Mount Meron with Al-Hashvil, guided by Avi Farjioun
Photos/videos album: Israel Trail Hike 2022-02-17
I was especially excited about this hiking segment on the Israel Trail since I had never before explored Mount Meron. Neither hiking, nor jeeping, nor orienteering had ever brought me here. It was all going to be completely new to me. Tia declared it my “virgin ground.”
Before we set off, our guide Avi gave us good advice on climbing, pacing, taking breaks (“don’t sit down!”), and eating (“don’t eat your sandwich!”), to help us reach the summit of the Meron.
Heading up
The early hours of hiking were all uphill, and the first hour was the most strenuous part of the ascent. But the trail flowed easily through a lush, natural Mediterranean forest. A thick layer of leaves from the overhanging oak (אלון התולע) trees often covered the ground.
Enchanted forest
We enjoyed encounters with some special trees.
Such as cedars of Lebanon (ארז הלבנון).
And the enchanting red arbutus, also called mandrones or strawberry tree (קְטָלָב).
Vista points
The trail occasionally emerged from the forest to give us expansive vistas across the Galil.
Looking west towards the Mediterranean.
Looking east towards the Golan Heights and the faintly-visible, snow-covered Mount Hermon.
Discovering
We visited some interesting features along the way.
Ancient wine presses, now filled with rainwater.
A karstic chimney (הוטה), an abyss known as Abu Salum. It is home to a flock of pigeons that decended into the hole as we left the site.
Elijah’s chair, which bears a resemblance to the grand and richly carved chair in a synagogue that is reserved for the prophet.
Stunning views
The lookout points continued to provide awesome backdrops throughout the day.
Mystic mountain
Mt. Meron is famous for the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai (Rashbi), credited with writing The Zohar, the scripture of the Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbalah. Many caves and tombs around the mountain are believed to be the burial grounds of tzadikim (righteous). So it was not surprising to cross paths with groups of religious youngsters on the Peak Trail, which circles around the summit. We also encountered a large and friendly group of Arab schoolchildren. Quite a lot of traffic on the trail.
Least surprising of all was the Na Nach Nachma Nachman smiley that greeted us near the end of our hike.
Mount Meron was declared a nature reserve during the British Mandate in 1942. Unfortunately, the mountain’s splendour and protected status seem to have no effect on many visitors. I was dismayed by the amount of litter (snack food wrappers, hygenic masks, toilet paper), particularly along the Peak Trail, which is easily accessible by buses and cars.
How lovely it would be if only flowers decorated the trail.
A sampling of flowers spotted on the Meron, whose names I did not record.
The complete set of my photos/videos, in a Flickr album: Israel Trail Hike 2022-02-17.
