The Via Feratta
Israel is full to the brim with known beauties as well as hidden ones. Avid hikers from all over the world travel here because Israel provides a vast amount of hikes and rappels with varying difficulties. Whether you are an absolute beginner to the most experienced hiker, Israel has different climbs suited for everyone.
One of the most popular sites within Israel is the Via Feratta. It is a treasured cliff located at the top of the Ramim Cliff just above Kiryat Shemona. This site is one of our most popular options because it is the only cliff in all of Israel where you can experience the Italian sport called via feratta. Hence its name.
We begin our adventure with a short downhill hike towards a magnificent cliff nicknamed “Liar Cliff” by its many rock climbing enthusiast fans. Go ahead, ask your guide why! Standing upon the top of the cliff is not only rewarding in itself, but it also provides one of the most breathtaking views in all of Israel. After we breathe for a moment and take in the view, now the real sport and fun begins. Rappelling down the face of the cliff, we will make our way to the bottom. For those of who you are reading this and perhaps are feeling a bit nervous, you have nothing to fear! This rappel is not at all too intimidating, and is actually a great location to build your confidence in this skill. Once we reach the bottom, we will continue towards our fun and exciting activity called via feratta. The term via feratta actually means iron path, and as I stated previously, is an Italian sport that is new to Israel and can only be experienced in this location! After your guide loads you up with your special equipment, you will then walk on the face of the rock using cables, rungs, metal handles, which uses an already built-in climbing course that is full of adventure and excitement! The via feratta path leads us to a spacious lookout point that provides a bird’s eye view of the scenery around and gives us a visual to the hills surrounding the area that many tourists have never laid their eyes on before. Looking down at the Hula Valley and Mount Hermon stretching out before you, you truly will feel like one of the birds! When we finish the Via Feratta Course, we will find ourselves at the bottom of the cliff with some incredible free rock climbing time where we can go as fast or slow as you please. The cliff provides many different routes which you get to choose from. The best part about this particular site besides the views is you get to meet other rock climbers and enjoy the extreme atmosphere around you! After this great adventure we’ll continue with a short drive to a nearby fortress build by ancient crusaders called the Hunin Fortress. This fort is an incredibly hidden site and is impressive with its massive rooms and giant stones filled with ancient history. During the summer season we even have the option of climbing down a ladder and going for a swim in the hidden water tank below!
