By Bryony Harrison-Croft
When you’re hooked on AC/UC challenges, you’re hooked – always searching for what’s next, even before the aches, pains and blisters have had time to heal! After completing The Saharan Challenge in 2023, I was sold on the idea of doing another desert-based challenge – what could be better than more sun, sand and sweat on The Jordan Challenge! Arriving at the airport there was a nervous trepidation about the challenge ahead – equalled with a sense of excitement of the new memories to be made.
Having arrived late evening the previous day, my first real experience in Jordan was the Dead Sea. The morning was overcast, with a haze in the air and there wasn’t another soul in sight beyond our small group. It almost looked abandoned and somewhat underwhelming. That feeling of possible disappointment soon melted away once I got in – I felt like a bottle cork bobbing up and down in the water – the sensation of effortlessly floating was unrivalled and made for some pretty cool photos.
Imagine stepping back in time, where there are no roads, no power cables and no buildings. There are very few places in the world completely untouched by the progress of time and human evolution. Arriving in Wadi Rum was exactly like that – it was desolate, but had a unique and mesmerising beauty. Leaving the world behind and jumping into Jeeps we made the short journey to our camp for the next three nights, wind blowing in my hair and a sense of adventure pumping through my veins. Camp was small and intimate, and nestled within a backdrop of the incredible stone formations. We had time to explore before dinner and I found myself climbing some of those very structures and feeling unbelievably free – watching the sun set that evening was a grounding and spiritual experience – the calm before the storm, setting the stage for the 84km ahead of me.
In the most part, the camping experience was pretty good – the sleeping pads were comfy and the two-man tents gave me enough room to unpack every item in my bag, leaving me wondering here I’d put it all only five minutes later. Top tip – leave everything in your bag, and zipped-up, as sand does manage to get in during the day – sandy pants are not the one – I do not recommend! Despite the comfort, be prepared for a lack of sleep. The strange environment, needing to pee every hour on the hour from topping yourself up with fluids, and the faint sound of snorers will disrupt your sleep – let alone the excitement of what is to come.
Rising early, I remember feeling pretty sombre on the morning of day one. Nerves were setting in, and although relatively cool – the skies were clear and I knew the day was going to get pretty damn hot! The one thing I did appreciate is that the rest stops were pretty consistent in distance apart, so the planning side of my brain was put at ease since there were regular intervals. Some drum ‘n’ bass blaring from out camp speaker, accompanied by a mandatory warm-up and countdown – then we were off! The keen beans powered ahead and we soon strung out like a row of ants in search of food, but never far enough away not to see someone in front. The first few hours were great, remaining cool as the sun hadn’t yet warmed to the expected 30c +. Lunch onwards started to get HOT and it was always a pleasant surprise to see one of the support Jeeps pull up alongside us with a splash of water to help cool us down. The cheerful and upbeat faces felt like our own personal cheer squad following us on route! Leaving my walking buddy at Rest Stop 3 I got a second wind and power-walked the last 10km. I used my tactic of spotting to pass the time – a simple game of identifying the person/people in front of you and aiming to pass them before getting to the finish. The evening was spent reminiscing on the course and trading stories of aches, pains and blisters.
Day two was much of the same, but today the heat felt that much hotter, the sand that much deeper and the legs that much heavier. The section between the morning rest stop and the lunch stop was a killer – some of the deepest sand that made me very glad I’d bought some gaiters only days before. It was draining – and when the lunch stop finally came into view it felt like a mirage, never coming any closer. I almost threw the towel in here. Tired and very dehydrated, I saw no reason to carry-on. The gentle encouragement of the medics and other participants, and the nagging feeling that if I did not carry-on I’d regret it – helped me to continue on. There was some welcome cloud coverage and firmer ground underfoot which allowed me to get back into my rhythm and get the job done. I’d resisted any emotions, but as the finish line came into view, I shed a few tears of pure joy and pride of what I’d achieved. Passing through the finish flags and over-sized inflatable camel – I was done – I was elated! That evening we celebrated with great food and dancing in true Bedouin style. The relief was clear across that camp, that tomorrow morning didn’t mean another start line, but instead a trip to the world-epic Petra.
It’s hard to put into words walking through the cavernous pathway leading to the Treasury in Petra – we all know the scene. Petra had this magical feeling, truly like discovering a lost civilisation and walking in the footsteps of history. The place is vast and goes on for miles! I didn’t make my way up to the Monastery, but I heard it was absolutely worth it. Instead, myself and a group of other intrepid travellers rooted ourselves in a café overlooking the Treasury in took in the beauty. It’s something everyone should see and an absolute highlight of the trip.
The final evening on any International Action Challenge event always seems to be full of fun, laughter and reflection on the past few days. The epic buffet meal was waffled down with second helpings – I think we were all eating for two!
The challenge, including the ‘touristy bits’, were made all the better for the epic support crew on route and at the main Bedouin camp. The local team provided us with tasty meals and kept the camp looking clean and tidy as well as providing evening entertainment. The Action Challenge crew were super knowledgeable and always there with a smile (and a joke). Finally, the medics were incredible and could not have done enough, going above and beyond not just on the challenge but throughout the whole week.
If you’re looking for a challenge where you get the best possible support, mind-blowing scenery and incredible camaraderie then look no further. I had that much fun, that I’m even considering signing-up again!
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