Mt. Hermon, not just snow and skiing
Three-day hiking and sightseeing vacation in northeast tip of Israel reveals extraordinary, year-round 'playground'
Day 1
After driving for three and a half hours from Tel Aviv to the Upper Golan Heights, our first stop was Birkat Ram, a geological maar (an extinct volcano with a lake in its center). We hiked around the perimeter of the volcano crater and lake (4 kilometers/ 2.5 miles) on a marked hiking trail, with one eye on the beauty of the lake and crater, and one eye on the majestic Mount Hermon in the background.
It was late October and the entire trail around the crater/lake was lined with apple trees, overflowing with lush, red, green, and yellow “Hermon” apples. As if we were in the Garden of Eden, we picked and ate these delicious apples straight off the trees. Without a doubt, they were the sweetest, juiciest, and most delicious apples we had ever tasted in our lives.
We then drove down to the bottom of Mount Hermon, and visited the impressive Banias waterfall – the largest year-round waterfall in Israel – located on the Hermon Stream. Because the Banias waterfall is a national park, there is an admission fee to get into the park, but is well worth the price. We hiked on a well-marked trail down into a beautiful, cliff-lined gorge, to a wooden viewing platform directly across from the bottom of the waterfall.
From here, we hiked through the gorge to a wooden bridge which was built on the side of the gorge directly over the stream, which at this point had become gushing rapids. This specially-built bridge allowed us to walk directly over the breath-taking gushing rapids.
We then crossed the stream on a small narrow bridge, and hiked up and out of the gorge to a lookout platform, affording us a beautiful view of the Golan Heights and the Hermon to the east, the Upper Galilee to our west, and the gorge and stream itself directly below us. We then hiked back down into the gorge and up to our car (total of 3 kilometers/ 2 miles).
We then ate an excellent meal at a delightful, picturesque, inexpensive, advertised as kosher (no kosher certificate), Lebanese-style restaurant called “Lebanese Restaurant on the Banias Springs," situated right on a stream that flows into the nearby Hermon Stream. We ordered fresh trout, naturally, which was caught just a few hours before from that very stream that we were now sitting alongside of. How awesome is that? I can honestly say that this was the tastiest grilled fish we have ever eaten in our lives.
Additionally, we ordered Lebanese-style hummus with hot cooked “ful” (fava beans). The meal came with “lafa” (large, flat, circular, pita-type bread) and a wide selection of fresh, tasty salads. The service was top-notch and friendly. It was an extraordinary five-star meal and experience for what I thought was a cheap price.
We then drove up Mount Hermon, until we reached Kibbutz Neve Ativ half way up the mountain. We checked into our hotel, the Rimonim Neve Ativ Hermon Hotel, a picturesque, Swiss-chalet-style hotel nestled on the slopes of Mount Hermon. After all the travelling and hiking that we had done today, we were totally wiped out. We showered, fell onto the bed, and were out cold.
Without a question, the Rimonim Neve Ativ Hermon Hotel is picturesque, but it certainly is not up to the standards of some of the other Rimonim hotels. To be sure, the staff was friendly and helpful, and our “A” style cabin was roomy and comfortable. However, occasionally there was an overpowering smell of raw sewage emanating from the bathroom into the rest of the cabin - definitely unpleasant, and the meals ranged from superb to disappointing.
Day 2
The next morning, we ate a superb breakfast at the hotel. It was a classic Rimonim breakfast with a wide and tasty selection of cheeses, salads, fish, and hot dishes.
Right after breakfast, we drove up to the bottom of the ski area near the top of Mount Hermon. Mount Hermon is Israel’s tallest mountain peaking at 2,236 meters/ 7,336 feet above sea level. We took the ski lift to the summit and marveled at our panoramic birds-eye view of all of northern Israel and southern Lebanon.
Turning our heads to the left we could see the entire Hula Valley, Kiryat Shmona, the Naftali Mountains and Metula. Turning our heads to the right we could see all of southern Lebanon, including Tyre and Sidon, with the wide expanse of the Mediterranean Sea in the background. It was utterly breathtaking, and not just because of the high altitude.
We then hiked down the mountain on an extremely picturesque, rugged and challenging mountain trail back to our car (4 kilometers/ 2.5 miles). The well-marked trail started out as a moderately-sloped dirt road, but soon enough we were carefully maneuvering our way down some steep rocky slopes, with huge boulders on the trail waiting to trip us up. However it was all worth it for the views that were spread out before us as we hiked down the mountain. We felt like we were hiking on a bridge built over the top of the world.
We followed the trail down for 3 kilometers (2 miles) until we unexpectedly came upon a narrow asphalt road built into the side of the mountain which was not on the map. Because we had not expected such a rugged hike on the way down the mountain, we were already tired, and decided to take our chances on the asphalt road which appeared to be heading in the general direction of the main parking lot near the ski lifts where I had parked our car.
The “course correction” paid off, because after twisting around the curvature of the mountain for 1 kilometer (2/3 mile), the road indeed brought us right to our car. We were tired but excited and thrilled at the unexpected adventure of having navigated a shortcut back to our car… without getting lost.
Next, we drove halfway down the mountain, past our hotel, until we came to the ruins of the largest, ancient fortress in Israel, Nimrod’s Fortress – a majestic, medieval fortress perched on top of one of the sub-peaks in the Mount Hermon range. It is an awesome-looking fortress with a commanding view of the entire north of Israel. No wonder that the Syrians want it back. Because the fortress is a national park, there is an admission fee, but, like the Banias, is well worth the price.
We meandered through the ruins (hiking another 1 kilometer/ 2/3 mile), admiring the massive size and beauty of the fortress itself and the magnificent views of southern Israel. On the drive back up the mountain to the hotel to get ready for Shabbat, we found a scenic overlook with a phenomenal view of the fortress perched on its sub-peak, with a wondrous view of the Hula Valley and Naftali Mountains in the background.
We ate our Friday night Shabbat dinner at the hotel, and were very disappointed. There was not a wide selection of food, as is typical at other Rimonim hotels on a Friday night, and the food that there was tasted bland, like cafeteria-style food. Totally inexcusable, considering the price that we paid for that dinner. After dinner, we went back to our cabin, and once again, within minutes were out cold.
Day 3
The next morning, we ate a satisfactory Shabbat breakfast at the hotel - no cooked foods, but there was “jachnun” (a traditional, warm, Yemenite pastry).
Immediately after breakfast, because we do not travel on Shabbat, we simply walked out of the hotel and straight onto a marked hiking trail which conveniently starts right next to the hotel, and hiked up the mountain adjacent to the hotel.
This mountain is another one of the sub-peaks of Mount Hermon, called Squirrel Mountain. On the way up this mountain, we enjoyed splendid views of Kibbutz Neve Ativ and the Upper Golan Heights in the background, and marveled at the beauty of a deep gorge leading down to the Nimrod Fortress perched so majestically on its sub-peak, with the Hula Valley and Naftali Mountains in the background.
We then hiked back down to our cabin and straight into a hot shower. What a “mchaya” that was! The shower and the hike (7 kilometers/ 4.5 miles)!
When Shabbat ended, we drove back to Tel Aviv luxuriating in the after-glow of this wonderful, uplifting, and highly recommended visit to this corner of our country.
