Dec 17, 2024

Earth ‘s extremes: Into the Heart of the unknown

In December 2023, a team of seasoned adventurers undertook an expedition unlike any other, pushing through one of the most hostile environments on earth—the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia.

Their mission?

To reach Franchetti Island, the world’s lowest-lying island at -102 meters below sea level, located in the hypersaline Lake Oguabed. Known to locals as a land forsaken by both men and gods, Franchetti Island has seen only a handful of brave souls set foot on its dark shores.

This expedition was a story years in the making. Initial attempts in 2021 were thwarted by civil unrest and the global pandemic. But in December 2023, with a slight window of stability, a team of explorers set off with high hopes, iron wills, and an unyielding spirit of discovery. They aimed not just to reach Franchetti Island but to document the journey for the "Earth’s Extremes" series, dedicated to exploring the planet’s most challenging environments.

"[13° 13' 56.752’’ N 40° 54' 10.159’' E ] and the names “Franchetti Island, Oguabed, Egogi Bad and Deset Island” are all the information we had at the time. An island situated in the heart of the Danakil Depression. A barren inhospitable land ruled by nomadic tribes called the Afar “عفر“. Only arrogant fools venture into this land and expect to make it out the other side for this land claimed the life of many explorers who dared to walk over its sands." (Dhari Alfawzan - Member of the Expedition Team)

“This journey was a byproduct of a project we are working on that aims to document the world's most extreme inhabited places (the wettest, driest, coldest and hottest) and it happens to be that island Egogi Bad is located in the hottest inhabited place on earth the Danakil Depression.

The island itself was truly intriguing so we decided to learn more about it, and from that point, it was all uphill. How can a small piece of rock in the middle of a lake in the desert hold so many secrets? And we embarked on the journey to uncover those secrets. ” (Dhari Alfawzan - Member of the Expedition Team)

Core of Courage: The Expedition Team

Yousef Alrefae - The youngest mountaineer to summit the Seven Volcanic Summits.

James Allen - A geologist and mountaineer, who was the youngest person to summit Mt. Everest back in 1995.

Faisal Alkaram - An amateur filmmaker inseparable from his camera.

Dhari Alfawzan - After returning to Kuwait from the United States, he discovered a passion for exploring small, fragile communities and uncharted spots on the map, aiming to share their stories and raise awareness of these forgotten places.

Aided by local Ethiopian fixers headed by Ras Abye

Franchetti's Expedition, 1929 (first one to explore the island)

The Land of Relentless Heat and Myth

From the very beginning, the team was met with challenges unique to the Danakil Depression, where temperatures soar, even in December, to an unyielding 47.7°C. This basin, situated 102 meters below sea level, is one of the hottest places on earth and home to the Afar people, nomadic tribes with a fierce legacy of protecting their land. Here, myths are etched into the barren earth. Franchetti Island is whispered to be cursed, a place where malevolent spirits roam. Even local tribes avoid it, calling it a land “without life.”

The team’s journey into this fierce landscape began with a gathering in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, where Yousef Alrefae, Faisal Alkaram, James Allen, Dhari Alfawzan and their local guide Ras Abye prepared for the days ahead. From there, they traveled to Semera and then to Afrera, passing through Afar lands that seemed almost timeless, filled with nomadic villages that survive against all odds in a region nearly uninhabitable.

"Veiled behind a patch of strange-looking palm trees hugging the shoreline was the island hidden in plain sight. Our hearts pumped faster, our nerves tightened and our breath heavy as we got closer to the shore. There it was the island so unknown, not even the locals had a name for it for only few of the elders remember the lore and names passed down from their ancestors. A taboo they said, don’t go there, it’s evil." (Dhari Alfawzan - Member of the Expedition Team)

An Impossible Path Forward

After days of travel, the team arrived at the southwestern shores of Lake Afrera. There, hidden behind the brine pools and eerie palm trees, they glimpsed their destination: a dark, rocky island in a shimmering green lake. The air was thick with the Gara, a brutal hot wind known to whip across the desert like fire, and the shores of the lake offered no easy entry point. Their plan to paddle out from this point was thwarted by the wind’s intensity, which seemed only to grow stronger as night fell.

The team took refuge, but their night was plagued by nausea, headaches, and haunting nightmares, likely a combination of the extreme heat, dehydration, and the psychological toll of their surroundings. In the morning, they faced a grim reality: reaching the island from the southwestern shore was impossible. Their only option was to make a difficult journey to the eastern side of the lake, a place they had initially ruled out due to its dangerous terrain and lack of accessible pathways.

"I don’t know if it was the weather, food, or this land finally thrown its last throw at us, everyone suffered silently. Faisal curled up in his sleeping bag liner in brace positions, James emptied his stomach over 5 to 7 times repeatedly despite not eating anything that day, Yousef followed suit, and I succumbed the next day, along with fever and all of us suffered vivid nightmares that night. Discerning reality from dreams was difficult for a momentary point in time. I clearly remember James swatting a giant black scorpion with his flip- flop amidst his digestive distress."(Dhari Alfawzan - Member of the Expedition Team)

A Battle of Endurance

At dawn, the team set off across the rough, knee-deep salt flats, sinking with every step as the hardened mud gave way to treacherous quicksand. When they finally found a narrow stream deep enough to launch their kayaks, Alrefae and Allen prepared for the most perilous leg of the journey. This time, they were warned: once they left the shore, they would be utterly on their own. No rescue could reach them quickly, and their only safety net was the distant, watchful eye of a drone.

The khamsin wind, now blowing to their favor, helped push Alrefae and Allen toward the island. But the journey was far from smooth. The intense heat, choppy waves, and the weight of their gear turned each stroke into a battle of endurance. Alrefae's back strained from an uncomfortable kayak seat, and he pumped water out of his kayak while battling the waves. Allen, meanwhile, struggled to keep his raft stable. After hours of navigating the punishing lake, they finally reached the jagged shores of Franchetti Island.

“Their skill and determination saw them reach the rocky shore safely by 9:30 AM.” Dhari Alfawzan -Member of the Expedition Team

A Forbidden Shore

Franchetti Island was as foreboding as it was breathtaking. Ancient black rocks greeted the explorers as they set foot on the island, their sickness momentarily forgotten. The land was eerily quiet, as if time itself had abandoned it. This volcanic island, once an active cauldron, now held secrets buried under layers of myth and isolation. As Allen and Alrefae explored, they discovered a weathered cairn left by previous explorers.

Within it, they found an artifact of an earlier journey—a waterproof bag left by the Italian explorer Franco Dell’Oro in 1973, containing texts on the Bahai Faith in multiple languages. This unexpected relic was a reminder of the few, brave souls who had ventured here before them. Allen’s geologist’s eye soon confirmed that the island was indeed the caldera of an extinct volcano, offering a clue to the land’s mysterious origins.

The explorers’ celebration was brief. With temperatures rising and no shelter from the relentless sun, they knew their time on the island was limited. They sent a final message back to the team onshore: they were exhausted, unwell, but alive. Then, they began their return journey, the tiny orange kayak visible on the horizon, inching slowly across the lake as the team ashore anxiously waited.

"By 11:30 AM, a glint of a reflective orange on the horizon caught my eye – “Yousef's kayak”,with James' raft trailing behind. The scorching sun intensified our worry, the risk of heatstroke was a constant threat. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, that tiny orange speck reached the shore. At 12:15 PM, James and Yousef stumbled onto the mainland, greeted by an ecstatic cheer from the team. As they dismounted their rafts, barely maintaining their balance, we saw the toll of their ordeal on their broken bodies, the suffering etched in their eyes. Yet, they had conquered this unforgiving wasteland." Dhari Alfawzan -Member of the Expedition Team

The Return

When Alrefae and Allen finally reached the mainland, their teammates cheered as they stumbled out of their rafts, barely able to stand. Their bodies bore the toll of the journey, but the team’s relief and joy were palpable. They had not only survived but had accomplished what few had dared to attempt. With final photographs to commemorate their victory, they left the shores of Lake Afrera, eager to escape its scorching grip.

This expedition was more than a quest to reach an isolated island; it was a confrontation with the limits of human endurance and the vast, untamable forces of nature. Franchetti Island, mysterious and deadly, stands as a testament to human curiosity and courage, drawing those willing to risk everything for the unknown. For Alrefae, Allen, Alkaram, and Alfawzan, this was just the beginning of a series exploring Earth’s extremes.

Their next journey, an ascent to the world’s highest island in the Himalayas, will carry them from one of the planet’s lowest and hottest points to its highest, coldest reaches. But, etched into the stones of Franchetti Island, their journey through the Danakil Depression will forever be a reminder of what it means to explore beyond the known limits, to touch the world’s forgotten edges, and to leave a piece of themselves behind on an island that remains, in every sense, beyond the ordinary.

Thank you Dhari Alfawzan for sharing your adventure and photos with us.

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Drone images by Faisal Alkaram