After 4 months of walking the West Bank of Palestine, the length of Jordan and the Sinai peninsula in Egypt, Leon McCarron has reached the end of his 1500km journey along the ‘Masar.’
Adventurer and Filmmaker, McCarron, 29, from Northern Ireland, began his journey on foot in Jerusalem in early December 2015.
Following three weeks of trekking north through the West Bank and Jordan Valley, the expedition was briefly put on hold after McCarron’s walking partner, writer Dave Cornthwaite, suffered two stress fractures in his left foot.
Discovery TV endurance athlete, Sean Conway, later joined the journey in Wadi Rum, after McCarron had walked the length of Jordan, dodging flash floods, spending days unsupported through rugged desert and experiencing the true face of the Middle East.
Following several local walking trails on Walk the Masar (Masar means ‘path’ in Arabic), including the Masar Ibrahim in Palestine, the Jordan Trail and the Sinai Trail, McCarron’s intention was to look beyond the natural struggles and tensions of the region; to fill a current void in the global media by focusing on the other side – the people, the stories, the communities, and compassion that comes with travelling on foot.
He says, “I feel extremely privileged to have seen this part of the world in such an immersive way. I came here with a working theory that most people are good. This trip has reinforced that no end. This is one of the most maligned parts of our world, yet in reality I’ve found it to be perhaps the friendliest, kindest and – yes- peaceful place to spend time.”
McCarron is now working on three films and a book to tell the full story of his findings.
Find out more on:
www.walkthemasar.com and www.facebook.com/leonmccarron
