Irish Adventurer Reaches Mt Sinai to Complete 1500km Walk Around the Heart of Middle East

Adventurer and Filmmaker Leon McCarron has completed a 1500km walk around the heart of the Middle East, concluding his journey on the summit of Mt Sinai, Egypt.

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 new and innovative 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. For four months he immersed himself in the lives of the people of the regions he passed through, gathering their thoughts and opinions.

He says, “I feel extremely privileged to have seen this part of the world in such a deep 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 most peaceful place to spend time.”

McCarron is now working on a series of short films and a book to tell the full story of his findings.

Find out more on www.walkthemasar.com and www.facebook.com/leonmccarron