Success! 780km, 22 days
We successfully crossed the Rub' al Khali from As Sulayyil to Haradh, with no support, carrying all our supplies of water, food and equipment a distance of approximately 780km in 22 days.
It was an incredible journey; tough physically and mentally but also a privilege to see amazing landscapes, a changing geography and meet so many welcoming people on the journey.
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Virtual expedition map to follow, but some selected instances from the journey described below:
01
Coffee break
Well earned and a chance to rest the feet and bodies from the cart hauling, and hide in shade of cart. At the beginning the carts weighed over 200kg and we were so focused on making distance in difficult circumstances, we didn't even have time for our first coffee break until after 5 days! We then made sure we had a regime of 2 coffee breaks during the day, the first at sunrise (after 2 dark hours), and the other in the afternoon.
02
Camel skeleton
The Rub' al Khali is an unforgiving place. 33 C this day but would have been close to 60C in the summer. This was on the vast plains near Rayda. A reminder that water is life, and the sun and conditions were relentless.
03
Footsteps into the unkown
Forging ahead on sand and gravel plains, where every step was new for us, we didn't know how the carts would roll, or how difficult the sand conditions would be. We got to know the nuances of the different types and colours of sand. Every footstep taken was a part of the journey, marking resilience and determination.
04
Haradh
A tarmac road and a service station at Haradh marked the end of our journey. 22 days later we had lost many kgs in weight, dehydrated and low on water.
With an expedition like this, a lot goes on to make it a success, and it's not just about the end destination, it is the journey taken ..."to seek, to strive, to find, and not to yield."
