An adventurer who navigated Afghan rivers where no kayaker had been before will give a talk in Stirling next week.
Callum Strong will be speaking at the University of Stirling’s Logie Lecture Theatre on Wednesday, January 18.
It is part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society Inspiring People talks programme.
On a sunny morning in northern Afghanistan in 2016, excited children and bemused policemen lined the banks of a fast-flowing river to watch a group of Europeans in multicoloured plastic kayaks navigate the whitewater.
No kayakers had ever before come to the Panjshir Valley, some 140km north of Kabul.
In his talk for RSGS, Callum tells of his ambitious expedition to paddle the length of the Panjshir River in Afghanistan, 100 km of phenomenal whitewater that cuts through one of the most stunning, hostile and yet hospitable parts of the world, and the people he met along the way that touched his heart.
Reflecting on his time there, Callum commented: “Sometimes it is only with hindsight we realise the true significance of our actions.
“As the wheels of history have turned my Afghan holiday has now taken on poignance than I ever envisioned it would.
“Was our expedition the first and last descent of the Panjshir river? I hope not. And I hope you will join me as I share my stories and experiences of kayaking in Afghanistan.
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“In summer 2021 I watched in horror as news reels were filled with deeply distressing images of desperate, terrified civilians clinging onto the last few British and American military planes to leave Afghanistan. After two decades of war the Taliban had emerged victorious and in control of the country - or at least most of the country.
“The remaining resistance fighters fled to the Panjshir Valley – the historical bastion of resistance against the Taliban and the Soviet Union – and staged their final battles.
“I felt these events in a deep and personal way. Just a few years previously I had enjoyed a wonderful kayaking adventure, paddling down the length of the Panshir River and surrounded by harsh landscapes and welcoming people, people whose destinies are unknown to me now. Some escaped the valley, some were probably less fortunate.”
RSGS Inspiring People talks are open to all: tickets for face-to-face talks are free for RSGS Members, Students and U’18s and £10 for general admission.
Tickets are available to book online in advance at rsgs.org/events, and some may also be available at the door for cash only.
Callum’s talk begins at 7.30pm on January 18 at University of Stirling, Logie Lecture Theatre.
