Page 46 - Holyland Magazine - 2023 Edition

Hillel Sussman

he Israel Bike Trail is a national project that bikers can feel secure when riding down
for the construction of a mountain bike them.
trail that traverses the entire country • Crossing the country in a reasonable number
from the northernmost and highest of days - While the trail could be designed
Tpoint in Israel - Mount Hermon - to the to go through virtually all of the important
lowest point on earth - the Dead Sea, and to sites in Israel, planners wanted to find the
the southernmost point - the city of Eilat on right balance between the desire to complete
the shores of the Red Sea. the journey in a reasonable number of days The Israel Bike Trail
and number of sites. We believe that you
Imagine that in just a few short years, you'll be can ride the entire trail in 25 days (or come
able to hop on your bike on Mount Hermon twice - once in the winter to ride in the south,
and pedal away until you reach Eilat. The and once in warmer weather to bike through
project is led by the Israel Nature and Parks the north).
Authority with financial support from the • A safe trail - Keeping the safety of riders in
Ministry of Tourism and the Israel Government mind, the planners strive to keep riders away
Tourist Corporation as well as other from heavy traffic areas, but when necessary
government ministries, including the Ministry crossings are well marked with signs.
of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of • Cities popular with tourists - The trail also
Agriculture and Rural Development. goes through cities such as Tel Aviv and
Jerusalem.
The concept is that anyone who bikes the trail • The trail is open seven days a week, and is
will learn about the diverse landscapes and free of charge.
cultures of Israel. In planning the trail, we have • Knowledge of Hebrew not necessary. The
attempted to connect to as many important trail is being designed so that non Hebrew
tourist sites as possible into a single contiguous speaking tourists will be able to
trail. The trail is planned to extend over follow clear signs in English. Furthermore,
1,200 km (approximately 750 miles), making the most advanced signage systems
it one of the longest trails in the world, and navigation knowledge.
perhaps the most beautiful and diverse. To • Advanced technology - Bikers will be able to
create the trail, teams are currently deployed take advantage of the trail’s website and
throughout Israel, seeking the best possible other advanced technologies.
routes. The trail is being constructed with
the highest possible mountain biking trail What will you see while pedaling
standards. Parts of it are being built by away?
volunteers and others by professional trail What sites does the trail pass through?
builders. Mount Hermon, the Golan Heights and its
volcanic hills, Druze villages, the mountainous

We set several principles for the planning Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, the Jesus
phase: Trail and Christian holy sites, Mount Arbel,
• Rider services - Each day begins and end Horns of Hattin, Nazareth, Jezreel Valley, Tel
s at a place where riders can sleep, eat and, Megiddo, Plain of Manasseh, Caesarea, the
if necessary, have their bikes repaired. Mediterranean shore, Yarkon River, Tel Aviv,
• Daily stages - We defined daily stages that The route to Jerusalem, the Old City King's
are not particularly long, so that riders will Highway, Beit Guvrin, Yatir Forest, Arad,
have enough time to visit the sites located Masada and the Dead Sea. You will also see
down the length of the trail and wander the Zin River, Sde Boker, Mitzpe Ramon,
around the areas they ride through. With that Makhtesh Ramon, the Nabatean Incense
objective in mind, we set a daily stage of 35- Route, Arabah, Eilat Mountains, the Red Sea
40 km (skilled riders can easily combine two and much, much more.
segments into a single day).
• Easy riding - To ensure that the trail is very This coming fall, we will be officially opening the
easy to ride, the planning teams have stage of the trail running from Mitzpe Ramon to
worked hard to reduce the level of technical Eilat. You are invited to come ride through one
and physical skills riders need to enjoy the one the most beautiful desert trails in the world,
trail. Although you can't make the mountains 300 km (approximately 186 miles) through
in Israel disappear, you can take an incline breathtaking desert landscapes, all well
that isn't suitable for a biker and make organized, with signs and created specifically
it more moderate so that it is ridable. Steep for bike riders. Spend 6-8 days in the desert,
descents can also be made more enjoy the serenity of the primal landscape and Cyclists riding through the arid
manageable by moderating the incline so imagine yourself riding on a camel. landscape. Photo: Ezra Sharabany

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