An Interview with Louis Meunier, a Frenchman in Afghanistan
by Basha O'Reilly FRGS
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An Interview with Louis Meunier, a Frenchman in Afghanistan by Basha O'Reilly FRGS |
The French Long Rider, Louis Meunier, after graduating from business school, decided to go on an adventure rather than follow a career mapped out in advance. He joined an NGO in Afghanistan, just as the country is in the midst of reconstruction after the war. He is dazzled by the country's beauty and dignity of its people. But above all, fascinated by the book by the French author Joseph Kessel, The Horseman, he dreamed of attending a buzkashi, a tournament where riders are entitled to go to any lengths to drop the carcass of a goat in the halal circle of justice. These formidable horsemen are named Tschopendoz.
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A game of buzkazi being played in 1890 (left) and a bukazi saddle of the same period (right) |
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Louis guided groups of climbers in the mountains of Pamir and explored Afghanistan on horseback between Maimana and Herat with his companion, Haji Shamsuddin (the first Afghan Member of the Long Rider's Guild).
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Three years later Louis realised his dream and became a Tschopendoz! |
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Meanwhile, despite his work for the NGO, Louis found the kindness and energy to help two other Long Riders, the New Zealander Ian Robinson and the Frenchman Nicolas Ducret.
Today Louis produces and directs films for television and cinema, including the documentary Prisoners of the Himalayas and 7,000 feet above the war.
| His book, les Cavaliers afghans (Afghan Horsemen), published by Editions Kero in Paris, has just been published. His account offers a fascinating insight into the culture and customs of this country only known in the West through the prism of the news. |
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Who
do you think was
the most influential
explorer ever,
and why?
Roald
Amundsen is for me the
greatest explorer of modern times.
In 1898, he participated in the
first winter in Antarctica.
In 1905, he discovered the Northwest
Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans,
many of whom doubted it existence. It took him two
years to complete this perilous
expedition, during which he collected
valuable scientific information on
polar magnetism.
And most importantly, in 1911,
he conquered the South Pole!
Who inspired
you to become
equestrian explorer,
and why?
Joseph
Kessel, with his book
The Cavaliers -
in which he tells the story
of a horseman, Uraz, who travelled through
the mountains of Afghanistan on the
back of his horse. It was he
who inspired my
journey on horseback. Afghanistan
comes from the Persian word
Ashvagan, which means "Land of the
Horses". There is nothing better than
a horse to discover the wild
and rugged expanses
that make up Afghanistan.
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(Left) Omar Sharif played the part of Uraz in the film, The Horseman, while Jack Palance (right) played the part of his father. |
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I do not know if one can say that I am "equestrian explorer." I would say that I have a taste for travel and exploration, and that I love horses!
Is
that why you
started your Long Ride
with Hadji
Shamsuddin between Herat
and Maimana?
Yes!
To trace the path of
Uraz, but also to meet
the Afghans from the centre
of the country.
You became
so ill during the journey
you had to be airlifted out of the
country. Are you still
suffering the effects of such a serious illness?
My liver
is a bit fragile,
but all is well!
What is your
favourite book of
exploration, and why?
I would
say Orinoco -
Amazon, by
Alain Gheerbrant.
It recounts
his time in the mountain range of Sierra
Pamira between 1948
and 1950. Beyond the
remarkable literary and
poetic qualities of the book,
he recounts with
a disarming
simplicity and humility one of
the boldest
and most difficult expeditions of all time.
What is your
favourite movie about
exploration and why?
I
just saw the documentary "North
of the Sun", which pictures
the adventures of two Norwegians who
spend nine months in
the Arctic Circle. They collect
the waste washed up by
the sea to build a cabin
and spend their days
surfing. The images
are beautiful and the
narrative poetic.
After
all your adventures, what was the
most dangerous situation
you've met?
While climbing a
mountain, a large crack
appeared on the surface of
the mountain and the snow slab
which held my rope
threatened to fall.
If it had done so, we'd all
have gone ...
What is
the greatest sacrifice you have made
to become equestrian
explorer?
For now ...
none. Or I have a
selective memory, and I do not
remember!
What equipment
do you always take
in your travels?
A
good book!
If
you took another trip today,
what equipment would you take?
I would try
to travel as lightly as possible!
Finally, the less one carries, the more
one is free and
open to travel:
A good book,
purifying tablets for water, a
broad spectrum antibiotic, a notebook
and a pencil.
Which
book would you recommend
to future equestrian travellers?
Les
Cavaliers,
by Joseph Kessel
Copyright (c) 2014 Basha O'Reilly
