Stories from the Sahara - Race Against Blood Cancer and DKMS
Here are the trip diaries from three different participants. Thank you all for sharing them with us. It's been a pleasure to work with all of you, and our Moroccan team had the best time sharing the desert with you.
Laura added a whopping £11,100 to the DKMS fundraising total
After a very emotional farewell with the girls at the train station, I embarked on my journey to Gatwick, where I met the rest of the team for the first time!
We travelled by bus from Marrakesh to Ouarzazate, where we had our last shower and a decent night's sleep.
From here, we had an early start and got back on the bus for another four hours, heading to the starting point of our trek, where we met our amazing team of guides and support crew.
We had a gentle start of a 2-hour steep hike to the lunch tent, followed by a 15km trek to our first camp!
This was such a great day of getting to know everyone and their reasons for being here!
This was the longest trekking day!…..35km / 12hrs
We set off with our head torches on at 5.30 am. Walking through the sunrise was absolutely amazing. We walked 20km before lunch, and gosh, it was hot!! From there, we headed to the dunes. It was hot, and we all had to dig deep for the last stretch to camp.
I don't think any of us were ready for how beautiful it was going to be. Drinks with new friends watching the sunset over the dunes felt so special!
After focusing on the previous long day and our gorgeous surroundings, I think we all underestimated what 24km on sand in 35 °C heat would be like! 🥵
Walking on the ridge of the dunes in the morning was EPIC, and we were all on a high! However, the heat ramped up in the afternoon, and the long walk to camp in the sand was so tough! The speaker was turned up and we all dug so deep, encouraging each other along the way!
I got up at 6 a.m. and sat on the dune, watching the moon and the sunrise. Everyone woke up in great spirits and was raring to walk our 24km.
The high mood continued, and with an early arrival in camp, we all sat with our drinks and watched the sunset, sharing giggles and tears with an amazing group of people.
We had a fire in camp and baked bread in the sand. This was a night I will never forget!! ❤️
Camp was buzzing this morning as we only had a short distance to walk to lunch and the finish line! We walked together with so many new friendships being formed over the week.
To run through the 100km finish line with @sofiacoelhoflatt was an honour (she is one amazing woman!)
Beers were waiting at lunchtime, and we said goodbye to most of our incredible support team - we could not have done this trek without them!
A short journey in the jeeps back to the bus then a gruelling 6hr drive to Ait Ben Haddou for a well-needed shower! By this time, we were all pretty feral and smelly 🤣
We celebrated together over several drinks and reflected on the highs and lows of our journey. Despite arriving on the trip alone, I weirdly never felt alone! I’ve made friendships for life on this trip - @ams_army_2024 @jmcq.fitness @jen__pow @tynchy84 @sofiacoelhoflatt you are all amazing! ❤️
The last day of trip! We had another long drive back to Marrakesh where we said our goodbyes! 😢 It’s weird how I’d only known these people for a week, but bonds can be made quickly over chats about toilet habits and where best to have a wild poo! 🤦♀️🤣
Thanks for the memories @ams_army_2024 @sofiacoelhoflatt @jmcq.fitness @jen__pow @tynchy84 ….lets get the next one booked!!
Thanks again to everyone who sponsored, donated, bought raffle tickets and attended my cocktail night! I can’t quite believe I single-handedly raised 11k - this will make a huge difference!!
As a group, we raised almost £60k for @dkms_uk & @rabcnow, which is just incredible!
Sahara 2025 ✅ 💛
Click here to join the next DKMS fundraising trip, Crete Sea to Summit
Am's army (Sofia, Lauren, Jen & Jen), walking to raise money and awareness for DKMS. DMKS were successful in finding Sofia's daughter Amelie a donor. They have raised an unbelievable £22000 for DKMS.
Day one of our Sahara hiking journey. We left our riad early to drive to the drop-off point. After a very steep climb to the top of the saddle, we had a colourful and fresh lunch made by the awesome Mu Mu ( probably not spelled like that). This was on the first day of dedication, in honour of Callum’s Nanna Polly. From there, we took a long trek to our first campsite. It was a much harder day than expected, with the heat really hitting us hard!!! Day one = 24,290 steps done
After being woken in the middle of the night - by an animal noise and then one of the campers shouting what the *&^! was that (which had us all wide awake and laughing) We set off at 5.45am with very little sleep for what was our longest day
We walked through a dried-up river bed, taking in some incredible scenery, but also encountered miles of very boring, flat stone fields. It was hot, and by the time we arrived at the evening campsite, we were more than ready to stop. We saw a sandfish (like a lizard) in the camp kitchen. This was the first day of pushing through awful blisters, very hot hard steps ….. but it was the day dedicated to Amelie and other survivors so we soldiered on - Day 2 = 49,842 steps.
This day we dedicated to the donors or as @sofiacoelhoflatt called them - The selfless heroes ❤️
We set off from camp, walking over the vast dunes - taking in the most incredible views….Also thinking we were in for a much easier day than the day before. We soon realised, as we battled with the heat and dunes, that we must not have that mindset - every day was a tough day, and this day we just faced different challenges, like no afternoon breeze as we walked. But that’s what we were there for, to challenge ourselves, so we kept our spirits high and our purpose at the forefront of our minds. I think we all found this day the toughest! Day 3 = 35,333 steps.
❤️🧡💛
Today was dedicated to those still fighting. Our Final full day in the Sahara ❤️💛🧡
We began the morning by watching the sunrise from our camp — a peaceful and breathtaking start to the day. As the sun climbed higher into the sky, we set off on our fourth day of trekking. The lovely Mark from @ddipp.me kindly gifted some of us campers baseball caps, so we made sure to get a photo in before we set off.
Our mission for the day was to find a well in the Sahara so that the camels could refill their water. When we arrived, our guides decided it was the perfect spot for a water fight - with Ibrahim being chief instigator.
After lunch, we continued on to our final campsite among the dunes. There, we gathered together as a group, listened to @sofiacoelhoflatt beautiful dedication of the day, and watched the stunning sunset — a perfect moment to reflect on how far we’d come. I think most of the camp was moved to tears during this special time ❤️
Once darkness fell, we joined our wonderful guides by the fire they had prepared. The evening was filled with singing, dancing, and even baking bread in the sand — a truly special and fun experience to mark our last night in the Sahara.
By the end of the day, we had walked 30,712 steps, ready for an early start the next morning to complete our journey to the 100km mark.
The last day. The final few kilometres to the finish line… and then a few more to get to lunch and say goodbye to the awesome Moroccan team...
What a special day. It began with an incredible sunrise, and all of us turning up to breakfast in our matching bobble hats gifted by @tribaltracks. Callum, our designated camp photographer, lined us up for some brilliant group photos. And then, as if the morning wasn’t magical enough, @sofiacoelhoflatt went live on @bbc3cr. We all stood on a different dune listening proudly to our camp spokeswoman doing her thing.
As we set off, we knew how close we were to the end. Some of us already had tears welling. We paused for our Day of Dedication — this one for those we’ve lost. We remembered some truly special people and held each other through the emotions.
Our lovely new friend @lozyd87 and our superstar Sofia crossed the finish line first, and everyone followed with hugs, cheers, and yes… a good few proud tears. Then came an impromptu singalong to “Diki Moon” with our favourite guides — Ibrahim, @ismail.amjif and “Hamza”… who, as we only found out the day before, isn’t actually called that at all, despite smiling and nodding to it all week, so it’s kind of stuck 🤣
Finally, with sore feet and exhausted legs, we reached the real final finish line. Of course, us four Ams Army girls walked across it arm in arm — after a year of shared memories, special bonds and five days of wild camping, we now know each other in ways no one else ever will 😬🤣🤦♀️ and there was a beer for all of us - which can only be described like the moment in Shawshank redemption when Andy gets the prisoners all beers for fixing the roof - everyone drank it quietly whilst reflecting on what we’d just achieved.
We ended this journey feeling incredibly proud of ourselves and everyone who walked beside us. We made friendships that we hope are for life. We raised awareness EVERYWHERE we could. And thanks to all of you, we raised an amazing £21,900. Thank you all so much 💛❤️💛 would we do it all again - HELL YEAH !!
Click here to join the next DKMS fundraising trip, Crete Sea to Summit
Jacob recruited four Race Against Blood Cancer trekkers who collectively fundraised £17,013. Jacob suffered with a nasty flu/fever throughout the trek but was determined to keep going!!
Bleida to Tagounite. Distance / Elevation: 16.4km / 338m, 4h15m
Temp: 30°C | Humidity: 34%
956 days ago (Mar 2023), I was chatting to Lucy B in Canada about charity challenges. We’d done the 100km Oxfam Trailtrekker back in 2014 (I survived only because @rushnawc dragged me over the last 30km 😳). I’d sworn I’d take on another challenge one day — but this time, properly prepared.
The desert called. Marathon des Sables felt too extreme, so I found Tribal Tracks’ 100km trek and signed up, full of optimism. I assumed I could raise £3k and recruit nine others before Nov 2023. #optimism (or maybe #stupidity 😂)
But life had other plans. 2023 fell through, 2024 brought illness and zero energy for training or recruiting. By the time I pushed it to Nov 2025, I wasn’t sure it would ever happen. Then Pete M — CEO of a brilliant charity — agreed to partner up, and suddenly it all clicked. We recruited 17 trekkers: 4 for @rabcnow , 13 for @dkms_uk . After nearly three years of trying, we were finally on our way.
We flew out on 31 Oct, landing in Marrakech’s heat, then drove four hours to Ouarzazate. The next morning, another long drive south until we reached the small desert mosque at Bleida — and saw our first camels 🐪. That moment hit me hard: after so many false starts, it was real.
We filled water bladders, loaded packs, and began our first climb — an hour up to the ridge under a blazing sun. Hardly any shade, just heat, dust, and quiet determination. Lunch was a feast: mint tea, tagine, pasta, fruit — better than I’d imagined possible out here.
After lunch, we trekked on over rocky ground until camp came into view near 5pm. That night, under the stars, I lay there feeling nothing but gratitude.
After 956 days, I was finally walking my Sahara.
Tagounite → Erg Chigaga. Distance / Elevation: 34.6km / 63m, 9h25m /Temp: 28°C | Humidity: 12%
I did my usual London thing — waking up as late as possible (5:10am) after repacking my bag the night before. And my usual optimist thing — thinking I could move faster than I actually can 😅. By 5:35, I’d dumped my holdall, inhaled some porridge (made with water and topped with a squeeze of peanut butter from a bottle!), and was ready to go.
I’d stayed up the night before to stargaze, but the full moon was too bright — all I got was a few camel 🐪 moos from our two hobbled overnight so they wouldn’t wander off.
Setting off in the dark was magic — stars overhead, cool air, the crunch of rocks underfoot. As the sun rose, we passed a ravine with a perfect Lion King-style tree; I could almost see Simba and the wildebeest stampede. Once the heat kicked in, we crossed open plains to our lunch stop — bliss to get boots off and tape up the early rubs.
After lunch came hours of rocky terrain — boulders like footballs, every step demanding focus — before the landscape softened into dunes at which point Jo sprinted down the hill into the sand, mountain-goat style, while the rest of us trudged through deep sand under a relentless sun. Conversation games helped distract from the burn.
A rumour spread that our original camp spot had been taken, which explained Omar’s mysterious detours 😅. After scaling four dunes (each supposedly the “last one”), we finally arrived — boots off, mint tea in hand, pure relief.
The haze I’d seen earlier wasn’t a sandstorm but quad bikes on a nearby track. We climbed a dune to watch the sunset before dinner, spirits high but bodies semi-wrecked. That night, lying in my tent, I felt utterly spent — but also quietly proud. After years of delays and setbacks, I was finally doing the thing I’d dreamed about. Step by step, it was becoming real.
Erg Chigaga → M’Hamid El GhizlaneDistance / Elevation: 23.3km / 97m / Trek Time: 6h55m/ Temp: 29°C | Humidity: 15%
I woke up early on purpose around 6am to get some proper stargazing in. Fortunately the moon had just gone so I had a decent 30-mins of watching and trying (badly) to identify constellations!
After breakfast, we set off straight up the big dunes. The first one killed me, the symptoms I’d had (sore throat, feverish temperature) kaiboshed me on the first dune 😂. I went straight into my ‘pain cave’ and spent most of the morning paranoid that I’d have to drop out or worse. Also punishing was not being able to speak because of the throat soreness, robbing me of the most effective way to get through- nattering away as a distraction!
Mid-morning we came across a pink metal camel at a desert oasis, Omar gave us permission to explore and to our delight they had ice cold cokes and I semi collapsed in a heap to conserve energy.
Lunch was another chance for a lie down and we had some tasty grub but I couldn’t put much away, then the hellscape of afternoon sun with a full-ish belly and all the mentioned symptoms pushed me close to quitting again.
In the end, my throat pain began to subside and Matt and I had a good chat as we crossed a seemingly never-ending stretch to reach camp, me almost falling asleep on my feet. I crashed out when we finally got there, napping on my bag on the sand before mustering the strength for a final dune climb to watch the sunset and revel in the treat of watching Euan sand skiing before dinner, benefitting from the earliest bedtime I’ve had since getting out of nappies to try and kick this illness.
Across M’Hamid El Ghizlane. Distance / Elevation: 20.3km / 47m. Trek Time: 5h35m. Temp: 28°C | Humidity: 18%
I had the most sleep I’ve had this century, and it helped — still rough, but at least I could talk again. In the wee hours the camels 🐪🐪 stood watching the moon, which was surprisingly calming.
Every morning felt like a race against myself: fill the 2L bladder, strap feet, repack the big bag, load the day pack, eat breakfast, wrestle with gaiters, slather sunscreen, and fail yet again to find my SPF lip balm. Chaos, but my chaos.
I ended up being the last to leave camp, with Kristy waiting semi-patiently. The upside: a proper chat as we caught the group. My long legs do the hard work on the flats.
We’d been promised a desert well “shower” near camp later, but came across a smaller one mid-morning. The guides immediately launched into a water fight. I steered clear — the breeze made it one of our cooler days, and I wasn’t 100%.
I grabbed Mark for a brilliant chat as we powered toward a jeep by a lone tree… only to discover it wasn’t ours 😂.
Lunch was a relief — good food, good company, and enough energy to enjoy both. When we set off again, some cloud cover drifted in and the temperature dipped into the high 20s 😅.
We reached the main well around 3:30pm and another water fight erupted. Ismail got fully dunked in a trough, and Omar gifted us another classic “Moroccan estimate,” saying camp was two hours away when it was actually <5 minutes. Arriving early felt luxurious: time to breathe, air out feet, reflect, and write.
That evening, the camp crew (with Sofia’s help) baked bread in the sand over the fire — hot, fresh, perfect with soup — followed by a sing-along led by Ibrahim.
One more sleep. The finish line was close now, and I could feel a quiet mix of gratitude and disbelief that I’d made it this far.
Location: Across M’Hamid El Ghizlane. Distance / Elevation: 9.3km / 7m Trek Time: 2h36m /Temp: 28°C | Humidity: 14%
I woke up on the final day with a real sense of excitement — still smarting from coming 2nd/3rd in the quiz the night before — and wondering what our true total distance would be. Apple Watch vs Garmin vs Strava all disagreed, so we’d decided to believe the lowest number 😅.
Breakfast followed the same ritual: porridge, peanut butter, Moroccan tea. But today, miraculously, I got everything done in time for our 8am start. Before setting off, we climbed the dunes for one last group photo session, with Callum absolutely bossing the technical photography.
We crossed mixed terrain all morning — rocky patches, soft sand, firmer stretches — and despite my chest still feeling tight and my throat sore, the anticipation of finishing carried me forward. During our break we took photos on the camels; I was adamant I wouldn’t travel on one. I wanted to finish every kilometre on my own feet. Being lifted up — and back down — by a camel is an experience in itself.
A few km later, someone realised we’d officially hit 100km. We stopped, and Omar tied some unused nappy sacks to the camels (a very desert version of bunting) so we could have a symbolic “crossing the line” moment. Tears, hugs, fist bumps — the realisation hit that after all the delays, setbacks, illness, rescheduling, and sheer persistence… we’d actually done it.
But Omar wasn’t having any premature celebrations. He marched back to the front and waved us onwards — his job wasn’t done until lunch. And what a sight: a few km later we rounded a corner to see big banners, our familiar lunch setup, and — unbelievably — a row of ice-cold Casablanca beers waiting for us.
Day packs down, boots unlaced, cans cracked open. 104 km later, we’d finished. And for the first time in nearly three years, the journey I’d been fighting to make happen… was complete.
The next DKMS Fundraising Adventure is an epic Sea-to-Summit Trek in 2026. It is taking place from 21 st-26 th September 2026 with limited spaces. Click here to learn more and sign up.
While you're here, don't forget to sign up to the DKMS donor register.
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