Leon McCarron A traveler from Northern Ireland who conquered the Iranian Karun River in a month Country: Ireland

Biography of Leon McCarron

Leon McCarron, a traveler from Northern Ireland, conquered the Iranian River Karun in just one month, risking capsizing his boat on one of the rapids, while getting acquainted with the local residents in the snow-covered mountain highlands, using a map from Soviet times. The adventurer, hailing from Northern Ireland, covered a distance of 725 km to reach the sea from the River Karun. Along the way, he had to walk, kayak, and bike. Surprisingly, McCarron was warmly welcomed into Iranian homes, once referred to as the "axis of evil" by former US President George Bush. Generous and kind Iranians even lent him a bicycle and other equipment when the rapids of the Karun River became too dangerous to continue kayaking.

McCarron says, "Many Iranians said that anything is possible in Iran. And with this motto, it's hard not to agree. Within 20 minutes, we were fully equipped for the bike expedition, and we promised to have many adventures and send them photos from the journey." The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) still advises against travel to Iran, but tour operators report that the number of people eager to visit this "mystical and wild" republic is increasing. One of those who fulfilled their desire was Leon McCarron, who now intends to create a documentary film about his adventures.

Initially, McCarron walked along the riverbank for about a week from its source until the Karun River became too wide and deep, making it seem unsuitable for their kayaks. To navigate, the friends used an old map made during Soviet times for Russians. The most memorable part of McCarron's journey was the city of Shushtar, the summer capital of the Persian Empire, renowned for its stunning hydrography elements and its historical hydraulic system that utilizes river water and has World Heritage status.

On one particularly dangerous stretch, McCarron's kayak flipped over in a rapid, and instantly, one of the paddles was sucked underwater by a powerful whirlpool. McCarron recalls, "This probably scared me more than anything else I saw during my trip." When their friends in a nearby town lent them a replacement paddle, they decided that continuing kayaking was simply reckless. McCarron says, "In the end, we believed that trying to outplay death with our boat was already too much. I think I'm still an adventurer, but I don't need an extremely high level of adrenaline." Switching to bicycles turned out to be the most reasonable decision. However, McCarron and his friend lacked funds as no international payment systems work in Iran due to sanctions against the use of the Iranian rial. Fortunately, a local store owner had a hundred bicycles. He lent them his two best touring models with baskets and sleeping bags, simply taking McCarron and his friend at their word that they would send him photos of their adventures.

McCarron completed his journey in the Persian Gulf, near the cities of Abadan and Basra, where British forces were stationed during the Iran-Iraq conflict.