Mission Spiritus - Oman: Crossing the Empty Quarter and Wahiba Sands
by Billy Perham
In January 2025, former Royal Marines Alan Chambers MBE and Billy Perham, alongside David Segel, Founder of the Mako Group, launched Mission Spiritus (MS) Oman, an ambitious expedition to traverse the Empty Quarter and Wahiba Sands in Oman.
The team on their desert transport
Mission Spiritus is a groundbreaking initiative consisting of seven major science driven expeditions aimed at collecting micro and nano plastic samples from some of the world’s most remote environments. Through a combination of exploration, research and education, the mission seeks to inspire global efforts to protect ecosystems vital to both human and planetary health. MS Oman marked the second expedition following the success of MS Antarctica in January 2024. In that mission, Alan and Dave Thomas, another former Royal Marine trekked 1150km on skis, hauling sleds laden with food, fuel and equipment. Battling extreme cold and high winds, reaching temperatures as low as 24°C and wind chills down to -40°C, they successfully reached the South Pole on 19 January 2024, collecting 52 snow samples along the way. Additionally, Dave became the oldest person at 68 to ski to the South Pole.