Team leader Rosie Stancer is a 56-year-old explorer who has conquered the North and South Poles. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The successful 1993 crossing was led by British explorer Charles Blackmore, who organized a UK-Chinese expedition that included Richard Graham, who is now chairman of the UK's All Party Parliamentary Group for China.

Graham still remembers vividly the difficulties encountered, acknowledging he almost died from catching amoebic dysentery during the crossing.

"The strain of tugging camels over sand mountains, feet sinking with every step, took its toll," said Graham. "Walking long distances in the heat and unable to take food was a challenge," he recalls.

When Graham's team finally completed the crossing, Queen Elizabeth sent a telegram of congratulations and China issued a commemorative stamp. Blackmore subsequently published a book entitled Conquering the Desert of Death.

When Stancer read the book, she discovered that a Chinese member of Blackmore's expedition, Guo Wei, still lives in Urumqi. So she travelled to China to meet him and Guo agreed to help organize the logistics for her trip.

Physical training for the expedition is tough. Stancer says she will train for 2-3 hours a day, mostly focusing on exercises with rucksacks weighted with 25-30 kilos of sand, pulling Landover tyres, or doing circuit training. She then plans a gentle cross country run for a few hours on Sundays.

Stancer is not afraid. What is important is the journey and its legacy, not the outcome. "Any explorer must forge a legacy for others."

Dong agrees, embracing the challenge with a positive attitude. "I have worries, because it's my first expedition and for everybody there is a first. I don't know if I'm physically and mentally fit for it, but it is a challenge."