Mitzpe Ramon to Hava Night Camp on Israel National Trail: Day 12

Nahal Hava was the major event of today, the climb into, down and out of this canyon system, late in the day, was, as another hiker put it, challenging.

For me, it was a late start, leaving Mitzpe Ramon at 9:15 am after enjoying a good breakfast and stopping to buy some batteries (and I could not resist a chocolate croissant). Most of the day was along a vehicle track, flat or gently undulating, broadly following the cliffs that form the northern side of the Ramon Crater. First sight of interest was a sculpture park, with various large installations, mainly made of stone blocks. Not quite the standard of Gormley's "Angel of the North" I thought. 

Although it was not normally possible to see over the cliff from the track, at some places it was closer and there was a look out point where I admired the distant ranges of mountains, looking grey today rather than brown or red, due to the haze. At another point, the ruins of one of the forts (Mezad Mahmal) stood on top of the cliff, built to protect caravans on the Spice route, although only a few walls were left of it. Patches of flowers, violet and yellow provided cheerful pools of colour beside the track.

Cliffs on north side of Ramon crater

Remains of Mezad Mahmal

Possibly because it was the weekend, a lot of people were out for the day; walking, on mountain bikes, in a 4x4 or on motorbikes. Those walking often stopped to ask where I was headed and where was I from.

After some 18 kilometres the trail headed north, away from the cliffs, climbing a ridge. Then came the day's high point, Nahal Hava. The trail plunged down into a narrow canyon, steel rungs helping my descent. A short way down the narrow canyon it joined a larger one, passing under a dry waterfall where there was a pit of very green water. Unseen birds exchanged whistles with each other. 

The route down into Hava canyon

Entrance to Hava canyon

Progress down the large canyon proved difficult, involving climbing over large blocks of rock that had at some point fallen off the cliffs each side. My big rucksack made it awkward to squeeze around large boulders. I was beginning to be concerned that I might not exit the canyon before dark. Hurrying was not an option, I would just risk injury at a location where I was unlikely to get a phone signal. The people I had seen earlier had all disappeared, no doubt heading for home or wherever they were staying. I could have pitched my tent for the night in the canyon against the rules of the Nature Reserve, but the risk of falling rocks would have weighed heavily on my mind.

Slowly I made my way down one canyon and turned up another until I reached the place where the trail climbed the canyon side. With the help of some metal rungs at one strategic point, I gained height quickly. The trail then followed the edge of the canyon to its top and just as the light was fading, a further climb took me to Hava Night Camp, located on top of a hill. Yanir's water cache was a good walk away but on returning the sky was a gorgeous mixture of reds and blues.

Eating my tea on some rocks in the dark I was joined by small mouse with big, black, shiny eyes who was trying to finish my tin of salmon. Park rules say not to feed the animals so tonight he was out of luck.

28.6 kilometres walked today including diversions to see sculptures and forts.