Deserts are a very particular environment and there is no reason that I should be drawn to them. I am Scottish with pale, easily-burned skin and a tendency to wilt in the heat. But, since I first met these vast expanses of empty, my heart has yearned for them.

I have translated that longing into huge walks of several months across the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula including a couple of world firsts: Saudi Arabia north to south and the Draa River.
In this talk I share my passion and my discoveries with you. Beware - you may find yourself infected with desert fever.

Alice Morrison is an explorer, TV presenter and author. She has just completed a world-first expedition to become the first recorded person to cross north to south Saudi Arabia on foot.

She is also the first woman to walk the Draa river in Morocco. She is primarily based in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. She is an established journalist and speaker. Her latest series for the BBC, Arabian Adventures: Secrets of the Nabateans is on BBC News and iPlayer.

A Scot, she was brought up partially in Africa and went on to study Arabic and Turkish. She started her career in journalism at MBC and then worked at BBC TV in Arabic and English news. In mid-life she changed course. Her big adventures began when she cycled 12,000 km from Cairo to Cape Town on the Tour D’Afrique, the longest bike race on earth. She swapped the rat race for a bike race, wrote a book – Dodging Elephants - about it and forged a new life as a successful adventurer.

Back at the BBC, she travelled from Tangier to Timbuktu for her BBC2 series in 2018, Morocco to Timbuktu: An Arabian Adventure, following the ancient salt routes to the fabled city. Then she took on a big physical and mental challenge. Over a period of 7 ½ months she crossed Morocco and the Sahara from north to south with six camels and 3 Amazigh guides. She became the first woman to walk the Draa river. Other adventures include taking on the notorious Marathon des Sables, running round Everest, hiking the length of Jordan on the Jordan Trail, and climbing the world’s biggest volcano, Mount Elgon.

Contact the host of Alice Morrison - Shifting sands and camel capers: adventures in the desert