In 1992, after seven expeditions over a period of 26 years, Fiennes and a team of researchers found the lost Middle Eastern city of Ubar, in Oman. The city had been covered in sand for over a thousand years. Fiennes said it was just luck that they found it. The next year, Fiennes and Dr. Mike Stroud, an expert on human health in extreme conditions, became the first to cross the continent of Antarctica with no support. It took 93 days and was the longest unsupported polar journey in history. In 1996, Fiennes tried to walk to the south pole alone, this time for charity. However, he was unsuccessful because he got sick and had to return home.