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Visibility was almost nil. The howling sandstorm rendered
walking along the narrow ridge almost impossible; engulfing
us in a dense cloud of razor-sharp, golden sand particles.
The gale-force winds roared furiously from all sides, ramming
into us, imperiously demanding we get off this 600-metre
mega-dune at once! Balancing precariously on the spine
of this gigantic, shifting monster, our team of 12 women
carried on resolutely, ignoring the angry storm, carefully
putting one foot in front of the other. As we advanced in
close formation, trying in vain to use the person in front of us
as a human shield, I realised we had no choice but to keep
moving forward. If we turned back, we would simply find
ourselves in the same impossible predicament. Squinting
through my goggles while battling with the straps of my
backpack, which were flapping wildly in the wind and
whipping my face, I said a silent prayer that the next gust
of wind wouldn’t carry me off the mountain.
Our crossing of the Dasht-e Lut of Iran (otherwise simply
known as the Lut desert) in November was nothing short
of surreal. In truth, it was breathtaking, challenging and
ultimately, transformative. Under the banner of ‘Women
On A Mission’, a non-profit organisation, which supports
and empowers women survivors of war around the world,
we became the first all-female team in history to cross the
Lut desert on foot.
During our voyage, despite the long and tiring days of
trekking, the team stayed positive, motivated and fiercely
determined. We were up every day at 4:30 a.m. and on
Into the Eye of theLut
A Team’s Pioneering Journey Across Iran’s Fiercest Desert
By Christine Amour-Levar
41
THE AMERICAN CLUB
MAR / APR 2017
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