The white snow is already visible on Mount Hermon, and in the Golan Heights the waterfalls are surging and everything is green • The views are worth leaving home
The Hermon, yesterday
Photo:
Eyal Margolin
The storm of the past few days, which is only the signal of the days ahead, brought with it the familiar snow that colors the Hermon in white. Almost every year, the Hermon site is expected, and this year there is a welcome renewal in the form of closed passenger carriages, where you can reach the top cable car station in five minutes without being exposed to cold wind on plastic seats for 15 minutes as it was last year. The new cable is resistant to extreme winds and conditions and allows raising children, infants, disabled and adults in almost any weather.
The new cable car has 42 carriages, each of which can carry eight people, as well as transport two wheelchairs. The dismantling of the old cable car and the new cable car took eight months at a cost of NIS 18 million. "The process was complex, but we met the task with respect," says Rafael Naveh, VP of site and logistics. According to Hermon's site manager, Alon Friedman, "the vision of the site is to be a recreation and tourism center 365 days a year, and we will work to reach this destination." . Once the storm subsides and the Hermon site opens, there are quite a few options for hiking in the area.
Facing the Conitra Valley
Even if you can't go up to the mountain because of the storm, the Golan Heights look great these days and it covers a little green. The many rains expected this weekend will fill the Golan Heights and waterfalls. During this period, you can take a guided tour of the Kunitra Valley in the northern Golan, and by the end of January, every Friday at 10:00, the Ein Zivan Resort will leave a private car tour in the direction of Kunitra Valley. At the time of the observation of Syrian Conitra, you get a geographical, historical and security overview of the area. From there proceed to Majdal Shams, the largest Druze village in the Golan Heights and the highest settlement in the State of Israel.
The well-known Abu Jabal factory has a Kanapa workshop with coffee and sweet tea, followed by a tour of the market, near the tomb of Sheikh Yafuri and the Yafuri Valley. The tour took place in cooperation between the Ein Zivan resort and the Derech Hashalef tour company. Price: NIS 99 per person. Departure on tour subject to weather conditions.
If you want to stay in the north, the old resort of Ein Zivan has had a significant facelift. In the last few years, 15 log cabins have been built, and three more suites have been added, and currently have 49 guest rooms.
Located between Ein Zivan fruit orchards and vineyards, "Khan 4x4" is located for accommodation of up to 60 guests, seeking "Khan area for spoiled". The rooms are air-conditioned, the showers and bathrooms are well kept, and there is a club and shared kitchen.
Two old wineries have recently joined the longtime De Crina chocolate factory in the commercial complex in the area. One is the Pelter Winery, founded by Tal Pelter after returning from studying winemaking and vine growing in Australia. The visitor center has a tour of the distillery and wine and cheese tastings. Another winery in the complex is a baht winery, where, alongside the tastings, you get pizzas sitting at long tables in front of the winery's large selection.
Another place, which is a major entertainment site in the northern Golan, is the new Matterlo Bakery, founded by Adi Peretz, a culinary photographer of sorts. On the menu are focaccia with pecorino cheese, mozzarella and zucchini or parmesan and artichoke, sardine croissant and blue cheese, rolls, rolls of scorpion and blueberry (from the kibbutz orchards) and more. It is possible to eat a light breakfast instead of the savory or sweet pastries.
Crocus in a ruby forest
For families with children, the Kinneret Authority recommends during this period a trip in the ruby forest. In the heart of the forest, among the oak trees, you can see the colorful crocus blossoms. Director of Education, Community and Publications Department of the Sea of Galilee, Yael Sela, says that during this period in the ruby forest you can enjoy a colorful winter bloom of crocus girdo, a protected plant with a geophyte from the Eurasian family, which blooms between October and February. It is white with purple veins on the outside and yellow stamens and orange scars in the flower. You can also see bright oval crocuses in the area.
A unique geological phenomenon was discovered in the ruby forest: a huge volcanic pit about 250 meters in diameter and 60 meters deep known as the "Great Juba". The huge cistern is surrounded by steep walls forming a shape similar to a crater. The upper lip of the cistern is not prominent, so it can only be seen after approaching it. The conventional theory is that the crater was created by a fiery high-pressure volcanic gas eruption from the depths of the earth, which exploded upon reaching the surface.
Following the blast, the walls of the pharynx collapsed downward to form a volcanic crater. In the ruby forest there are 23 additional pits with diameters between 30 and 200 meters. The large Juba course is circular and accessible, only 700 meters long. The route itself is within a nature reserve, so do not get off the marked path and take care not to step on the tiny blooms.
To get to the northbound passenger route from West Junction ("The Emir") on Route 978. Pass the entrance to the ruby seat, and about 200 meters after turning into the seat there is a small car park. The trail is marked with black trails. After about half a mile of walking the Great Juba will be revealed. The route can be crossed in half an hour.
