On Tuesday Leon McCarron joined me to chat about what he’s been up to since his last appearance on the EPoP podcast over 150 episodes ago!
Today we dive deep into the filming of Karun: Misadventures On Iran’s Longest River. (Watch the trailer below if you haven’t already seen it!)
Leon talks about the different landscapes they encountered throughout Iran, breaks down the costs of filming the documentary and traveling through the country (a number which you’re never going to believe), along with discussing how adding filming to the mix changes how they traveled.
Aside from the film we also chat about Leon’s penchant for traveling with other adventurers, how he chooses his travel partners, and if you should even travel with other people!
He also shares a hilarious travel mishap where he looses the one thing he really needs to paddle down a river. You’ll have to watch the movie for the end of that story though!
This is Part 2 of a 2 part interview. Click here to check out Part 1, where we discuss what Leon’s been up to in the last 16 months and his many adventures!
“British adventurers Tom Allen and Leon McCarron set out to follow Iran’s longest river, the Karun, by human powered means. Their aim is to go beyond the politics and explore the culture and geography of this most misunderstood of nations – and have a great adventure doing so. But despite Tom’s previous experience of travel in Iran, they find that cultural differences run deeper than they’d realised. And when the once-calm waters of the Karun turn nasty, they wonder if they’ve bitten off more than they can chew…”
And so reads the summary for the newly released documentary, Karun: Misadventures On Iran’s Longest River.
Leon McCarron, one of the adventures on this journey (and previous podcast guest!) joins us today to chat about what he’s been up to in the last 150 episodes, including two adventures, how he has managed to make “adventurer” his job title, and the beginning of a conversation on his journey through Iran that led to the creation of Karun!
Leon is an awesome guy, with some awesome things to say on the difference between perception & reality, how to go for what you really want, and adventure!
This is Part 1 of a 2 part interview. Check back on Thursday for more in-depth conversations about Karun!
Ever sat at your desk and wondered what adventure could be out there for you? Daydreaming about that “one big trip”?
Leon McCarron did.
He had a yearning to bicycle across the United States for as long as his savings could support him. No one wanted to go with him, so he did it alone.
And he’s just released a book about it.
Today Leon joins us to talk about his new book, The Road Headed West, along with some of his other adventures including walking across China for 6 months and crossing through the Empty Quarter with previous podcast guest Alastair Humphreys.
He shares his methods for choosing adventures, how he cuts down on costs and his beliefs that the adventure lies in the unknown.
Share your “one big dream” with us in the comments below!