The idea of the challenge was dreamt up here in the heart of Wadi Rum by myself and my friend Duncan who is acting as Challenge Director. Together we wondered why there wasn’t a race to test the endurance of a rider and their camel anywhere in the world. Over a few days the idea was born. For the full race pack please complete the online form.

Calendar Of Events 05 to October 2024

Saturday 05th - Arrive at Wadi Rum Visitor Centre and we will transport you to our Bedouin Camp. After a welcome brief from our team, we will introduce you to your Bedouin team mate.

The evening will involve traditional Bedouin music and singing and a delicious feast.

Sunday 06th- We will begin by building your riding skills with lessons one and two. In the evening we will have a Bedouin cultural demonstration.

Monday 07th- After breakfast you’ll help your teammate saddle the camels and spend the day completing lessons three and four.

In the evening you will receive a Bedouin falconry demonstration before dinner.

Tuesday 08th- We will ride out in the morning and travel as a group to the start line for our first race of approximately 25kms.

Before dinner there will be a demonstration of metalwork and sword making from a master Bedouin craftsman.

Wednesday 09th- Your second day day of racing will see you and your Bedouin race partner exploring the White Desert area of Wadi Rum. The daily distance will be 35kms and will involve some long straight distances, the perfect opportunity to loosen your reins and get some speed out of your camel and put in a fast performance.

In the afternoon we will have the option of climbing the beautiful Burda mountain. Not only does this offer breath taking views, but will allow you to stretch your legs.

Thursday 10th- The Ultimate Desert Challenge, at 50km this route will take in a really diverse and scenic tour of Wadi Rum. For those competing for the win, today will allow you to catch the leaders or build a comfortable lead. For those who haven’t been hitherto competitive, there is the stand alone Sheikh Attayaq trophy for the fastest time in our final race.

The overall Tahadiy Al-Sahra winner, with the fastest overall time over the five days will have their camel daubed with saffron.

In the evening we will feast, enjoy Bedouin music and have a prize giving ceremony. The winner will have the honour of wearing the famous black bisht and will be presented with the Tahadiy Al-Sahra winners sword.

Friday 11th - After breakfast we will transport you to the Wadi Rum Visitor centre where you can travel on to Amman or Aqaba.

Whilst you do not need to have camel riding experience, the Tahadiy Al-Sahra is a physically demanding endurance event. In the interest of our camels welfare we require riders to be below 95kgs in weight. Like horse racing, the lighter the rider, the faster the animal can run, so if you are entering to win, the lighter you are the more of a competitive advantage you may have.

If you are over 65 years old or have a medical condition, we kindly request that you contact us to discuss your participation.

All riders and spectators will be accommodated in our traditional Bedouin camp. Tents will be shared with two riders per tent on a same sex basis. If pairs book either as racers or spectators we will accommodate you together.

The heart of a camp is the large communal tent where we will eat, talk and relax in the evenings. We kindly request that you remove your shoes before entering the tent, and whilst sitting please try not to point your feet at other people.

We have solar heated showers and toilets for your use.

There is electricity to charge your devices, but there is no wi-fi in the desert. Remember, this is an adventure…not a holiday.

We advise you wear long sleeved wicking shirts. Please wear trousers as shorts will not protect your legs from chafing.

Parasilk jackets are excellent for the desert environment and were originally crafted by Allied soldiers in North Africa during WW2.

Samarkand Merchants make the best parasilk jackets we have seen, and we recommend their products. If you mention by email that you are part of the race they will also give you a discount.

A hat is essential to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Sun cream and a chap stick, and cyclist chafing cream will help reduce any saddle soreness.

You can race barefoot or with lightweight shoes such as converse trainers will be ideal for wearing whilst you ride.

You will be given a Tahadiy Al-Sahra shemagh to protect your face from dust, but please feel free to bring a spare.

Riding helmets are not compulsory but are recommended, as is any other protective riding equipment you may wish to bring.

You will be issued a goatskin water bag, but please feel free to bring a reusable water container as a back up.

There are no shops in the desert so bring any race snacks or energy gels with you to last for 5 days.

We recommend that you take out insurance to cover the costs of medical care should you have an accident.

The Adventure Pack Add on from True Traveller covers the race, although other policies are available and we advise you to shop around.

Included

Race entry

Two camels and a personal guide and instructor for the race duration

Personal goatskin water bag

Tahadiy Al-Sahra shemagh

Accommodation, food and drinks

Transfer to and from Wadi Rum Visitor Centre

Additional activities and cultural demonstrations

Not Included

Flights to Jordan

Internal Transfers to Wadi Rum Visitor Center (although we can assist in arranging this for you).

Insurance

Non-riding spectators are more than welcome. The cost for spectators will include all food accommodation and additional activities enjoyed by the riders. We will also seek to take you to the best places to watch and film/photograph the race. The cost for this is 600 JD per non rider.

A good level of general physical fitness will help your body endure for the full five days.

We recommend a combination of jogging and yoga on alternate days to build your general fitness and to increase your hip flexibility to assist in riding the camel for multiple hours.

For those competitors looking to master the art of camel riding, we recommend you visit the excellent Arabian Desert Camel Riding Centre or for UK based riders please contact Josephs Amazing Camels to arrange a lesson.

Please follow the link to our instruction videos to increase your knowledge of camel riding prior to the race.

Wadi Rum is a unique and stunning landscape and we want to use the Tahadiy Al-Sahra as a vehichle to educate guests and local guides over the need to reduce dependency on single use plastic.

Water bottles especially take many years to break down, and when they finally do they pollute the local food chain as micro-plastics.

All riders will be issued a goatskin water bag, to use for themselves and their guide during the race and to keep as a memento.

Animal welfare is at the very heart of our vision. The camel is central to the culture of the local Bedouin.

All camels will be inspected daily by our veterinary and welfare team, and their decision will be final on the fitness of a camel to continue.

20% of all profits from the Tahadiy Al-Sahra will go directly to local animal welfare charities, with an emphasis on increasing education on husbandry and welfare.

The cost per entry is 3450 JOD.

It should be emphasised that the majority of this fee is to ensure a decent living wage for the individual guides and staff involved in the race.

To secure your place in the Tahadiy Al-Sahra please complete the online enquiry form to receive full race details. Information on payments and booking is included.