Spencer Smirl

At 28, Spencer is the youngest member of the expedition. He grew up in Peace River, a remote town in Alberta, Canada. As a child he developed a love of the great outdoors, spending family weekends camping and exploring the local river valley. Spencer has been an off-road motorcycling enthusiast from an early age, which prompted a lifelong interest in mechanics. In 2003 he joined Finning as a first-year apprentice and has worked with the company ever since. He has much experience working on the Caterpillar D6 series of tractor, as well doing overhauls on large bulldozers and assembling large mining haul trucks. Since 2011, he has been working at the Ekati diamond mine facility near the Arctic Circle, so he is used to the complete darkness, extreme temperatures and isolation of these regions. Spencer leapt at the chance to enrol for a place on The Coldest Journey and was named as one of the two mechanics on the ice after a rigorous selection process. Of his expedition team, Spencer said: “I couldn`t imagine a better team of men to trust my life to. I am very excited and anxiously count down the days until departure.”