Seasickness is common on board a ship. So, when you use the ship of the desert as your commute, a little sand sickness may be par for the course.

A 14-member, all-women team of Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) will start on The Great Indian Desert Safari on Tuesday, a desert adventure trip jointly organised by Tata Steel and Border Security Force (BSF) to mark the latter's golden jubilee.

And on Monday, the 14 women completed a gruelling 11-day training stint to survive the desert and ride camels, which was mentored by 12 BSF personnel.

'The training for this arduous expedition got over in the afternoon at Koteshwar near Bhuj (Gujarat). I think we are prepared now for the challenges ahead. The over-2,000km safari, from February 24 to March 24, will cover the Great Rann of Kutch and is likely to conclude at Wagah Border,' said legendary mountaineer Bachendri Pal, who is leading the team of intrepid women.

Pal, who was the first Indian woman to scale the Everest in 1984, has over the decades gone on to ace some of the toughest peaks in the world. But, even for someone used to icy heights, sleet and snow, negotiating the sand, heat and desert wind was no less challenging.

'The training under BSF personnel was very tough and gave us a taste of things to come. We came across heat and desert wind, which even in February is tough to tackle. So, the safari should be interesting,' Pal told The Telegraph over phone from Bhuj.

With her is Everester Premlata Agarwal, another role model for women adventurers, as well as their 12 team mates Dipantari Sardar, Sukhmati Mahto, Sushila Kumari, Rajshree Singhal, Sheetal Ekka, Shobha Rani Hansda, Rani Jamuda, Sumitra Kerai, Krishna Rana, Amla Rawat, Sandhya Bhadri and Navita Rana.

Pal and Premlata had gone to a similar expedition from Bhuj to Wagah in 2007. But, for others, it is a first-time treat.

'As long as the ladies can sit firmly on the saddle and keep their camels in control, all will be well,' Pal laughed. 'Besides teaching us to sit on the saddle, the BSF personnel gave us tips on the behaviour of camels and methods to tackle them during emergencies. Training was very disciplined and systematic. We covered 20km daily,' she added.

Participant Sheetal Ekka, a Tata Steel employee, said the training was tough yet exciting.

'I'd never experienced a camel ride before. And let me tell you, it isn't as easy as it looks on films or TV,' she said. 'Finding balance was a little tough in the beginning. I got the hang of it in five or six days.'

Pal said they envisaged this all-women expedition as a test of human endurance in critical situations.

'Today, women are scaling peaks everywhere, be it mountains or the corporate world. Being a leader means combining humility with courage and self-respect, overcoming fears and bringing oneself in contact with people from different places and cultures. We will do all this,' she said, adding they planned to interact with villagers along the safari route and hand over notebooks and pencils among their children.

As a woman, do you think adventure trips with like-minded peers are liberating for the soul? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com