Eilat to Shehoret Camp on Israel National Trail: Day 1

Today was a climb over ridges and up and down canyons with some exciting bits hanging onto metal loops attached to the rock.

Following a good breakfast I walked a little way down the road to where the Israel National Trail headed into the hills. The first waymark was painted on the post of a traffic sign, but there was no big sign saying this was the start of a great trail extending the length of the country. Maybe it was at the field station a little further down the road. However I soon came upon a sign telling me of the many things I should and should not do when hiking in what is a national park.

View back to Eilat and Jordan in the distance

A steep climb introduced me to the trail, taking me up to the summit of Mount Zefahot, with its view back to Eilat. The trail continued up and down, the forbidding border fence with Egypt often visible. After a descent down a steep slope the first long canyon was Nahal Gishron. Metal rungs and a ladder helped me up the steep bits that would have been difficult or impossible for me to climb otherwise, although  I was slightly worried what would happen if one of the rungs came loose as I was relying on it to hold my weight. I met a couple of groups of walkers from the north of the country. They were staying at Eilat and walking a scenic route each day. There were many trails to choose from. Red, blue, green and black waymarked paths met, crossed and diverged. The Israel National Trail jumped between these paths adding its own waymarks of pinky orange, blue and white stripes.

Reaching Yehoram Night Camp by a two lane road, I topped up my water from the trailer parked there. As it was around 1 pm, too early to stop, especially at such a desolate place, I marched on to the next night camp (the only places you are allowed to camp in the National parks). In the afternoon there were a couple of wadis. I was expecting difficulty getting down into Nahal Netafim with a narrow passage, too small for both a person and their rucksack, referred to in the guide and by bloggers. I followed the Israel National Trail waymarks but encountered no such passage, although there was a short vertical drop with metal rungs, which some might have felt uneasy about climbing down. Sheherot canyon was the last wadi I walked down as the day headed towards evening, the pock marked rocks of the gorge's vertical sides were unusual.

During the day I crossed several rock types including granite, its mica sparkling in places, darker basalt, limestone and red sandstone. A dream for a geologist, especially as so much of the rock was exposed. The only vegetation was in the wadis, dry valleys with a few picturesque acacia trees with their long thorns, and some dusty bushes. Although sparse the vegetation did support wildlife. A few birds flew in and out of the trees, including an attractive one with iridescent green plumage. Another bird, like a small grouse, scuttled off on foot on my approach. A number of ibex were grazing. They did not seem frightened of me, continuing to munch on the bushes even when I walked close by.

Lone acacia tree in a wadi

Young ibex

I camped at Shehoret Night Camp. There is not much at a night camp, a sign and a ring of stones. I assumed the ring of stones was to contain any cars, as the camp could be reached by a dirt road, so I camped outside of them. 

It is now windy, a concern as the pegs were difficult to hammer into the stony ground. A bright, half moon lights up the stony area, obscuring the stars, but there are no lights from any human settlements just the red lights of a distant radio mast. As I drift off to sleep I hear the noise of a discarded tin can being rolled about by the wind.

27.8 kilometres walked today with a 1400 metre total ascent according to my GPS.