Stuck On A Mountain For 12 Days In A NATO Radar Station

Working at one of Iceland’s four radar stations, which play a key role in NATO’s airspace defense of the country, can certainly be a lonely job. But when foul weather last month trapped one worker all by himself in the radar station on top of Gunnólfsvíkurfjall mountain for 12 days, he took a decidedly nonchalant outlook on the situation.

Gunnólfsvíkurfjall has an elevation of about 600 metres, and is located on the edge of northeast Iceland. As can be seen from these photos from the Icelandic Coast Guard, it’s an ideal location for people who enjoy working alone. (Article continues after photos)

The ability, or even the preference, to work alone was put to the test last December, Fréttablaðið reports, as Halldór Halldórsson began his shift at Gunnólfsvíkurfjall and remained there for the next 12 days. While this might prove daunting for some, Halldór took the situation with unflappable grace.

“We naturally have plenty of food and all that stuff, so we don’t require any outside help and can be there for a full month without assistance,” he said.

Normally, two workers are assigned to the station, but the other worker who was supposed to be on the scene was ill when the bad weather began. Halldór shrugged it off, and focused on his work to pass the time.

“It wasn’t a bad time,” he told reporters. “This is just a part of the job to respond when something happens, to work your shift and finish your job. It passed by quickly.”

Hopefully this story can give a person a sense of perspective if they feel lonely on the job—or something to aspire to if they happen to work in an open-plan office with very talkative co-workers.