1500km alone across the desert: Swiss Explorer Crosses the Great Victoria Desert alone
In an awe-inspiring feat of human determination and love for nature, (as of the 7th September 2023) Swiss explorer Sarah Marquis completed a gruelling three-month solo trek across the vast Australian desert, spanning a staggering 1,500 kilometres.
Sarah’s journey is a testament to the invincible human spirit and the deep connection one can forge with nature when pushed to the limits of isolation. The Great Victoria Desert, known for its stark desolation and the haunting silence that envelops it, served as the backdrop for Sarah’s remarkable adventure.
“I was always intrigued by the Great Victoria Desert because… they say you can hear the silence,” she shared. “It’s just as remote as you can get.”
Sarah started her journey in Kalgoorlie WA, walking to the Nullarbor before heading north through the Great Victoria Desert and finally finishing in Warburton in WA.
For a month and a half during her trek, Sarah did not speak to another human being. Her solitude was broken when, one day, she crossed paths with a group of men also traversing the desert.
“I realised I hadn’t spoken for six weeks. My voice was weak,” she admitted. “When you walk like that, it’s a magical thing. You just become one with nature, and you’ve got this internal dialogue. You don’t speak loudly.”
This latest adventure is just one of many epic journeys Sarah Marquis has embarked upon over the past 25 years. From a solo 20,000-kilometre odyssey spanning Siberia to the Gobi Desert, China, Laos, Thailand, and Australia, to living off the land in the crocodile-infested Kimberley and tackling the rugged west coast of Tasmania, her explorations have pushed the boundaries of human endurance.
One of the greatest challenges Sarah faces on her expeditions is finding water. “But you have to let go of control… and just trust the universe a little bit,” she explains. In one instance, she was down to just two liters of water when she reached a broken water tank. With determination, she pressed on, driven by the hope of discovering water at Kennedy Gorge, five days’ walk away. Her deep connection with nature proved prescient, as she found a water source just 2 kilometers from the tank.
Sarah has trekked through hundreds of kilometres of desert alone.
Despite numerous encounters with danger, Sarah Marquis remains unafraid. “It’s never been me against nature. It’s always been me with nature,” she reflects.
Australia, with its breathtaking landscapes and captivating wilderness, holds a special place in Sarah’s heart. As she contemplates her next adventure, one thing is certain: Australia’s rugged beauty and the call of the wild will always beckon to her. “I see the sunrise, and I see the gum trees, and I already miss it,” she says with a longing that only true explorers can understand.
“I see the sunrise, and I see the gum trees, and I already miss it,” she says with a longing that only true explorers can understand.
Sarah’s trek across the Kimberly.
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