The Israel National Trail is a hiking trail over 940km long that crosses the country from The Lebanese border on the north, to the Egyptian one in the south. In May we hiked the northern section, and you scroll down to read about it in a different entry. During January 2012 we completed the southern section crossing the whole Negev Desert from Mitzpe Ramon to Eilat. This section is a little more complicated on the logistic aspects, so more participants were attracted to hike with our organization rather than doing it on their own. People were given the option to hike the complete 14 days with us, or join for parts of it. There were 3 participants hiking the whole length, 3 more did most of it, leaving behind sections that they have already hiked, and the rest joined for different time periods from 2 to 5 days. Al in all there were 50 participants joining the experience.

We began on Thursday, January 5th, hiking the most attractive section: From Sde Boker to Wadi Hava to Mitzpe Ramon. Wadi Hava is a remote canyon, which is very difficult reaching without logistic assistance. The fact that that section was taking place during the weekend, when many people can take vacations, enabled 30 people to participate. We hiked to the lower and upper Aqev Springs, to the northern and southern Hava Rock-Cracks and above the Northern cliff of the “Huge Makhtesh”, the largest erosive crater in the world. During the evenings we enjoyed nice Poyke meals (you can read about that stuff in a different post, dedicated to that, in the Field Cooking category) with wine and guitar playing.

Sunday in Israel is the first working day of the week, so about 20 people left us after their weekend hiking experience, but we welcomed 6 new participants that joined us for the next section. This section is dedicated to the East Ramon region. On the first day of that section we cross the Makhtesh from the town of Mitzpe Ramon to the Amonites Wall, a natural wall that consists of an ancient ocead layer rich with Amonite fossils. Chicken roasted in aluminum foil on the fire with onion soup as first course where our treat for the evening. It was a very cold and quite windy day, walking in elevation of 700-900 meters above sea level, under “deceiving sun” (that shines but doesn’t warm) while the rest of the country was rainy. After a good night sleep, waking into the freezing cold desert we headed for two days of hike, crossing all the way east to the Arava region, almost at the Jordanian border. Tuesday evening, when we arrived at our destination, was a nice treat awaiting us: The first hot shower after 6 days of hiking! During those 6 days we had Har-El with his equipped jeep escorting us and schlepping our gear, but from that evening we had to settle with My small pickup – 1994 Renault Express, that stood bravely up to the expectations!

Day 7 was one of our longest sections: 28 km. Since the days are short, we had to keep a quick pace and reduce the breaks. The cold wind added some difficulty, but towards the afternoon, as we arrived to the camp, it stopped to allow us a nice and comfortable night at sea level elevation.

Day 8, January 12th: That was our most adventurous day, climbing up the ladders of the Barak Gorge, and climbing down the ladders in the gorge of Vardit. Thus, together with 24 km of trail, was not an easy task, but as we arrived at the camp just with the last light we felt satisfied and happy… until we realized the strong and cold wind that the hills around campsite could barely weaken. This night we had company: At 5 a.m. a wolf arrived and sniffed around the remains of our meal. I barked at it but the wolf did not understand doggy language. The small stones I threw on it were understood better…

The next section of the trail is kind of boring. Since there are army practicing zones on both sides of the trail, it follows the asphalt road, on a flat and un-interesting landscape, for 40 km. To avoid it but still cross this section with our own muscle-power, we arranged bicycles for us to ride and cover that section. So we had some time in the morning for a nice breakfast before we started. There were only four of us riding this day, the rest of the group either left before, or decided to take a day off and cover this section by car. The strong and cold southern wind we were facing was not cooperating, but at km 31 there was the Neot Semadar café where we stopped for nice and rich hot chocolate. Once the 40 km were finally over, we walked 3 more to the camp at the Kassui Dunes. This evening Nirit joined us for driving the logistic car, escorted with her bright and active son Gev that right away explored the possibilities offered by the sand dunes.

The next day was a Saturday – Shabbat, the day of rest in the Jewish religion. We planned a short 11km section for that day, ending at Shacharut campsite (“The Camel Riders”), where we were provided with the second and last hot water shower of the trek.

The remaining 4 days were in the vicinity of the Eilat Mountains. We were now hiking with our last of five topographical maps, and the weather enabled us hike with our shorts for the first time… There were 11 participants on the trek and we knew we are approaching the end. Two long days of 22 and 26 km, followed with the last and more moderate sections: 16 and 14. On the 14th and last day we hiked through one of the most beautiful sections of the Israel National Trail: The Gishron Canyon. Its an orgy of rocks and colors: Black and purple Igneous rocks, Red, white and pink sandstone, yellowish limestone, greenish clay and much more. The last uphill of the 14 days brings us atop Mt. Tzefahot, from which you see the dark blue Gulf of Eilat at your feet, surrounded by beautiful mountains and four countries: Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The feeling was great, but a little sadness in the mixture: Soon the trek will be over, the life that we experienced was turning into a memory, our friends that walked with us are about to go back to their homes, and even the joy of wiping ones dirty hands on the 14-days-used pants is reaching its end… So we stayed on the summit for one last strong Arabic coffee, took a deep breath of the desert fresh air, and walked down towards the Gulf of Eilat…

You are welcome to watch Eli Shoshani’s photo album of the trek!

https://picasaweb.google.com/107622147846058937848/Shvil_Eli_01_12?authkey=Gv1sRgCLy2v9zV7_70tQE 

The last section on the trail, from Caesaria to Sde Boker, is planned for February 2013, stay tuned!

A guided trek on this trail or different trails can be reserved at www.yoeloren.com

The Land of Israel is known as “The Holy Land”. Million of pilgrims arrive here to follow the footsteps of Jesus and to see in their eyes the land that was the background of the events described in the Old and New Testaments. A much better understanding of the texts evolves from standing atop Mt. of Olives and looking at the Garden of Gethsemane, or Standing on Mt. Carmel and looking at the Valley of Jezreel than for just reading them back home. This way the stories come back to life in front of our eyes.

The vast majority of pilgrims settle with driving by bus or car to the churches that were established at the spots of the events, but there’s another way of doing it: Real walking on the footsteps of Jesus, the prophets, the kings and other figures whose stories are described in the texts. The experience this way can become deeper: Both with the time spent that enables us grasp better the event in its context, and of course by being in the open scenery that sometimes has not changed much since the time of the Bible. In the Galilee there is a marked hiking trail from Nazareth to Capernaum known as “Jesus Trail” (www.jesustrail.com) that can be fully or partly combined in the hiking pilgrimage.

The desert plays a major role in the scripts: Abraham was the first to settle and develop the desert by planting a Tamarisk tree in Beer Sheva, (environmentalists would appreciate it being a sustainable development since the Tamarisk is a native plant and not an invading species…), The Children of Israel wandered for 40 years in the Sinai and Jordanian deserts, David, before becoming king, dwelled in the Judean Desert, the prophet Amos was a shepard in Tekoa, at the edge of the desert, and John the Baptist was baptizing the people at the Jordan River in the furnace-hot area of the southern Jordan Valley . Half of the land of Israel is desert land, and hiking in the Negev or Judean Deserts can let us feel the special environment and atmosphere. Backpacking for two days and one night in the desert is not equal to wandering there for forty years, but can give a good idea on that!

Here is a suggested itinerary that can set as an alternative pilgrimage to the Holy land. The itinerary is based on hiking, and one can add the more standard Church Pilgrimage to get a complete experience:

Day 1: Landing at Ben Gurion Airport, driving to the Carmel Mountain. Walking from the Druze village of Daliat El Carmel through remains of an ancient Jewish village to the Carmelitic monastery commemorating the competition between Elijah and the prophets of the Ba’al. The breath-taking view from the roof of the monastery opens towards the Jezreel Valley, where stood the vineyard of Naboth (1 Kings, 21), and the capital of the kingdom of Israel; The river of Kishon, where the troops of Sisera fell into the hands of Barak son of Abinoam (Judges 4,5); The Gilboa Mountains, the hills of Nazareth and much more.

Day 2: Visiting the Church of Annunciation in Nazareth and hiking the Jesus Trail from Nazareth through Zippory to Cana of Galilee.

Day 3: Hiking the Jesus Trail from the Arbel Cliff to Capernaum, with an additional visit to Mt. of Beatitudes. Driving to The Jordan River baptismal site. Driving south through the Jordan Valley to Ein Gedi.

Day 4: A day hike in the Dry Canyon and Window Fall at Ein Gedi, then visiting the lush oasis where David found shelter from King Saul (1 Samuel 24). Afternoon bathing at the Dead Sea.

Day 5: Ascending Masada for sunrise, then hiking the Judean Desert to the awe-inspiring Rahaf Canyon. Driving to Jerusalem.

Day 6: Observation over the Old City from Mt. of olives, then a full day walking tour of the four quarters of the Old City, including a walk on the stations of the cross, followed by a visit to The Church of the Holy Sepulchure, The Western (“Wailing”) Wall and The Garden Tomb.

Day 7: A hike around the hills of Jerusalem and the ancient agriculture remains. Drive to the Negev.

Day 8-9: Two days hiking with outdoors camping in the desert, crossing from Makhtesh Ramon (“crater”) to the Arava Valley. Farewell dinner and overnight in Tel Aviv.

Day 10: Jaffa, Tel Aviv and fly home.

A guided trek on this trail can be reserved at www.yoeloren.com

The Ein Gedi oasis is located at the foot of the Judean Desert fault cliff, between the ridge and the Dead Sea. It consists of four major fresh-water springs supplying 3 million cubic meters of water a year, forming the contrast between the lush oasis and the dry desert surrounding it. The combination of the hot temperatures and the abundance of water create perfect conditions for semi-tropical plants that grow here naturally. The water and the vegetation attract many species of vegetarian animals as the Nubian Ibex and the Rock Hyrax, that themselves attract the predators, as the Wolf and the Fox, and until 2006 there were even leopards around! Since ancient times man was aware of the advantages of Ein Gedi, and some archaeological remains date back to the Chalcolithic Period, some 6000 years ago. During the Roman-Byzantine era, 2000-1400 years ago, a Jewish community prospered here, making a living out of the special and very expensive perfume, the “Apharsemon” (balsam) that was produced from the extracts of a bush that was grown here, but disappeared into a mystery and now no one knows which plant was it…

At the basis of today’s Ein Gedi stand the oasis and the nature reserve that attract hundreds of people every day, most of them hike the short route to the Shulamit Waterfall and back. Ein Gedi Kibbutz is settled on top of a ‘hill” south of the oasis, and is a home for around 500 people. The Ein Gedi Field School is a guiding center for nature studies of the Judean Desert, operated by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) and is located at the foot of Mt. Yishay, north of the oasis. The public beach and the “wild Beach” of the Dead Sea are located on its east.

The trail described here if for fit hikers and covers the reserve from different angles, avoiding the human flow of people visiting the place on a daily basis…

We start at the rear gate of the field school and ascend to the top of the cliff, to Mt. Yishay, keeping to the trail marked black. It takes around two hours to reach the top, for fantastic views over the Dead Sea and the Judean Desert. From there we take a red marked trail and follow it west and then south. It surrounds the Upper Dry Canyon of Wadi David to reach, after two more hours, the Ein Gedi Ascent, where we are going to descend from. A breath-taking view awaits us as we start descending. Reaching the water sources after yet another hour, we pay a short visit to the Ein Gedi Spring. Most of its water is taken by the kibbutz for their needs, and only the leftovers are flowing to the shallow wading pool. From here we’ll head to the Dodim Cave (translated as “the lovers cave”) which is a genuine Garden of Eden, with the combination of water, vegetation, stalactites, birds and more. Occationally we can also see the snake… Back on the trail, we go down to the lower part of the David Stream, to see the waterfall and bathe in one or two more pools on the way out. As you pass by the cashier, mention to the person on duty that you arrived from the Desert Plateau, and maybe you’ll be dismissed from paying the entrance fee, of around 7.5$ per person…

A guided trek on this trail can be reserved at www.yoeloren.com

This area consists of steep inselbergs surrounded with red and yellow sand dunes. It is reached by a road that branches east from the Desert Highway, about half an hour drive from Aqaba. On that road you drive around fifteen more minutes to reach the visitors’ center and the entrance, where there’s entrance fee required, five Jordanian Dinar per person in 2011.

Two Days of Hiking in Wadi Rum:

The trail description given here is not detailed enough for route finding. It’s recommended to find a guide at the village to lead you through the trails. Attallah from “Bedouin Lifestyle Camp” can arrange your guide, the camping, meals and 4×4 transportation through the sand dunes. Don’t forget to tell him you found his name at my blog… www.bedouinlifestyle.com .

Day 1, Crossing Jebel Um Ishrin massif and visiting the Anafishiyeh rock inscriptions:

As we enter the protected area, we continue driving to the village of Rum and park our car. We head strait east to the ridge and start ascending following the Rujums, the piles of stones the Bedouins leave to mark the trails. We scramble up some rock faces and ledges to bypass a dry fall that blocks the way to the canyon. As we climb through a maze of gorges, we reach a pass and start heading down, to the eastern side of the massif. It takes around two-three hours to reach the surprising red sand dunes that suddenly appear in front of our eyes. Climbing to the top of the dune, we will spot the inselberg of Jebel Anafishieh on our north-east. We’ll walk directly to a smooth vertical face of the southern cliff of the mountain. On this rock we’ll find rock inscriptions that date back over two thousand years, when the Thamudic people wandered around the vicinity. Among the rock drawings we’ll find a camel breast-feeding its young, hunters, warriors and many more.

From the rock we’ll aim south, to the Large Dune that settled between the two inselbergs on our south, Jebel Um Aleidiya and Jebel Um Kharg. After the long climb to its top left we’ll cross between the two mountains, and walk or be picked up to our camp. The Bedouins of the region have organized special camps around the vicinity, where you can choose from sleeping in a large shared bedouin tent, a private tent or during summer grab a mattress to the sand dune and sleep under the stars. You are going to be served a special meal cooked in the ground, and endless cups of tea. The breakfast however, is very dull, so you might like to bring some extra food for that.

Day two, The day of the bridges:

We will start this day visiting the entrance of the Wadi Khazali gorge, where more interesting rock drawings can be found, including a woman giving birth to a baby! From there, we’ll keep walking east to the next mountain, Jebel Qabr Amra, where the Small Rock Bridge can be spotted on its northern tip. It’s an easy scramble up the bridge, with beautiful views through it.

On with our trek, we surround the mountain from its east, via Wadi Qabr Amra. Five kilometers south rises Jebel Um Fruth, where the Medium Rock Bridge is found on its east. Another short easy scramble leads us to its top.

 Heading south-east, we cross two more inselbergs to arrive at the foot of Jebel Burda. On its north-west side a two-hours long trail winds up to the Large Rock Bridge, less than a meter and a half wide and eighty meters above the ground, standing on its top is not for the faint-hearted! It takes less than an hour to backtrack down, where a pre-arranged 4×4 vehicle can take us back to the village, and if we have time we can conclude with a short walk to the Shelaleh spring described in T.E. Lawrence’s (Of Arabia) book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom”.

A guided trek on this trail can be reserved at www.yoeloren.com

This trek crosses the Judean Desert from the town of Arad to the lush oasis of Ein Gedi, and it is one of the best treks in Israel. This description is not for navigation, just to give the general idea of the route, while the navigation should be done by the assistance of a topographic map or with a guide.

Day 1: From Arad to The Tzfira pool

Starting at the hotel area in Arad, we begin with a wide-angle observation over the Desert Plateau, the milder area of the desert, where the slope is still not too steep. We descend to the Kidod dry river-bed and continue along it until it start getting steeper and we encounter some small dry falls which are easy to scramble down. This is the vicinity of the Kidod Cave, a surprisingly large karstic cave with a very small entrance. From the cave we head north towards the Bedouin-style resort of Kfar Hanokdim, where we can refill our water bottles (and also arrange to stay the night in a beautiful room or in a tent) and camp above the Tzfira pool.

Day 2: The Tze’elim canyon

This day is dedicated to the “Grand Canyon” of the Judean Desert. We’ll begin with visiting the Tzfira pool, a waterhole in the gorge above the Tze’elim dry fall, which fills up with water whenever there’s a flashflood in the canyon. The flashflood occurs when there’s a heavy rain falling on the desert. The clay-like soil does not enable much water to seep through it, so most of the rain water flows on the surface. The steepness allows the water gain speed and power and these create fierceful flashfloods, majestic and dangerous. We will choose if to walk above the gorge or inside it, as we continue to the campsite at the exit of the canyon. Walking through the gorge usually involves crossing deep water pools, and swimming with all the gear is unavoidable!

Day 3: The Mules’ Ascent, the Harduf and the Treasure Cave Viewpoints

This morning will find us ascending the Fault Cliff by the Mules’ Ascent, that was used to bring the equipment by the archaeological teem that excavated the Judean Desert caves in 1953. Today’s the day of the breathtaking views over the canyons of the desert, The Harduf and the Mishmar. We will see the opening to the Treasure Cave, in which hundreds of copper artifacts from Chalcolithic time (around 4000 B.C.) were discovered.

Day 4: The Arugot Stream and the Ein Gedi Oasis

On with the trail on the desert plateau, we will cross the Hever Canyon, in which we will sight the Bar Kochva Revolt refuge caves. In one of them a very interesting archive of legal documents was found. They belonged to Bavta, a refugee from Ein Gedi ancient village, who brought those with her when she seeked for shelter from the Romans during the second revolt of the Jews, 132-135 A.D.

We will conclude this amazing trek by descending via the Iseens’ Ascent to the lush Arugot stream, refreshing ourselves in the pools and waterfalls, a nice treat after four days in the desert.

A guided trek on this trail can be reserved at www.yoeloren.com

Day 1: walk along the Hatzbani stream

The Israel National Trail is a marked path, crossing the entire length of Israel, from the Border with Lebanon in the north, to the Egyptian border in the south.

I offer a guided trek on the trail, devided into 3 sections. We hiked the first one, from Dan to Caesaria, during 11 days, During May 15th to the 25th 2011.

On the evening before, we gathered from all around, and retired to sleep in order to gain energy and rest towards the trek.

On the 1st day, our logistic-man Moshe took us to the starting point near Kibbutz Dan, where the trail begins. There were four participants to begin with, every one joined for a different period of time, including one, named Arie, that aimed to walk the complete section all the way to Caesaria! Moshe drove to kiryat Shemona to bring some fresh bread for breakfast, and we met him after walking around 7 km at the Snir nature reserve. We continued along the trail, and around 6 pm we were at the camping site, where we met a British participant who was to join us for the next four days of trekking.

The second day was relatively warm, but towards early afternoon we had time to enjoy a watermelon and a siesta in the shade of a tree..

Arriving late that evening to the campsite, dinner was already ready for us. This dinner was based on stew cooked in a Poyke pot, but it competed hard with the other dinners we had during our trek: Sole-fish schnitzels, St. Peter fish wrapped with lettuce and foil cooked in the fire, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Asian Casserole of vegetables and chicken, quality entrecote grilled on charcoal, and many more. Of course all the meals were escorted with nice wine..

Poyke pot, photo by Nathan Dascal

During that night we had some rain, but we woke up the next morning cheerful as ever for another day of hiking. This day we welcomed another British participant, that has just arrived late the night before. This guy preferred not to camp outdoors, so we had booked him nice rooms close to the campsites and drove him there after having dinner with us.

So the trek went on, we walked up Mt. Meron and down to the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River, then up to Mt. Tabor and Nazareth, and down to Tzippory. This is where the last of the participants departed, and for the last two days and a half, there were only me, Yoel, the guide, and the persistant Arie left in the group. We decided to speed up, and covered the whole distance from Tzippory to Caesaria (87km) in two and a half days! When we arrived at the aqueduct, the trade-mark logo of Caesaria, we were very please and satisfied. Moshe met us with three cans of beer and drove us home..

Arie and Yoel at Caesaria aqueduct, after 11 days of trekking

The Next guided trek on the trail will take place during January 5th th to the 18th 2012. It will be on the southern section, crossing the Negev Desert from Sde Boker to Eilat.

This 3-days trek is one of the most inspiring treks, regarding the dramatic and colorful diverse landscapes in which we hike – not a dull moment!

The logistics also are relitively simple, for backpackers or those who want to hike with a day pack.

Keep in mind that the area has been declared a RSCN (Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature in Jordan) nature reserve, and in the future there might be some restrictions on hiking, and/or admission fees.

Another thing: The discription given is not detailed enough for navigation, just gives an idea of the trek! People who wish to do this hike on their own are welcome to be in touch for specific detailed information.

The trail was first described by Itay Haviv in his book “trekking and Canyoning in the Jordanian Dead Sea Rift”. With the book in our hand we first explored the trail. In the book the direction of the hike is the opposite, starting in Rajef and this is how we did it in the first guided trek, arriving in Rajef in the afternoon, descending to the Juleif saddle for camping. In the second trek, though, when we arrived at the saddle for camping, we received an order from the Jordanian secret service to leave the place, because its proximity to Prince Hasan’s palace south of Rajef. Since then, we hike the trail as described in this post starting at the Dark Gorge and ending in Rajef…

A short film in Hebrew can be watched at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j84NqkK2rs4

Day 1: The Dark Gorge to Ein Meshet:

Arriving from the Arava Valley, we drive on the Ar-Risha – Dilagha road, and leave our transportation at the dry river bed just before the road steeply ascends to Jebel Mas’uda. If you are backpacking, the car can be a simple taxi taken from Aqaba. If you are hiking with a day pack, better get a high clearance pick-up, drop your gear at the orchard of Ein Meshet, and continue with the car to the starting point.

Walking east on the river bed, we progress between walls of chalk, limestone, flint, bulbus stones and other sea sediments. A small stream appears, creating tiny waterfalls… When the canyon curves to the south-east, we hike up north-east, crossing the major fault into colorful sand stone. Reaching a saddle with remains of an ancient leopards trap, we walk on rock ledges  leading us to the Dark Gorge. We enter walking on a ledge, some 20 meters above the river bed, crossing over it on a bridge consisted of giant boulders that collapsed over the narrow gorge. With a hikers’ rope we descend to the river bed, walking down under those boulders that block any light altogether, not even seeing where are we stepping! In winter or spring we might need to cross some pools filled with water from recent flashfloods! After the exciting experience, we backtrack a little, then cross the main river bed where a nice water spring provides water to a lush small forest of oleanders,we head north along the continuation of the major fault, walking above a white-sandstone gorge to the oasis of Ein Meshet.

Day 2: Wadi Tajra, Jebel Barza and Naqb Hurma:

A very early start will guarantee that we will be able to enjoy all the jewels of this day, so don’t be lazy!

We start by walking on the dirt road to Wadi Tajra, notice the short cut on the first junction after 5 minutes of walking. We walk upstream, bypassing a beautifully designed gorge carved in igneous rocks roofed by a pink conglomerate. Soon we will encounter remains of a beatiful arches-supported aqueduct from Nabbatean era. We reach a set of 3 waterfalls, with a small flow of water, climbing on them carefully. Not long after that, we reach an inviting waterfall flowing on travertine rock designed by nature as a drainage pipe, this is where we take some of our clothes off and enjoy a nice shower! Backtracking to the head of the previous waterfall, we ascend south, on the scree to reach an ancient camel trail bypassing the falls, We descend to return to the bed beyond and above the pipe waterfall.

Up the Tajra Wadi, we reach the foot of Naqb el- Maiet and ascend south,on that beautiful trail, passing another leopards’ trap to reach the saddle of Wadi Juleif.

We will leave the visit to that beautiful mountain for the third day, while walking east to cross the deep Wadi Abu-’l Uruk, peeping into its canyon but ascending directly south towards Jebel Barza. The third leopards’ trap will indicate that we are close to the saddle,and we will proceed towards Jebel Barza.

This mountain is a maze of hundreds of white sandstone domes, and a secret hidden route that leads to the rewarding summit.

backtracking to the entrance to the mountain, we descend through sand dunes to the head of Naqb Hurma, that descends the cliff in a very creative way, occasionally through the cliff itself! About two hours walk from its foot to reach our camping site at Ein Meshet.

Day 3: Wadi Abu’l Uruk and Jebel Juleif:

If you are day-packing, you need to ask the pick-up truck to be at the campsite in the morning to fetch your luggage, and meet you in the afternoon at the Juleif saddle.

Walking towards Wadi Tajra, like we did the day before, we will hit the confluence with Wadi Abu’l Uruk just before reaching the colorful conglomerate gorge. Here we face two dry falls on igneous rocks: The first one can be negotiated by climbing it carefully using the relatively loose edges. The second one is bypassed on the the scree at its left, east. Returning to the bed we reach a nice spot for breakfast in a narrow sand-stone gorge with a comfortable shaded ledge to rest upon.

Walking up the wadi consists with negotiating many rock obstacles with an orgy of countless shades and colors, like an art gallery of a madman… After three more hours we are at the exit of the gorge, where we peeped into yesterday, to ascend north to the saddle of the Juleif. A short climb will bring us to its mesa, aiming south-west we head to the top of the cliffs of Abu’l Uruk, where we stand above a vertical 200 metrs drop over a super narrow gorge. Walking on top of the mesa as your time permits, return to the saddle, from which there is a dirt road ascending the 300 meters elevation difference on a 3-km distance. Your pick-up truck can reach the saddle and take you up. Walking or driving, you reach the village of rajef, to take some transportation to your next destination…

Two treks to the canyons of Jordan:

July 9th – 11th: Three days of canyoning, including abseiling in Wadi Karak and Wadi Mujib. The canyons are rich with water and surprises.

Four days in the Canyons of Jordan, July 14th – 17th:

One day in the Wala Canyon, two days in Wadi Hasa and concluding with Ibn Hammad. No abseiling this time…

The Israel Trail northern section:

Details can be read in the May newsfeed, scroll down and find it…

This is the first time a long guided hike on the INT is offered! The northern section covers the Upper Galilee, the Lower Galilee, the Sea of Galilee and the Carmel Mountain and Coast.

A driver-cook will bring our gear to the campsite and prepare field cooking to be ready when we arrive. People who request can stay overnights in rooms, or as recommended – at the campsite. A combination of challenge and fun!

This pot originated in South Africa, but gathers popularity around the world. The pot is made from iron, it’s very heavy and you can get it in different sizes. The cooking is done on open fire, and can be done either outdoors or on a gas stove at home…

This is the classical recipe: Chicken with Vegtables…

Prepare fire and put the pot on it, make sure it is standing stable! Open a bottle of fine dry red wine and enjoy a glass of wine.

Put a little amount of oil, once the pot is hot add the chicken and stir untill it is roasted from all sides.

Add onions, garlic, red peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsley, tomatoes, champignon, and whatever you desire.

Add half a bottle of white wine, some soy sauce, spices.

Cook on small fire for an hour, stir from time to time, drink red wine to let the time pass pleasantly. 

When the stew is ready remove the pot from the fire carefully, and enjoy your meal!

This recipe can be done alternatively with lamb or veal.

When guiding Ellen Botnick in the Judean Desert last year, she asked me to prepare a vegetarian stew. She actually liked it and said I should put the recipe on the blog. Since I don’t fancy having my signature over a vegetarian recipe I hereby dedicate it to Ellen…

The idea is the same, only without the chicken. You might consider adding portobellos for the taste.

The Israel Trail: Northern section,  August 28th to September 7th

For fit hikers

The Israel National trail streches from the Lebanese border at the north, to the Egyptian border in the south.  It is over 900 km long, and goes through different landscapes. Walking the whole distance takes around two months. we are going to devide it into three sections, so we can make some effort during a shorter period and complete it in 40 days.

Our camping and kitchen gear is going to be carried by a vehicle, we will carry only our day packs. We will camp all nights outdoors, occasionally we will offer showers. We will have cooked dinners, a waking up treat (coffee, tea and cookies) and one picnic brunch a day – all provided.

The first section will take us from the Lebanese border to the Mediterranean coast, walking around 25-27  km per day. We will gather Saturday evening in the central bus station in Kiryat Shmona (reaching there independentlyby bus from all around the country), and have transportation to the camping site. We will start getting to know each other over a cup of tea and coffee (dinner is not included for that night), and retire to our sleeping bags. The trek will end in Caesaria, where you’ll get transportation to the Hadera central bus station.

The price is 1500$ per person, including: Guiding, escorting vehicle, food and transportation as mentioned.

More details and instructions would be sent to whoever is interested. 

Trekking in the Canyons of Jordan

Several treks to the canyons of Jordan are going to take place during this summer.

The treks involve hiking in flowing water inside breathtaking beautiful sandstone gorges with hanging gardens of fresh vegetation and date palm trees, camping outdoors and lots of water fun!

Please check the news section on my site for the exact dates!