A Moray woman faces the prospect of days without fresh water as she completes a 400-mile trek across the desert.
Victoria Harris, from Duffus, near Elgin, is aiming to become the first woman to hike the length of a new walking trail in Jordan.
Stretching from the northern tip of the Red Sea, near the borders with Israel and Saudi Arabia, the route spans the length of the Middle Eastern country to the mountains near Syria.
After checking out several other gruelling treks across the world to raise money for medical aid in developing countries Mrs Harris, 36, knew the one in Jordan would provide a strenuous test.
She said: “I like hiking, but I’ve never done anything this size before. I narrowed it down to five different ones before I chose Jordan.
“The thought of walking into the ancient city of Petra is just amazing. There are all kinds of film references there, like Indiana Jones.”
Mrs Harris, who works as a laboratory scientist, is aiming to raise £100 for every kilometre completed on her mission to collect £6,400 for Medicine Without Borders.
She has worked with the organisation previously, including in Jordan’s near-neighbour Lebanon, as part of the emergency response to refugees fleeing Syria.
The Moray woman, who is originally from Helmsdale, was also part of relief efforts in Africa to combat epidemics of Ebola, HIV and TB.
Mrs Harris will set off on the trail less than a month after it is launched as a hiking route to draw tourists to the country.
And she is not entirely sure what to expect on her expedition to the Middle East.
She added: “Around Petra, there will be more accommodation. After that though, it’s just real desert and there won’t be anything for days at a time, including possibly water.
“That’s the bit that is worrying a lot of people that I talk to. I’ve got enough space to carry about 10 litres with me – but I don’t really want to do that because it would be excruciatingly heavy.
“I’m hoping to arrange a couple of water drops into the camp sites just so I can lighten my load. There might be some access to water too – I’ll have to wait and see.”
However, the unknown elements of the challenge, where temperatures will rise above 30 degrees in the desert heat, was a major draw for Mrs Harris.
She said: “When you look at some of the big American trails, they have websites to take you every step of the way.
“This one doesn’t have any guides or books yet. There isn’t much reference material and that was definitely one of the attractions.”
Mrs Harris is aiming to start the trek in April and is expecting to cover about 12 miles every day, but she anticipates walking more than 20 miles on occasion.
She added: “I’m probably not as fit as I should be yet. But I am running a lot to get as many kilometres under my feet as I can.”
Donations can be made online at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/JordanJaunt.