10km camel chase, digging for food: UAE volunteers walking 2,200km for charity face desert challenges in first week

As part of an ambitious humanitarian mission, trekkers from the Hope Voyage Campaign embarked on an unforgettable journey across the desert, travelling from Abu Dhabi to Yemen. Their goal? To raise $200,000 for development projects in Yemen.

Along the way, they encountered a series of surprising and challenging moments, from chasing runaway camels to digging for food in the desert, and discovering buried cash while digging beds in the sand.

The journey began on January 1, 2025, led by seasoned desert explorer Mike Etzger and professional hiker Daniel Schenkeveld, who set out on a 2,200km trek through the Al Khatim Desert. They were joined by four temporary trekkers: Peter Bunce, Mohseen Suliman and his 14-year-old son Muhammed-Rameez, and 15-year-old Umar Abdillah. Their only companions were two camels, Mashhour and Fatr Samha, who mainly carried their supplies throughout the journey.

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Trouble due to camels?

The first five days of the trek proved to be anything but ordinary. The harsh desert conditions—slogging through soft yet endless sand, relentless flies, and scorching heat—were just the beginning. The real drama came from the camels, particularly Fatr Samha, a wild female camel who seemed intent on making trouble. She frequently escaped, kicked anyone who got too close, and disappeared for hours at a time.

“It’s hard to imagine the challenges we faced in those first few days,” said Etzger. “Our camels were freaked by dune buggies racing around the desert at night, and they both ran off. We had to split up and search for over an hour before finally finding them, nearly a kilometre away from our camp.

“It was a miracle; we did not imagine in a million years to find them,” he added.

The situation only worsened the following day when Fatr Samha broke out of her gates again, running wild and kicking anyone who attempted to control her. Despite multiple efforts, including tracking her for over 10km, she remained untamed, forcing Etzger to hire a truck to return her back to her owner’s farm in Sharjah. However, even getting her into the truck was a battle, with the camel rolling around and resisting all attempts to load her.

“She was rolling around the truck to avoid getting in—it was almost like she was determined not to leave,” described Etzger.

For Suliman, the challenges proved too much. On the third day, he was injured when Fatr Samha snatched a rope from his hands and ran toward him, causing a severe burn that required medical attention.

Deciding to cut his journey short due to his injuries, Suliman noted, "It (injuries) will take about three weeks to heal.

Finding moments of camaraderie

While the camels presented challenges, the trekkers found moments of camaraderie, humour, and learning. They identified desert plants, dug for food, and even learned how to survive in the desert. Suliman recalled the group finding desert hyacinth, a root vegetable that was sweet when boiled but a bit bitter when eaten raw.

They also learned practical survival skills like starting fires with flint and navigating the desert’s shifting sands. One unexpected rainstorm on the first weekend forced the group into a tiny tent, a moment that became a source of laughter and bonding.

“It was quite funny how we all squeezed into the small tent when the rain came pouring down,” said Suliman.

There were also more practical challenges. On the second day, the group’s supplies kept slipping off the camels, prompting an impromptu fix. “We improvised by tearing holes through the sacks to slip the ropes through,” he said. “But eventually, the bags ripped, and the luggage fell to the ground.”

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