 season was a good one on all fronts with copious amounts of snow and good weather for the most part. Once again we provided hundreds of people with unforgettable adventures on multiple continents, from Antarctica to Iceland and beyond. For me personally it was a fantastic season as I was able to step out of the fray and focus on exploring new areas and building new products such as our new ski touring program in the East Fjords of Iceland, where I spent several weeks this past spring. Again this would not have been possible a few years ago when every waking hour was spent on overseeing the busy season on the Troll Peninsula. Now my fantastic crew pretty much runs the place and I am back to the basics of skis on snow and doing what I do best, guiding people in the mountains - and just for the record, I’m loving it!
This is exactly the recipe for another amazing year in 2017. What I hope to be a year of continued strengthening of our programs on the Troll Peninsula as well as new exciting ventures in Iceland and abroad so stay tuned, we are cooking up a storm just for you.
With that I wish you all a fantastic new year, filled with moments rather than things and exhilaration for upcoming adventures on all fronts. May our paths cross in the mountains as soon as possible.
