As recommended by the guide I started early. After a few kilometres on the flat, the exciting bit began, climbing up the steep valley of Nahal Afron. Unusually, today I was not alone. Periodically I caught up with the Danish couple I met at last night's camp, passed them, or they caught up with me. As I pulled myself over blocks of rock with the aid of the metal rungs cemented into the rock (securely I hoped), or skirted water filled pits, it was good to know someone was around if things went wrong, and also someone to discuss the best route around a pool of water. Finally reaching the top it was up and down several peaks. On one summit we met a group of students from Be'er Sheva out for a day. From where we met them, the line of Mount Karbolet stretched into the distance. The mountain was a tilted slab of rock, near vertical on one side and sloping on the other. Walking along the sloping limestone put a strain on the ankles, and attention to where I placed my feet on the uneven surface distracted me from the impressive vista around me.
Finally, a few kilometres more than the guide suggested, the trail led me down down a valley into the plain and the Oron plant. This is a phosphate quarry and processing facility. After a giant sculpture of men with their arms in the air and an avenue of palm trees, beside the main entrance, there was a picnic area with some taps for water. Not a pretty spot to camp, surrounded by conveyor belts, mounds of rock, and a road along which lorries came empty and left full. Still, there was water for washing (the Danish couple even washed their hair) which added a bit of luxury, and a man selling ice cream and cokes came by....
19.9 kilometres walked today and 1000 metre climb according to my GPS, which was a bit "jumpy" today.
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