Crossing Saudi Stage 2. The expedition starts on the 10th October. This time I face 1300km across those desert sands. I begin in Madinah and I end in Najran.

Crossing Saudi Stage 2 fast facts

• 70 days on the move: 63 days walking, 7 days for rest and exploration
• 1,370km from Madinah, one of Islam’s holiest cities, to Najran on the ancient Incense Route
• Terrain: wild, remote west coast interior, with all nights spent wild camping
• Support: vehicles fitted with water tanks for critical resupply
• Team: from Saudi company MAD Adventures including Shaya Al Shaya and Khalid Al Rabiah from stage one and also our trusty navigator Alan Morrissey

Lulu and Juicy

They are with me again and when I went to visit them in Saudi in our summer break, they were looking very fat and happy. I can’t wait to walk with them although I suspect Juicy will drag me along, if she is full of oats. Let’s hope this time we can keep them from running away from us and injuring themselves.

Check out my as it happened film of what they did last time.

The route for Crossing Saudi Stage 2

The final stage of the expedition will start in Madinah where I ended Stage 1 – here is that story.  From there I head to Aseer Province, which is a mountainous area with its own culture and where the men are known for wearing flowers in their hair.

Heading south, I pass through Rijal Almaa and the Uruq Bani Ma’arid wildlife sanctuary – and I am hoping we will see some hyenas and wolves – maybe even a leopard! The expedition will end near Najran at the border with Yemen, famous for the amazing clay architecture.

The first stage began on 1 January 2025 at the Jordan border at Halat Ammar. It continued through the harrat, crossing Darb al Haj, the Pilgrimage Route, the Prince Mohamed Bin Salman Royal Reserve, and a big highlight for me – AlUla.

Arabian Adventures for the BBC

That is where I filmed Arabian Adventures for the BBC which looked at the Secrets of the Nabateans. You can watch a scene here and check if it is still on iPlayer.

Once again, I was welcomed there so warmly and got to see an oryx in the wild (successfully reintroduced) and also learn about the amazing Dadanite Kingdom. I think you’ll hear how excited I was in the podcast.

Hopes and fears

I hope that I achieve my goal and reach Najran safely having walked the whole of Saudi Arabia north to south. It is so important to me that the whole team enjoys it and that we become and remain fast friends. I want to learn everything I can, discover things, see places that very few people have seen and also walk in the footsteps of history.

Fears? I have them. There is a lot riding on this for me so I have to keep healthy and keep my feet intact enough to walk on. Last time, I suffered so much pain from blisters. Don’t worry, I won’t put a picture up because it might traumatise you. I fear failure, disappointment, mishap – but you know what, I am not looking at those sides, I am concentrating on the positive.

Saudi Women

One of my big aims for this expedition is to meet and talk to as many women as I can. Saudi women’s voices are not heard in the west. What do they think of their lives, their traditions and the way things are changing?

So, wish me luck and Godspeed and please do follow along. I will be podcasting and blogging on alternate weeks and also posting on youtube, instagram, facebook, tiktok and X.