As a child, I would often fall asleep in my father's Ford F-250 pickup truck and wake up surrounded by Iceland's wild landscapes. Those drives are some of my earliest memories and the reason I built a fleet of Ford trucks later in life, including a Bronco that was the very first vehicle I bought brand new.
Looking back, I realise they gave me far more than an appreciation for beautiful places — they sparked a curiosity about what lay beyond the next mountain and created a lifelong trust in the vehicles that made those journeys possible.
Even as a young boy, I spent every opportunity exploring the area around my grandparents' farm, first on foot and later by bike. My father, who also held a pilot's licence, would often take me flying across Iceland.
From the air I'd spot waterfalls, glaciers and distant peaks, then return home and find them on a map before setting out to discover them myself. Every journey deepened my connection with nature, and without realising it, those adventures shaped the direction of my life.
Watching a documentary about mountaineering introduced me to the world of expeditions. I began climbing mountains, camping in extreme conditions and learning the skills needed to travel safely through some of the world's harshest environments.
I wasn't chasing danger — I was chasing understanding. I wanted to experience places that few people ever see and discover what they could teach me about both nature and myself.
As I grew older, I realised I didn't want a life defined by offices or routine. I wanted to build a career that allowed me to share the same sense of wonder I had experienced growing up.
Early in my career, I helped build one of Iceland's leading adventure companies, where I learned how to guide people safely through Iceland's unpredictable landscapes.
Built on Trust
Those years reinforced something I already knew from childhood: when you're responsible for other people's safety in remote environments, reliability isn't optional. As our expeditions grew, we needed vehicles capable of handling Iceland's demanding conditions day after day. Having experienced the off-road capabilities of Ford trucks, I knew where to look for reliable vehicles.
Choosing Ford wasn't simply about the trucks themselves — it was about trust. The same confidence I had developed sitting beside my father as a child had become something I relied upon professionally. In remote places, dependable equipment allows you to focus on the experience rather than worrying about the journey.
Over time, I felt my own path evolving beyond guiding. I wanted to travel further, photograph more remote places and tell stories that inspired others to experience nature for themselves.
My work became about much more than reaching destinations. It became about helping people build a genuine connection with the natural world. I believe that when people truly experience its beauty, they become far more motivated to protect it.
That philosophy eventually led me to Storm Expeditions, where we create journeys through some of the world's most extraordinary and demanding environments.
Every expedition depends on preparation, teamwork and trust. Whether driving through Arctic blizzards, crossing glaciers or waiting beneath clear skies for the Northern Lights to appear, success comes from respecting nature rather than trying to conquer it.
Along the way, my Ford fleet became part of those adventures. My Bronco1, light-duty F-150 pickup and modified six-door Super Duty F-350 pickup each earned their own personalities — and their own names: Bumblebee, Beauty and the Beast.
After thousands of kilometres together, they became much more than vehicles. They were trusted companions that carried our team safely into the most remote and difficult places.
The Highest Peak
My work has taken me across Antarctica, to the North Pole and through some of the most remote regions on Earth. Each expedition has taught me something different, but standing on the summit of Mount Everest in 2021 remains one of the defining moments of my life.
Everest challenged me in ways I never expected. During the expedition I contracted COVID, which I didn't realise until the symptoms became apparent during the descent, while also pushing through a knee injury. The climb ultimately came at a significant cost to my health, and I continue to live with the long-term effects today.
Would I make every decision the same way again? With the benefit of hindsight, probably not. But I will never regret standing on that summit. Some experiences change the way you see the world forever. Everest taught me resilience, gratitude and humility — lessons that have become even more important in the years since.
Recovery has become its own expedition. Unlike climbing a mountain, there is no map, no fixed route and no summit date. It requires patience, persistence and learning to celebrate progress that others may never see.
While I've had to step away from many of the adventures I love, the experience has given me an even deeper appreciation for the places that have shaped my life and the people who have supported me along the way.
Today, I'm proud that many of the projects and expeditions I've helped create continue to inspire others to explore responsibly. My focus now is on rebuilding my health so I can return to doing what I love most: helping people experience the world's wild places and discover the same sense of wonder that first inspired me as a child.
Looking back, Ford has been a constant throughout that journey — from falling asleep in my father's F-250 as a young boy to leading expeditions across some of the world's most demanding landscapes. I've chosen Ford because I needed a partner I could trust in places where reliability is essential.
And I look forward to the day I can once again point the wheels toward the horizon and discover what's waiting beyond the next mountain.
Siggi Bjarni is an expeditions expert and co-founder of Storm Expeditions
1 Ford Bronco homologated CO2 emissions 257-288 g/km, homologated fuel efficiency 11.3-12.7 l/100 km. The declared WLTP fuel/energy consumptions and CO2-emissions are determined according to the technical requirements and specifications of the European Regulations (EC) 715/2007 and (EU) 2017/1151 as last amended. The applied standard test procedures enable comparison between different vehicle types and different manufacturers.
