Monday, April 12, 2010

Nachal Mishmar - April 9th 2010

Michelle wrote,

Our hike on Friday was spectacular.


We walked through a wadi/canyon called Nahal Mishmar near the Dead Sea.
We hiked up into the canyon, and waded through several pools of (slimey green) water sometimes hip depth. Occassionally, where the gorge narrowed, we had to climb up vertical rock (at one point over fifteen meters high) by gripping a series of giant horizontal steel staples imbedded in the rock. They were quite slippery and it was pretty dangerous if you ask me. The
important thing was to not look down (or up), but to maintain focus.

I didn't bring my camera on that hike because I knew it would be pretty hairy. Some hikers in our group of seventeen had a lot of trouble hoisting themselves up out of a slippery chute - the rope provided on the trail was too short. After some arduous moments, we all made it to the end of the narrow canyon - a "maayan" (spring) surrounded by a giant C-shaped formation of circular cliffs well over 100 feet high.

We hiked out along the ridge of the canyon which gradually sloped down toward the Dead Sea. It was a long day and we made it back to Jerusalem just in time for Shabbat.

One line comments:
"brilliant hike, one of the best I've done with Mosaic. beautiful scenery, flora and fauna, and fun with climbing ropes." Eliot Sacks
"Squooshed around in boots the whole day for gorgeous views" - Judith Appleton

No comments: