Thanks for taking the time to visit ourJustGiving page.  As most of you know we tested ourself to the limit last year taking part in the Iceland trek for ellenor and raising lots of money along the way.  Although this was the hardest week we have ever had it left us wanting more and so we have signed up to take part in a challenge that will be the complete opposite to Iceland - trekking for six days in the Sahara Desert!  We will be trekking for six hours a day in 30 degree heat. The nights are cold ( can be -5) and with no toilets, showers and sleeping in tents this is a challenge on another level! Scarily we leave on 11th November!!

We have been training hard for this but it is difficult to prepare for the scorching desert heat in an English summer and chilly autumn so we are not underestimating how tough this will be!

We will be raising as much money as we can for the ellenor as part of the challenge. We will be doing cake sales, raffles and bootfairs over the summer as well as holding a quiz night on 7th October. If you're having a clear out then please think of us, particularly if you have new items suitable for selling on eBay or for a raffle prize. Otherwise any help you can give us is always gratefully received.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

For those of you who are interested our itinerary is as follows:

Starting from Morocco we depart on our journey to the edge of the desert and the start of our trek in the small village of M’Hamid.  Our trek starts through bare fields and palm trees towards our campsite for the night.

After a night under canvas we set off at the speed of our camels in the direction of the first Dunes of Ait Oumir, passing the cliffs of the southern Draa as we trek. After stopping to re-fuel for lunch we head on over more sand dunes before we reach our camp shaded by Tamarisk trees  

Another morning brings new challenges and as we depart camp keeping to the left side of the Draa we catch our first sight of L’erg Zaher, the highest dunes in this region. After making the steep climb we celebrate our achievement and the breathtaking views. 

On Day 4 we head north, sand dunes and the sound of the desert now all very familiar! Before we take a break for lunch we cross the riverbed of the Draa and have time to recoup in the shade before continuing onto camp set between the dunes of Sedrar and Smar. 

Day 5 is filled with mirages as far as the eye can see. The contours of the Hamada du Draa become blurred in the heat waves. Leaving behind L’oued El Attach, or the river of thirst, we reach our camp at the dune of Bouguern. 

As we depart for our last day of trekking we head back through the sand dunes and the rocky Hamada desert to the last oasis camp before M’Hamid and our last chance to catch a desert sunset.

Thank you all for your support, every penny counts.

Rachel and Alex