Final answer:
The journey on sand roads was fraught with geographic and environmental hazards and threats of banditry. Desert terrain required adaptation and careful planning due to scarce water while the constant risk of bandits posed danger to both travelers and their goods.
Step-by-step explanation:
Two of the biggest challenges faced during the journey on sand roads, such as those of the Silk Roads, were geographic and environmental hazards and the threat of raiders and bandits.
The conditions of desert travel required travelers to grapple with the vast stretches of treacherous terrain, including daunting deserts like the Gobi and the Saharan environment. These harsh landscapes necessitated reliance on animals adept at desert travel, such as camels with their unique splayed feet.
Even with these adaptations, the scarcity of water sources and the need for caravansaries presented a significant challenge. Moreover, the threat of warring tribes and roving bandits put travelers and their valuable cargo at constant risk, as protection from small armies or merging into 'super-caravans' for safety was not always guaranteed.
These challenges made travel extremely perilous and placed both the travelers' lives and their goods in danger.