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: Twitter Instagram Facebook The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio