The Judean Desert
The desert holds a sense of mystique of times from long ago. Standing there in the summer heat, it is all too easy to imagine traveling with a caravan of camels to a distant land. While the Judean desert presents a vast amount of known and hidden beauties, most people don’t think about seeing this enchanting place during the winter season. While avoiding the scorching heat, you have the unique opportunity of exploring anywhere ranging from two to even four hours. Climbing up steep ascents and descents, you will take in the jaw dropping panoramic views of the Dead Sea, Jordan, and even the Jerusalem Mountains. While here, we’ll have the chance to see the nomadic life of the Bedouins, observe desert birds and animals, and hear tales regarding the history, geology, and about the flora and fauna of this unique ecosystem.
Looking for an adventure that will take you climbing up and rappelling down ancient rock formations? Nahal Og is the perfect site for you! We’ll trek through a dry gorge formed by the Og stream that drains from the Judean Mountains all the way to the Dead Sea during the winter season. In many spots it is incredibly wide and flat, while in others it becomes narrow where we will need to rappel down dry waterfalls. There are several dry waterbeds that were created by rare flash floods that swept through the landscape. We also may encounter mountain goats and stunning desert birds as we walk. This fun and exotic experience is just a twenty-minute drive from Jerusalem and is completely family friendly with multiple rappels along the way. The rappelling is completely optional, so if you prefer, there are ladders that we can use instead! This site is suitable all year round, and is shady (even during the summer season!) which makes this a perfect hike for families who want to improve their hiking and rappelling skills. You can rappel down the waterfalls as many times as your heart desires!
If you are searching for something a little more extreme, Nahal Tamarim will for sure satisfy your adventure craving. Beginning at the bottom of the canyon located on the Dead Sea beach, we head into the desert. As we zigzag our way upwards along the canyon trail, we will come to an incredible viewpoint that gives panoramic views of the Dead Sea and the mountains of Moav and Adom. Just when you think that this cannot get any better, we take you a little further up and boom! Magic! Never could you imagine this view. Once we reach the top of the canyon, now the real adventure begins! Heading into the Nahal Tamarim Canyon, we’ll be rappelling downstream with the glistening Dead Sea leading the way. Continuing downwards while rappelling, you’ll see that each fall is different and exciting in its own way. This hike is truly a gem in its own right, but can also be done as a night hike which looks spectacular especially when lit with the full moon!
