JEDDAH: Rosie Stancer has completed her 2,000 km crossing with camels through the length of the Kingdom — from the southwest to northwest — in 69 days, entirely on foot.
The British polar and endurance explorer chose this route as the setting for her most ambitious expedition to date, leading her all-female team on a full crossing of the Incense Route on foot, covering up to 30 km a day through soaring temperatures, shifting sands and terrain that tested every limit of human endurance.
She started in the far southwest of Najran, a major trading junction, then progressed north. The route crossed two deserts, the Empty Quarter and the Nafud, the Sarawat mountain range, and passed through major cultural hubs and heritage sites that punctuate the western side of the Kingdom, including Hima, Bisha, Medina, Khaybar, AlUla and Tabuk.
The expedition, supported by Ford MYNM, continued through Neom to the coast, where the journey ended by the Red Sea.
Speaking to Arab News after completing her expedition, Stancer said that the Incense Route expedition was life-changing.
“Exploration and expeditions are all about discovering the unknown, and often encountering the unexpected. For not just myself but the whole team, the journey opened our eyes up to the magnificence and sheer diversity of the Kingdom that way exceeded our preconceived ideas,” she said.
During the journey, Stancer and her team explored an ancient history moving into a new, sustainable future. “One could spend a lifetime in Saudi Arabia exploring its past, and it was a privilege to see some of it close-up and witness the tremendously impressive conservation of their valuable heritage,” she said.
“Even on day one in Hima, to take a lunch break beneath rock art that was some 10,000 years old was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And various cultural highlights were surprisingly moving — Hegra, with its strange silence, spoke to one of its past civilizations.
“AlUla conjured up a very real feeling of how exciting and modern it must have felt when it was a humming oasis city with all the incense caravans passing through.
The team were welcomed by local communities along the route and encountered a Saudi Arabia that few outsiders ever witness — generous, proud, deeply rooted in its heritage, and quietly electric with the energy of a nation stepping into its future.
“Everywhere we went, everyone we met from whatever walk of life were, without exception, extraordinarily hospitable and generous. We were overwhelmed and deeply moved by this enduring tradition. I had to draw a line on accepting invitations to meals in people’s houses as we would have not got anywhere, just got fat!
“I will always cherish the respect and kindness we met throughout the long journey. This is something very precious that I took back with me and have built into my own life.”
Some of Stancer’s most moving encounters involved seeing how Saudis were embracing the future of the Kingdom. “To us, it is important to see how everyone was positive and enthusiastic about the Kingdom’s vision of a sustainable future. There’s huge ground support for all the measures being undertaken. We saw evidence of water conservation measures, renewable energy systems being developed on a massive scale and wildlife protection,” she said.
One of her goals to achieve during the journey was to clear the misconception of the role of women in Saudi.
“We met many, all from different walks of life, from business women to teachers, from artisans to wives and mothers. All were clearly happy with their new evolving role, so joyously happy whilst cherishing their own traditions. It is proof that one should not be judgmental, especially without knowledge.”
Challenges were inevitable, from difficult navigation, extreme heat, bitter cold, along with some uninvited guests such as snakes and scorpions. “My toughest challenge, though, proved to be — whilst I was the only team member to be spared blisters — I developed plantar fasciitis in one foot whilst navigating the lava fields of Medina, and had to hobble all the rest of the way, some 800 km, to the finishing line,” she said.
Stancer said of future ventures: “I might be ‘in my sixties’ but I’m not hanging up my boots yet! The Incense Route Expedition was the conclusion of a desert trilogy. I now need to apply myself to a different environment.
“Saudi Arabia will forever remain in my heart and I shall remain deeply appreciative of those who made it possible, from my sponsors Ford Naghi to my enduring teammates, both two and four-legged!” she said.
