IN VIDEO: The Israel National Trail
Alon and Omri decided to work their way through the Israel National Trail; but since all of the information available about the hike is 'boring,' they decided to take matters into their own hands and post short video clips about their journey; 'The Israel National Trail is not just a road, it is much more.'
When Alon Adler and Omri Lev, both 22, decided to work their way through the Israel National Trail, they discovered that the available visual information about the hiking path is "boring." So the two recently-discharged soldiers set out to document their journey with short videos.
While planning their trip, Alon and Omri searched online for information about the trail and realized there was a problem. "There is a lot of textual information, but very little visual information available. And the existing visuals are rather boring," said Alon.
The two, who started their journey a little over a month ago, decided to do something special—they chose to document their trip and edit the footage into one-minute-long daily videos.
"We came up with the idea of creating daily video clips of the journey's highlights and landscapes. The goal was to encourage people to visit the trail, as well as help hikers," Alon told Ynet.
Alon and Omri are still in the middle of their journey, and so far they have posted over 40 videos—from Tel Dan in the north to the Negev in the south—but there is still plenty more to come.
"We are trying to showcase the Israel National Trail and make it accessible to all through these short videos," explained Alon.
"It's important for people to understand this hiking trail is not limited for experienced hikers, the average Joe can and should do even just a few segments of the trail," he added.
One of the videos, which received the highest number of views, is the one documenting the section between Tzova—a kibbutz in the Judean Hills, on the western outskirts of Jerusalem—and Mevo Beitar—a moshav in central Israel, located 10 kilometers south-west of Jerusalem.
In the video, Alon and Omri show the different sites located in this section, including many natural water springs: Sataf, Ein Handek, Ein Sapir, Ein Lamur, and more.
According to Alon, "We are also trying to show the various experiences the trail provides its visitors: from the amazing places you go through, to the interesting people you meet on the way. The Israel National Trail is not just a road, it is much more. It has many sides, and hidden spots that the public is simply unaware of."
All videos are uploaded to an Instagram account Alon and Omri opened especially for this cause.
