Heart of Arabia Expedition (Heart of Arabia Expedition)
Explore every episode of Heart of Arabia Expedition
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
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| 04 Dec 2024 | Introducing The Jewel of Arabia Expedition | 00:30:48 | |
Join expedition leader, Mark Evans at the Royal Geographical Society in London for the launch of The Jewel of Arabia Expedition. Subscribe to the podcast here: Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast In the presence of, and hearing from expedition co- patrons His Royal Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham, and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales this 30-day journey on foot, by camel and 4x4 retracing the 1928 journey of British Explorer Bertram Thomas will celebrate Oman’s rich biodiversity and shine a spotlight on young Omani’s working in the green arena. Starting on 6th January 2025 you can join the expedition team as they set off near Ras al Haad, the Eastern most point of the arab speaking world and share their journey traveling down the coast to the southern city of Salalah through this podcast which tells stories of people, place, and culture and innovation in this unique country. Find out more by visiting the Expedition website: The Jewel of Arabia Expedition The Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 09 Jan 2023 | Preparing for leg 2 of the Expedition | 00:10:27 | |
Welcome back to the Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast. Like Philby, Mark, Ana-Maria, Reem and Alan paused their journey in Riyadh. While Philby went into deep conversation with Ibn Saud, today’s team went back to their homes to recharge, refresh and to recap on all that leg 1 bought them. But now their sights are very firmly lodged on 16th January when leg 2 will begin, leaving from Riyadh and making their way to Jeddah. So join Mark, sitting on the coast in Oman for this look ahead to leg 2 where he outlines what they team will be doing and how this part of Philby’s time in Arabia became so pivotal to the formation of the nation of Saudi Arabia we know today. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 01 Feb 2023 | Expedition reflections from Alan | 00:10:32 | |
Expedition logistics lead and route planner, Alan Morrissey reflects on the Heart of Arabia Expedition just before the team reach Jeddah Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 01 Feb 2023 | Expedition reflections from Ana | 00:05:00 | |
Photographer Ana-Maria Pavalache reflects on capturing the expedition through the lens of her camera Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 20 Apr 2023 | The Holy Land, and Jeddah | 01:02:43 | |
In the final days and nights of the Heart of Arabia Expedition the team, and Philby, faced some of the hardest terrain of both their expeditions. Vast open expanses of desert dunes followed by the ancient volcanic fields of harat. As Mark, Reem, Ana-Maria and Alan get closer to their goal of Jeddah, their minds are drawn to the Red sea coast, but it also gives them time to reflect on the connection they have felt to nature and to Philby during their time crossing Saudi Arabia. But, as Mark knows only too well from previous expeditions, they must keep their focus on the day to day because just like Philby before them, illness and fatigue strikes the team again. After spending Christmas in Taif and skirting Mecca, Mark fulfils one of the main expedition ambitions, to journey with purpose, when he visits the Jeddah Prep and Grammar School to hear how the pupils there have been following the expedition and enriching their lessons across the curriculum. Having arrived in Jeddah and dipped their toes into the sea, there is a reception from the British Consulate with a congratulatory note from the expedition patron, HRH The Princess Royal. After all the celebration is done, each member of the Heart of Arabia Expedition team sit down and reflect on what it has meant to them to follow in the footsteps of the greatest of Arabian explorers. Philby left a remarkable legacy. The legacy of The Heart of Arabia Expedition is only just beginning. Follow the social links below and keep an eye on the website for news about forthcoming lectures, exhibitions and conferences in the UK, Saudi Arabia and the USA in the coming months. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 06 Apr 2023 | The Pilgrim Road | 00:51:10 | |
Re-join Mark and The Heart of Arabia Expedition Team at the ancient site of Old Diriyah, the birthplace of the first Saudi state, historical crossroads of pilgrims and traders. It is also where Philby left Riyadh behind and followed the Pilgram Road west to Jeddah. The terrain, climate and geology of the second leg of the expedition are very different to the first leg in the eastern deserts and Empty Quarter and this brings with it different challenges for the team. But their connection to Philby continues to grow and Mark immerses himself in Philby’s writing as they travel. For his original Heart of Arabia Expedition Philby was awarded the Royal Geographical Society’s Founders Medal in recognition of the field data he returned to London. Today’s RGS President, Nigel Clifford explains how significant a contribution to our understanding of Arabia’s geography Philby made. And finally Mark explains why the whole team - Reem, Ana, Alan and himself - spent several hours walking in circles looking like policemen! Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 23 Mar 2023 | The Eastern desert and Riyadh | 00:48:05 | |
Just like Philby, the Heart of Arabia Expedition used camels for some of their journey. In the eastern deserts of Saudi Arabia, Mark introduces us to their camels and explores the role the camel has played in Arab history and culture with their guide from the Camel Club of Saudi Arabia. As the expedition moves west towards their goal of Riyadh in the camel pad prints of Philby’s caravan, Mark considers his life as an explorer and what drives him to be constantly curious about our world, it’s people and cultures. Drawing on his own resilience and comparing himself to other great leaders he questions what makes us resilient. To answer this, leadership expert Jo Owen provides us with insight into how resilience has evolved with time and is a reflection of our society today. Philby was aiming for Riyadh. His ambition was to meet Ibn Saud and convince him he had the authority and power to bring the various warring tribes together under him and form a new nation. As Mark and the team arrive at the ancient city walls of the Masmak Palace, Philby’s grandson, Mike Engelbach and the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the UK HRH Prince Khalid Bin Bandar explain how the meeting between these two great men developed. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 20 Nov 2022 | Standing where Philby stood – Expedition Diary Day 5 | 00:09:07 | |
After 48 hours exploring the Al Ahsa oasis, Mark and the team start to feel an increasing connection to Harry St. John (Abdullah) Philby as they recreate some of his original images, standing in the exact spot he stood in 105 years ago. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 29 Jan 2023 | Desert poetry with Talal Al Unaizi – Expedition Diary Day 26 | 00:04:28 | |
Talal Al Unaizi, a journalist with the Saudi Press Agency is travelling with team. Mark has been inspired by his poetry recitals during their time together so he asks Talal to recites a poem for the podcast. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 25 Nov 2022 | Ana-Maria on finding connection – Expedition Diary Day 10 part 2 | 00:09:07 | |
The expedition team’s photographer Ana-Maria Pavalache takes a turn at recording her thoughts for the podcast. She reflects on her developing relationship with Reem and how much the expedition is allowing her to capture intimate and moving moments with her camera, not just of Reem and of the people they are meeting on their journey but of the landscape, both in day but also at night when the team are bathed in stars. For Ana-Maria observing the trip through her lens is powerful, moving and thought provoking. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 29 Jan 2023 | Inspiring the pupils of Jeddah Prep and Grammar school – Expedition Diary Day 26 | 00:07:53 | |
Mark meets some pupils from the Jeddah Prep and Grammar School, the oldest British School in Saudi Arabia. Through their conversations Mark hears how the expedition has inspired the pupils to learn more about the history, geography and culture of Saudi Arabia, of Philby, of the current expedition. Mark’s ambition for the Heart of Arabia Expedition was to inspire young people to journey with purpose. Listen to this podcast to hear exactly how that happens in reality. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 28 Nov 2022 | Al Masmak Palace Riyadh – Expedition Diary Day 14 | 00:06:45 | |
Mark and the team have arrived in Riyadh, 105 years after Philby. For Philby, this was the start of his hugely influential relationship with Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. Over the course of many hours of conversation these two men became great friends and influential over each other. For Mark, Reem, Ana-Maria and Alan it marks the end of leg 1 of the Heart of Arabia Expedition and a time to get washed and prepare themselves and their kit for leg 2 which starts on January 16th 2023. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 23 Jan 2023 | Waking to the sound of the hoopoe lark – Expedition diary Day 22 | 00:19:22 | |
Mark wakes early to the sound of the hoopoe lark then the expedition team set off to cross the Uruq Sabai – an extensive mountain of desert sand stretching some 70 miles in length. Once they’re all safely across they head north to re-join the Philby line and Mark reflects on how different Phiby’s crossing was to their own. For Philby the vast expanse meant being exposed both to wolves and then to hostile locals who surrounded them at gun point. Fortunately for Philby they never discovered he was an Englishman or it could have ended very differently. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio
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| 18 Nov 2022 | Birdsong and a desert oasis– Expedition Diary Day 3 | 00:06:00 | |
Meticulously following Philby’s travel notes we have arrived at Al Ahsa, a lush, rich oasis of 2.5 million palm trees. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 28 Nov 2022 | Desert camp with the British International School Riyadh – Expedition Diary Day 13 | 00:16:49 | |
Inspiring young people to journey with purpose is the ambition of the Heart of Arabia expedition. So, on the last the desert camp before Mark and team arrive in Riyadh, they are joined by staff and pupils from the British International School, Riyadh and discuss the benefits of outdoor education to young people. Students Zena, Haneen and Christian who are all doing their Duke of Edinburgh International award explain that outdoor learning in the desert gives them much wider life skills than the classroom does. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 09 Mar 2023 | The Threshold of Arabia | 00:47:25 | |
After some time to reflect on the Heart of Arabia Expedition Mark looks back over some of the key moments of the early parts of leg one of the expedition, a place Philby described as being the threshold of Arabia. Following the celebration of the expedition’s launch, Mark, Reem, Ana-Maria and Alan are leaving Al Uqayr to start retracing Philby’s route across Arabia; they visit the desert oases of Al Ahsa and Al Hofuf, venture into The Empty Quarter and consider their new nomadic life in the desert. Taking a slight detour from the desert, Mark introduces us to Mike Robinson of The Royal Scottish Geographical Society to explain how the Heart of Arabia Expedition is supporting their Young Generation Fund, designed to give more young Scottish people life opportunities in Geography and exploration, and increase their awareness and knowledge of the world around us. This quest for knowledge that the expedition is supporting was just as vital to Philby as it is to today’s expedition team members. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 27 Jan 2023 | Shubra Palace with Hasan Al Noumari – Expedition Diary Day 25 | 00:07:35 | |
On their arrival at Taif the expedition team visited the Shubra Palace, just as Philby did 106 years ago. Today it’s a heritage site looked after by the Museum Commission of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture. Mark sits down with Heritage Manager, Hasan Al Noumari to discover the history and heritage of the palace and its significance both locally in Taif, but also in wider Arabian culture. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 24 Nov 2022 | Philby the hard taskmaster – Expedition Diary Day 7 (pt 2) | 00:09:59 | |
Resting under an incredible starry sky, Mark tells the story of how Philby came to be crossing the biggest sand desert on earth and the challenges it presented, not just to Philby, but to his travelling companions who had to contend with Philby’s relentless pushing on. It was a journey of bickering, negotiation, arguing, all in search of a fabled Atlantis of the sands – Ubar. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 24 Nov 2022 | Reem follows in her grandfather’s footsteps – Expedition Diary Day 8 (pt 2) | 00:04:05 | |
Sitting under the stars in the empty quarter, Reems shares the feelings of deep connection she’s had when she’s found herself standing in the exact places her Grandfather stood. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 24 Nov 2022 | Not lost cities but massive meteorites – Expedition Diary Day 8 | 00:06:58 | |
In the middle of the empty quarter, Mark and the team navigate their way to the site where Philby had hoped to find the ‘Lost city of Ubar’, instead he found one of the best-preserved sites of a meteor impact in the world. Mark describes the massive meteor’s impact, so fast and powerful, it turned the desert sand to liquid. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 01 Feb 2023 | Jeddah – Expedition Diary Day 28 | 00:14:56 | |
48 whirlwind hours after their arrival in Jeddah Mark brings us up to date with the team’s reception on the Red Sea coast. He describes a cultural melting pot of people, sights, sounds and smells that are very different to what the team have been used to and left behind in Al Uqayr on the Arabian Gulf coast. The expedition team were officially welcomed by dignitaries then later entertained by the British Consul General in Jeddah, who we hear from. Mark ends by looking at happened to Philby in life after his trans Arabian expedition. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 06 Nov 2022 | Journey with Purpose | 00:44:36 | |
Journey with Purpose. That is expedition leader, Mark Evans’ great ambition for the Heart of Arabia expedition. To inspire others to travel with a reason, to learn, to understand, to appreciate. It’s an attitude that mirrors what Harry. St. John (Abdullah) Philby did when he set off on his own expedition across Arabia. In this first podcast we’ll meet the expedition team and discover more about Philby from his family. The team is small, dynamic and fast moving but all experts in their field. They’re led by Oman based, British explorer Mark Evans, MBE. Mark is a lifelong explorer and geographer, as much at home on ice as he is in the desert. Ana-Maria Pavalache is the expedition photographer who will capture the sights of the desert and the stories of the people they meet. Riyadh based Alan Morrissey is leading on logistics and a study into ancient lithic artefacts. The final team member is Reem Philby, Philby’s granddaughter. Reem is a natural explorer and looking forward to introducing the team, and us through these podcasts, to her homeland. In front of the Expedition Patron HRH The Princes Royal, with support from Ambassadors from the UK and Saudi Arabia, Diplomats, fellow explorers and geographers, the Heart of Arabia Expedition was launched in London at The Royal Geographical Society. The very place that Philby returned to to tell the world of his own expedition, so that is where we pick up the story of the Heart of Arabia in our podcast. The Heart of Arabia expedition starts on 15th November 2022 when Mark and his team will travel the same route as Philby did exactly 105 years earlier. Subscribe now to join us on every footstep of the way in the Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 24 Aug 2022 | In the footsteps of Philby | 00:07:53 | |
The Heart of Arabia Expedition is a two-stage 1,300km journey across Saudi Arabia, loosely following the route of the remarkable and pioneering explorer Harry St John (Abdullah) Philby. Here, Expedition Leader Mark Evans and podcast producers Dan Holland and Pennie Stuart from Adventurous Audio outline the background to the expedition and how the story of the journey will be captured by Mark through audio postcards and podcasts. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 19 Jan 2023 | Female explorers of Arabia – Expedition Diary Day 18 | 00:08:55 | |
The Royal Geographical Society in London was Philby’s second home. On returning to London, he would offload all the information he had gathered on his travels to the cartographers who would update their maps of the region. Today’s expedition team were excited to hear yesterday that Reem will now also take to the stage of the RGS in London on the 8th February to talk about being a female explorer in Arabia. Back in Saudi Arabia Mark and Ana are trying to get over chest infections but the team’s admiration for Philby and his narrative continues to grow. His descriptions of the land, the way the wadi’s interconnect are all still great navigational aids today for the team. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio
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| 24 Nov 2022 | Carrying the Flag - Expedition Diary Day 9 | 00:08:32 | |
After the coldest night so far, sleeping directly under the stars on a mat in the sand, the team put up the drone to do some research then start to make their way back towards the Philby 1917 journey line to continue their expedition. With them, they have tucked away a very special Explorers Club flag. In this episode Mark talks about the significance and history of the Explorers Club flag no. 112 and why they’re so proud to have been allowed to take it with them.
Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 28 Nov 2022 | Resilience and Leadership – Expedition Diary Day 13 | 00:08:41 | |
Mark considers what is resilience and leadership in today’s society and how has it changed since Philby’s day. He recalls a conversation with leadership expert, Jo Owen at the expedition launch in London and how that has made him rethink his perceptions of modern leadership today. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 20 Jan 2023 | The healing power of the wilderness – Expedition Diary Day 19 | 00:17:04 | |
After an incredible night under the stars, camped in a wadi bed, watching Jupiter, Saturn and Venus, Mark and the team reflected on the peace and serenity of the desert. How the simplicity of life and movement through the desert bought them joy. Having received some sad news from home, Mark considers the power of the wilderness to help us with our mental health, how that environmental exposure and simplicity can bring us benefits. Drawing on influential leaders, explorers, teachers and Nobel Prize winners Mark reflects on all that the wilderness can give us, be that the desert or the polar regions or just the outdoors. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio
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| 26 Jan 2023 | After a sandstorm the new moon rises and the birds sing - Expedition Diary Day 24 | 00:09:13 | |
A huge sandstorm battered the team yesterday, so Mark is up early this morning to update the podcast. The expedition team are on the brink of Taif and will arrive there later today. Yesterday’s going got harder and harder underfoot as Mark and Reem cross the crevassed lava fields of harat. Although uncompromising terrain for our expedition team the ground provides protection for wildlife from predators. So listen for the abundance of birdlife in the background as Mark talks. Under the new moon Mark reads from Philby’s book where he reflects on his arrival in Taif in 1917 as news reached them 1900 years previously of an event that destined to change the history of the world. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 29 Jan 2023 | Yearning for the desert, camels and tents – Expedition Diary Day 26 | 00:09:34 | |
After 2 days exploring Taif, Mark and the team, like Philby before them are full of the hustle and bustle of the urban area and are yearning for the open space of the desert again. Skirting round Mecca, they travel through Wadi Al Laimun, the valley of the lemons. Meeting a local they discover his grandfather met and talked to Philby as he passed through the wadi. Mark compares his own description of the valley to Philby’s writings – both conjure beautiful images, smells and sights of the great barrier that separates Jeddah from the rest of Arabia. Tomorrow the Heart of Arabia Expedition team will descend to the flatlands of Jeddah and dip their toes into the Red Sea. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 28 Nov 2022 | Abu Jifan well 105 years ago and today– Expedition Diary Day 13 | 00:05:13 | |
Sitting under an acacia, 1 day’s travel from Riyadh and under a starlit night sky Mark compares his visit to the Abu Jifan watering hole to Philby’s. While today they were able to draw up some dirty water in Philby’s day his camels engorged themselves at the well. Mark is drawn to Philby’s descriptions of the wildlife he recorded in his journal. It describes a rich biodiversity. But on leg 1 of the Heart of Arabia expedition, to date, the team have seen very little wildlife. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 27 Jan 2023 | Christmas in Taif - Expedition Diary Day 25 | 00:09:18 | |
Like Philby 106 years before them, Mark and the team have arrived in Taif on Christmas Day. They first visit the Shubra Palace which today is engulfed by Taif, the 6th largest urban area of Saudi Arabia. This is where Philby first arrived, but then it was still a distance from the town walls. Philby spent 2 days in Taif. His original plan to return to Riyadh thwarted he feasted and continued to Jeddah. Our expedition team will do the same. They received wonderful hospitality, but with only 2 more days of travel to Jeddah their minds are looking ahead to the last steps of the Heart of Arabia Expedition. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 26 Nov 2022 | A windy walk to Abu Jifan Fort – Expedition Diary Day 12 | 00:05:25 | |
Now only 2 days trekking from Riyadh, Mark and Reem are closing in on the Abu Jifan Fort. Another place that Philby visited as he approached Riyadh and his meetings with Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. Mark and Reem look back on some of their highlights of the last 12 days and ahead to the second leg of the expedition in January. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 22 Jan 2023 | A Glorious Discovery of Ancient Artifacts – Expedition Diary Day 20 | 00:11:58 | |
After hours searching the team are rewarded with an extraordinary find – several hand axes, hundreds of thousands of years old and invaluable evidence of desert occupation in the distant past. Mark then reflects on Philby’s time in the desert highlands to compare with their own experiences of this extraordinary landscape and draws on Philby as saying he left the highlands with “many a knotty problem unattempted, many a hidden mystery unsolved”. The expedition team may well feel the same as they prepare for their final day in the highlands tomorrow before heading West towards Taif where they aim to arrive later this week. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 16 Nov 2022 | Arrival at Al Uqayr - Expedition Diary Day 1 | 00:04:51 | |
Sitting watching the sunset at the Arabian Gulf port of Al Uqayr, Mark and the team have arrived at the start point for the expedition after their send off from Riyadh. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 01 Feb 2023 | Expedition reflections from Reem | 00:05:37 | |
Reem Philby, granddaughter of whose footsteps the expedition has been following in, reflections on what the two expedition legs has meant to her and the Philby family. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 17 Nov 2022 | Setting our backs to the sea - Expedition Diary Day 2 | 00:04:56 | |
Mark and Philby’s granddaughter, Reem have an early start to make as much progress into the desert dunes before the heat of the sun increases too much. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 23 Jan 2023 | Crossing a vast and empty desert plain – Expedition diary Day 21 | 00:10:51 | |
Mark and Reem walk across a vast plain of desert before coming to rest before tomorrow’s crossing of the Uruq Subai sand barrier. It’s a landscape that seems to offer up little, no landmarks, not even a hint of greenery and only a bit of wildlife in the form of some birds when they break for lunch. Mark reads Philby’s diary, who found it a similarly dry and empty-seeming part of the route. Mark takes time to reflect on the incredible ancient hand axe artifacts, found during the previous days, and wonder at the hands that carved them, possibly as long ago as half a million years. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio
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| 25 Jan 2023 | A journey to Khurma and a camel feast in a lava field camp – expedition diary Day 23 | 00:08:19 | |
The team leave the Uruq Sabai behind them and make their way to Khurma, a small but historically significant settlement. Mark reflects on Philby’s journey all those years ago, when Philby was close to exhaustion after an 11.5 mile hike, eating only rice and dates after his camel went lame. For both Philby and the Heart of Arabia team there was a welcome feast of camel meat for the first time on the trip. Camping by the edge of a lava field, a harrat, Mark contemplates the days ahead and the mission of arriving in Taif on Thursday.
Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio
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| 26 Nov 2022 | Meeting our camels – Expedition Diary Day 11 | 00:15:44 | |
The expedition’s camels from The Camel Club have arrived. Mark and Reem sit down and talk to the camel herder about the camels they will be riding tomorrow as they head for the Abu Jifan watering hole that Philby visited. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 25 Nov 2022 | Hiding from the wind at the end of a long day in the desert – Expedition Diary Day 10 | 00:03:39 | |
Hiding from the wind on a shingle plain, the team pause for the night, light the fire and cook. With thoughts of crossing the Ad-Dahna dunes tomorrow, an exhausted Mark reflects on how Philby must have felt when he travelled day after day by camel. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 17 Jan 2023 | Leg 2 Leaving Old Diriyah - Expedition Diary Day 15 | 00:15:16 | |
The team are back together and have some very special guests with them. Some of Philby’s British family have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the start of the next leg of the expedition. This is the first time the two families have met. After a great send off, with eagles soaring above them, Mark and Reem set out on foot from Old Diriyah UNESCO World Heritage site, a place Philby wrote about. They walk along the Wadi Hanifa and are quickly away from the hustle and bustle of modern Riyadh. Back with their walking poles, their thoughts and of course Philby’s manuscript. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 18 Jan 2023 | Graffiti Rock and flint arrowheads – Expedition Diary Day 16 | 00:11:22 | |
The weather has been tough on the team for the last 24 hours. Sand has got everywhere. On day 2 of this leg, Mark and the team visited Graffiti Rock 1 and photographed the ancient rock art, going back 3000 – 8000 year, that tells the story of how some of the early Arabians lived and what they hunted. One of the key science projects of the Heart of Arabia Expedition is to record flint arrowheads lying in the desert sands. These arrowheads are vital to help us understand how and where people lived and hunted after a few hours of plodding around the desert we hear what they have found…. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 27 Nov 2022 | Time to reflect on a life of exploration – Expedition Diary Day 12 (part 2) | 00:19:00 | |
Camped near Abu Jifan Fort Mark takes time to reflect on how he became interested in exploring the world and the people who have inspired him over the years. He also reflects on what he calls the ‘oldest university on earth’, that process of learning through listening, sharing and discussing life around the campfire in the desert. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 01 Feb 2023 | The Heart of Arabia Expedition doesn’t end here…… | 00:03:44 | |
In our last update for the time being, Heart of Arabia Expedition leader, Mark Evans looks ahead to how the story of the expedition will now be told around the world. Encouraging us all to Journey with Purpose. Subscribe and follow to the podcast in your app so you don’t miss future, in depth podcasts exploring the Heart of Arabia, learning more about the expedition and Philby. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 24 Nov 2022 | Driving into the empty quarter – Expedition Diary Day 7 | 00:04:32 | |
½ way through the first leg of their expedition, Mark and the team leave the 1917 Philby route and fast forward 15 years to follow in the footsteps of a later Philby journey. Heading into the ‘empty quarter’ by car, Mark talks to the team’s regional expert Alan Morrissey. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||
| 02 Mar 2023 | Journey with Purpose | 00:44:36 | |
Journey with Purpose. That is expedition leader, Mark Evans’ great ambition for the Heart of Arabia expedition. To inspire others to travel with a reason, to learn, to understand, to appreciate. It’s an attitude that mirrors what Harry. St. John (Abdullah) Philby did when he set off on his own expedition across Arabia. In this first podcast we’ll meet the expedition team and discover more about Philby from his family. The team is small, dynamic and fast moving but all experts in their field. They’re led by Oman based, British explorer Mark Evans, MBE. Mark is a lifelong explorer and geographer, as much at home on ice as he is in the desert. Ana-Maria Pavalache is the expedition photographer who will capture the sights of the desert and the stories of the people they meet. Riyadh based Alan Morrissey is leading on logistics and a study into ancient lithic artefacts. The final team member is Reem Philby, Philby’s granddaughter. Reem is a natural explorer and looking forward to introducing the team, and us through these podcasts, to her homeland. In front of the Expedition Patron HRH The Princes Royal, with support from Ambassadors from the UK and Saudi Arabia, Diplomats, fellow explorers and geographers, the Heart of Arabia Expedition was launched in London at The Royal Geographical Society. The very place that Philby returned to to tell the world of his own expedition, so that is where we pick up the story of the Heart of Arabia in our podcast. The Heart of Arabia expedition started on 15th November 2022 when Mark and his team travalled the same route as Philby did exactly 105 years earlier. Over the next few weeks, join us as we take a deep dive into the Heart of Arabia. Subscribe now to join us on every footstep of the way in the Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast. Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition Follow the Expedition on social: The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio | |||