Four military veterans became the first people to recreate T E Lawrence’s 700-mile camel trek from Al Wajh in Saudi Arabia to Aqaba in Jordan – immortalised in the 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia. The trek raised over £800,000 for the Special Forces Benevolent Club.
I joined the team in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia for an intensive training period where they learned how to mount, ride and care for the camels they would come to depend upon for 5 gruelling weeks.
The five ex-Special Forces men spent 25 days in the saddle, traveling more than 50km daily with a caravan of 10 camels. This expedition proved to be a profound challenge of stamina, willpower and mental fortitude, echoing the difficulties Lawrence encountered over a hundred years ago.
The route commenced in Al Wajh, Saudi Arabia, faithfully following the original 1917 path through the Well of Dathna, Bada, the Hejaz Mountains and the Nefud Desert. Subsequently, the expedition crossed into Jordan, traversing Wadi Sirhan, Bayir Fort and Ma'an before reaching the stunning desert terrain of Wadi Rum.The Hejaz Mountains presented one of the expedition's greatest obstacles, with their jagged peaks and blistering desert conditions pushing both riders and camels to their limits.
Throughout the journey, the team were supported by medics, scouts and assistants who drove ahead in donated Jaguar Land Rover cars to plan the route, and from the rear to motivate and hydrate the team
Arriving in Jordan, the men were invited to participate in a battle reenactment by the Jordan Heritage Revival Company (JHRC). Their goal is to provide quality employment opportunities for the country’s veterans through “living history” in the form of historical re-enactments
They entered Aqaba to be greeted by thousands of well-wishers and a city-wide parade. The tough mission had come to a close and had been completed successfully so the celebrations went on long into the night.
