Crossing Saudi Arabia on foot 10 days in and my feet are not happy. I have blisters on my blisters. Thank goodness for compeed, my Mum’s tramadol and the Dunkirk spirit.

It was a whirlwind of a start – details in the podcast here – but now I have had time to settle into the rythmn of it a little.

The team is full of humour (L to R: Abu Ali, Abu Abdullah, Shaya, Alan) and ready to enjoy every possible moment. Shaya is walking with me and I am hoping that we can end up finishing this world-first together: a Scot and a Saudi. He treads lightly through the world, helpful and full of information but with a laugh always ready to burst out. He is also a wicked mimic.

Alan is our route maestro and mapper and finds the best camping spots. Tonight, I am nestled in my fluffily-lined tent amongst dozens of petroglyphs. He has lived here for 27 years and has a deep knowledge and love for the country.

Abu Abdullah is camp manager, drives the back up car. He is a fantastic cook with a natty taste in head coverings. Then there is Abu Ali from the Sudan who is our camelteer. He is full of stories but very deaf which is a complex combination. 

Juicy (Jusy) and Lulu are our camels – these are Saudi girls’ names and Shaya chose them. His Mum, grandmother and wife are all called Lulu, which means pearl in Arabic. They are much gentler than male camels and nibble at you softly for their daily treats. Juicy loves an oat hobnob and Lulu is more of a fruit girl. 

We are walking a good 25km a day and over very varied terrain but always in vast desert landscapes. The weather has been perfect with blue skies and a cold nip in the air. 

We have already seen so much and made so many discoveries. I now know how to tell a wolf print from a dog print. The wolf puts his hind leg right next to his foreleg when he walks. We found stone-age hand axes in one camp and tonight we are surrounded by knights and camels carved out of the stone thousands of years ago. We even found an ancient game chiselled in to a rock. Abu Ali and Abu Abdullah knew how to play and the competition was fierce.

Time now for some spiced coffee and a rest. 

Follow the adventure on the podcast, X, instagram, and facebook. We are generously supported by the Saudi Tourism Authority – check out their Visit Saudi website – and the Royal Commission for AlUla. I can’t wait to do some more exploring there after filming the BBC series – Arabian Adventures – in Hegra.