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Spend five months hiking Israel’s National Trail (Shvil Chotzei Yisrael), covering all 580 miles of terrain spanning the entire length of the country. Hike across Israel from border to border and from sea to sea. Using the Land as your classroom and playground to learn about Jewish history where it happened. Orientation Programming Our journey begins in the north, Israel's Galilee region, where you will participate in our exclusive Hebrew Ulpan with other Israel Pathways participants from around the world. Ulpan will be offered on different levels so that participants with different levels of background in Hebrew will be accommodated. To prepare you for your time in the backcountry, you will also learn the fundamentals of wilderness expedition skills, route charting, food preparation and personal and group safety. Most nights and weekends are free for you to explore the area and travel with friends. With orientation behind us, the hiking begins! The hiking portion of the program generally is scheduled for 3-5 days at a time with weekends always being free. Each day covers about 10-12 miles of hiking with plenty of opportunities for breaks and touring along the route. The Israel National Trail is similar to the Appalachian Trail in North America as it connects the entirety of the country -- from the green Galilee in the north, the Mediterranean Coast in the center, the forested hills surrounding Jerusalem, and the vast Negev Desert to the south.
Of course, hiking in Israel is not any ordinary outdoors experience. With many millennia of civilization having built on this land, every stone has a story. Every footstep can illuminate a piece of history. Israel is also a country at the intersection of three continents -- Asia, Africa and Europe. As such, it is endowed with a truly unique and varied ecology as well as an equally colorful society -- comprised of Jewish communities that migrated from around the world as well as other ethnic minorities that enrich Israel's cultural life. Every turn in the trail can reveal new sights, smells, sounds and discoveries.
Along the route of the trail, we will break to participate in a series of off-the-path programs designed to expose you to different aspects of Israeli society. These "mini-programs" range from 1-5 days in length and include the following types of experiences:
LIVNOT U’LEHIBANOT SAR-EL: VOLUNTEER TO HELP THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES Participate in a weeklong simulation of basic training organized by the Israel Defense Force. Live on an Israeli army training base and suit-up in camouflage to participate in mock training drills and exercises. Shoot an M-16 gun at the firing range, and go on simulated rescue missions under moonlight. Come away from Gadna with firsthand knowledge of what army life is like and look back on your own character building experience with a sense of personal accomplishment. Go off road jeeping in the Negev desert. Experience the beauty of the desert with the adventure of riding through dunes and to places unreachable by car! SNORKELING IN EILAT Experience the beauty of the Eilat coral reef! Dive into the Red Sea and hang out with the fish and marine life in the coral reef eco-system. LOCAL TOURING Not only will you hike Shvil Yisrael, but you will also spend time in the major cities along the way. Tour Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beer Sheva and Eilat to get a full taste of what Israel has to offer.
About the Israel National Trail The Israel National Trail (Shvil Hotzei Yisrael) was created in 1994 by late Israeli President, Ezer Weitzman, to give Israelis the opportunity to experience the breadth of Israel's terrain. The trail is 580 miles long (940 km) and winds from Dan, a northern town bordering Lebanon, down to Eilat on the Red Sea in the south. It’s marked by a three-striped trail marker of white, orange and blue, symbolizing the white snow at Mt. Hermon, the orange sand in the Negev Desert, and blue waters of the Red Sea, all of which are crossed during the hike. On the Israel Trail program, our starting point will vary from the south to north depending on your session date. To limit the summer heat, sessions that begin in September will start hiking from the north and make their way south. |
