Challenge of a lifetime: British explorer’s 800 miles across Saudi desert
HE HAS spent more than a month walking through one of the hottest, driest and most inhospitable places on Earth.
Mark Evans hopes to become the third Briton to cross the largest sand desert in the world
But now Mark Evans – who hopes to become the third Briton to cross the largest sand desert in the world – is nearing the end of his adventure.
The 54-year-old Shropshire born explorer is retracing the route across the Rub’ Al Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter, taken by Bristol pioneer Bertram Thomas in 1930.
His 800-mile journey has taken him through Oman and Saudi Arabia.
The Shropshire born explorer is retracing the route across the Rub’ Al Khali
On Friday, he hopes to reach his final destination, the Qatari capital of Doha, where he will be met by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Mark and his team, Mohammed Al-Zadjali, 32, and Amour Al-Wahaibi, 38, hope to replicate their predecessor’s journey accurately – they stop where Thomas did, sleep under the stars as he did and, where possible, eat exactly the same food.
On Christmas Day, they shared a tin of baked beans – because it was the same meal Thomas had enjoyed at the same place 85 years previously.
His 800-mile journey has taken him through Oman and Saudi Arabia
Weird natural phenomenon in Saudi Arabia's Empty Quarter desert
You can’t escape the British weather
But their journey so far has been difficult.
Speaking via a satellite phone from the heart of the Empty Quarter, he said: “You can’t escape the British weather.
"It hasn’t rained here for seven years but we’ve had two nights sleeping outside and it’s rained quite a substantial amount.”
On Friday, he hopes to reach his final destination, the Qatari capital of Doha
Another problem is that today’s camels are less hardy than their ancestors and more unpredictable.
“We started with four camels but we had to get rid of one,” Mark said.
“You do get very attached to them but I had no idea they were quite so jittery and nervous.”