A group of travelers is attempting a desert crossing that hasn't been done for 85 years

In 1930, a small team of men led British explorer Bertram Thomas on what became the first recorded crossing of Rub' al Khali, or "The Empty Quarter", the largest sand desert in the world.

For the first time since then, another team has taken on the same challenge with British explorer Mark Evans leading the charge across the fascinating yet dangerous landscape.

Their journey began in December, and as they scale more than 600 miles across the southern portion of the Arabian Peninsula (in Oman, Qatar, and through Saudi Arabia), they've recorded their journey on their "Crossing The Empty Quarter" website and social media accounts.

We've put together a collection of photographs from the @crossingeq Instagram account that show what the perilous journey has been like for the group so far.