From the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea
From the Mediterranean to the lowest place on earth. The Mediterranean - Dead Sea Canal in seven days
| Day 1 |  | Day 2 | | Day 3 | | Day 4 |
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| Day 5 | | Day 6 | | Day 7 | | |
Once the annual hike for high school students and youth groups meant a wild week of energetic marching from the Mediterranean toward the Sea of Galilee with a pack on your back and hands of youthful love on your shoulder. But since that march from the Carmel to the Jordan valley, only the memory remains. To create a southern version of that hike we got together with two alumni of the northern route, Ohad Kochavi from the Trail Marking Committee and Yair Farjun of the Shikmim Field School.
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Sycamore trees (Photo: Yigal Zur)
A word before we start: The proposed route is intended for good hikers, and is divided into seven days, with each day including a hike of between 12.5 to 15 miles. If you are not an experienced hiker you can expect to walk over 9 miles a day, in which case the hike will take another few days.
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British Bridge over the Shikma river (Photo: Yigal Zur)
You can start the hike on foot or in a car, but not all trails along the route are suited to cars. Remember that this is a proposed route that has not yet been established. Trail maps 12 and 13 will accompany you throughout your hike.
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Reservoir near Yatir forest (Photo: Yigal Zur)
Going with a Group
The Society for the Protection of Nature’s Shikmim Field School in Nitzanam offers various hikes. To arrange a group hike call 972-8-672-1235 or 972-8-672-8755. Negev area hikes can be arranged through the Mount Negev Field School of the Society for the Protection of Nature, 972-8-658-8615, 972-8-658-8616. To join the society’s hikes on the Israel Trail call 972-3-638-8688.
Day 1
We begin at Zikim Beach, south of Ashkelon. Before we leave the beach we fill a bottle with water from the Mediterranean. Why? You’ll find out later.
חזור למעלהWater from nearby Nahal Shikma, which used to flow into the ocean, is now blocked by a dam. Walk on the blue- marked trail until you get to Shikma Reservoir. There are submerged trees around the reservoir. Return to the road and turn toward the Carmiya Nature Reserve.
The reserve has dozens of sycamore trees surrounded by ephedras, which cover fruit trees in the orchard from the remains of the village of Harbiya. The village paths can still be seen between fences of prickly pear bushes and sugar cane that have remained blooming and glowing in silver in the sunlight. When you leave Carmiya ascend the paved path that goes along the fields and orchards. Nahal Shikma is to the right.
You will come to Netiv Ha'asarah. Here the marking of the blue trail is somewhat problematic. Cross the road leading from Yad Mordechai to the Gaza Strip, turn left, and then turn right several yards later to the eucalyptus grove. Continue alongside the grove. To the right is the remains of a British train station from the Cairo-Palestine line.
Continue along the trail. You are not far from three bridges that can be reached by car from the main road. The bridge over Nahal Shikma was constructed from Jerusalem stone by the British. Over the years some of the stones have been replaced by concrete. Walk along the side of the river bed, one of the only ones in Israel that remains free of sewage water, and you will arrive at what remains of a bridge built by the Turks. Not far from there is the third bridge, built in 1968 by the State of Israel.
You can continue on foot through the nearby Gevaram Nature Reserve, but since there is no marked trail today, skip to the north of it on the red-marked trail and from there turn southward toward the kibbutz. Before you enter turn right to trail number 13145, marked in green. We end today near Sderot.
Day 2
Before we begin the day you should be aware that if it has rained the route is liable to be difficult to travel by car, though not on foot.
חזור למעלהContinue in Nahal Shikma. Go along a dirt path along road 232 until you get to the blue-marked trail that turns to the right toward the stream. (The blue trail is relatively new, and isn’t yet marked on maps.) Here you will see green fields that touch the horizon. You can also hike in nearby Nahal Dorot, which passes not far from the Shikmim Farm owned by the Sharon family and from some ancient burial caves.
Next you will arrive at Bitronot Ruhama, an area of green hills around a kibbutz of the same name, with a nice vantage point on the summit that looks out at the shoreline, the Dvir Forest, and Kiryat Gat. “Bitronot” refers to grooves that the rainwater has made in the soil. Follow the red marking until it connects with the blue.
Continue on the incline above Nahal Sod along the blue-marked trail until you get to a new trail marked in green. Next to this is Tel Najilah, which has a large tamarisk tree, and is one of a number of “tels” from the Canaanite period in Nahal Shikma, such as Tel Hasi, Tel Keshet, and Tel Milha.
Switch here from map 13 to map 12. Pass over the crumbling Turkish railroad tracks, above the Ottoman train bridge that stretches over Nahal Poreh, and come to the Poreh reservoir. Children from Kiryat Gat come here to play. Camp here for the night.
Day 3
Walk toward the Israel trail, marked in white, blue, and orange. When it connects to another trail, the two appear next to each other on the map.
חזור למעלהFlow with Nahal Shikma under road 40 in the direction of Beersheba. Further on you will pass near road 6 and turn to the south. Pass Tel Milha, which has remains from the Bronze Period and through to the Byzantine Period. Bypass Dvir on the way to Lahav, and ascend the trail in the direction of Khirbat Zaak. Although the road does not reach the ruins it’s worth taking a look at what remains of the Arab village that was once located here, and the remains of the buildings from the Byzantine and Roman periods, like tunnels used for hiding during the Bar Kochba period.
Nearby there are several isolated farms and wineries that are worth a visit. You can also reach this area by car on the Lahav-Dvir road by following the signs.
Day 4
From the Joe Alon Center descend in the direction of Kibbutz Lahav, cross road 368 and turn to Sansana. A trail marked in green has been added to the Israel Trail, which stretches along the left bank of the ravine. The separation fence is nearby. After Sansana continue on the path surrounded by large Atlantic terebinth trees to road 60.
חזור למעלהYou will arrive at the Meitar forest. The Israel Trail and a scenic Jewish National Fund route marked in blue lead to the forest. This is a relatively new trail created because of the fence (you can drive on it even in winter). If you are walking it’s best to walk on the Israel Trail, which passes near the town of Meitar.
The two routes lead to the edges of the Hiran forest, which is named for Um al-Hiran and the Byzantine Khirbat Hiran. The trail passes Nahal Hiran. Nearby is Mount Hiran, and at its summit is a vantage point that looks out on the roofs of the village of Tenne and at the mountains of Ira and Anim.
Continue toward the Yatir forest, Israel’s largest. Its trees were planted after 1948 to strengthen the border, like today’s separation fence but from a more ecological perspective.
The blue trail leads almost to the forester’s house, while the Israel Trail actually does lead to the house. This has become a popular place because you can sleep there, which makes this a good place to end another day.
Day 5
Enter the Yatir forest on the Israel Trail. You will pass terebinths and vineyards that were planted only recently. On the left is a reservoir for the villages of southern Mount Hebron.
חזור למעלהA trail marked in black leads to Mount Amasa, to its peak, and to a spectacular view. Along the way you will pass a sign inviting you to spend the night in the nearby town of Amasa. To the left of the town is Metzudot Yehuda, and opposite it is the Arad valley and the town of Arad.
From Mount Amasa the trail descends on steps hewn by the Romans to the Bedouin village of Darjat, where you can also spend the night. The route does not go up to Tel Arad, but it is worth seeing. This is where a large Canaanite city was located: walls, towers, gates, palaces, and temples. After the tribes of Israel conquered the land a citadel was built here that determined the border between the settled land of the Israelites and the desert nomads. A temple was also built, the closest thing to the Temple in Jerusalem.
In Arad Park, along road 31, you can spend the night.
Day 6
From Arad there are trails that descend to the Dead Sea. Leave the tourist information center in town and go in the direction of Manhat, as suggested by Dov Pinio, a retiree and enthusiastic hiker, who settled in Arad and promotes it as a tourist center.
חזור למעלהFrom there turn toward Nahal Kisan on the red-marked trail until you get to the green-marked trail and the Bedouin school. Musa Abu Iyad (tel.: 050-530-5672) has a guest tent there. If you come by car you can leave the car there.
Continue south until you reach Khirbat Uza, a citadel from the Israelite period. You can reach Nahal Kinah by the blue-marked trail. The green-marked trail takes you to a waterfall.
The cisterns of Nahal Himar, the largest stream in the Judean desert, are filled with water after the rains. Walk in the river-bed till you reach the tsefa (viper) road – mifalim (factory) road. After crossing the road continue for about a half a mile on the slope of Nahal Himar, where you can camp for the night.
Day 7
Walk on the red-marked trail on the precipice of the Himar river bed (be careful!) until you reach road 31, Arad-Sodom. Continue on the blue-marked trail through Ma’aleh Zarun until you get to Nahal Zohar. Cross the small canyon and end at the Neve Zohar gas station.
חזור למעלהNow open the bottle of water from the Mediterranean and raise the level of the Dead Sea!
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Tamarisk tree near Tel Najilah
Photo: Yigal Zur
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Arches in Khirbat Zaak
Photo: Yigal Zur
מומלצים
