White in the eyes and warm in the heart.
Yaer Odem/Walla! System, Rami Gilboa
One of the realms to which I escape in times of distress or boredom are YouTube videos uploaded by Jeepers living in the coldest parts of the world.
Steve uploaded a video showing an overnight camping trip he made in snowy Colorado, at a temperature of -18 degrees.
Gudmonsen went out into the Norwegian nature, spent three days and accumulated 1.2 meters of snow on the roof of the trailer.
My soul goes out at the sight of northern adventures and this is how Joy Byrne and I once concluded: "One day, we too will spend a frozen night in a snowstorm in Israel."
The last storm seemed to us to be a perfect opportunity to realize the fantasy and in a moment's decision, we decided to go up north.
"And how poor are the soldiers who are now lying in the mud."
The thought of what the storm was doing to our enlisted friends was not pleasant, but it only increased our determination to go north.
For Joy, the distance from fantasy to execution was quite short, as his gladiator is always ready for any task.
For me it was a little more complicated, since I had already sold the Discovery and the Forester?
Well, it's easy to sleep in the Forester, but it's really not suitable for the snow trip we planned to do the next frozen night.
And so I found myself loading sleeping equipment and clothing mostly on board a test vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler 'Sport'.
A few hours before we met, Joy still had time to catch a respectable snow/Walla system!, Joy Byrne
The problem is that the way of snowstorms in Israel is to deceive those who seek the white matter.
Joy was early to leave at noon and even managed to catch some serious snow around Majdal Shams.
In the afternoon he was joined by four more adventurers who were excited to test their roof tents, in the snow test.
I delayed a little and arrived at night and under torrential rain;
All that is needed, I thought, is for the temperatures to drop by 3-4 degrees and it will become serious snow, like in previous years.
Under the interference of the GPS systems I had to navigate my way but somehow we met south of the ruby forest, one of the most charming places to watch snow.
Yossi's spacious tent provided us with a space protected from the cold/Walla! system, Rami Gilboa
Men in a trap
Together we formed a small group of two Gladiators, two Wranglers, and another Toyota that snuck into the convoy.
Well, there is no choice, we are in favor of pluralism.
Especially when the owner of the Toyota is Yossi, an iCAMPER importer who brought with him not only a roof tent for his personal use, but also an extensive gathering tent where we spent the cold evening hours, a BBQ facility on which we grilled steaks inside the tent, and other jeep treats.
The rest of the guys contributed food and hot drinks, some alcohol, jeep cheesebutts and some talk about politics (no fights were recorded).
All that time the temperature hovered around 0-2 degrees Celsius, the rain did not stop for a moment, and hopes were high.
15 minutes before going to sleep, I started the Wrangler, turned on the heating at full power, and improved the sleeping arrangement inside the Jeep: I organized the folding sleeping surface that has been with me for several years, a thick mattress, shkash, a hot bottle, everything that bold explorers need And brave. The car was as hot as a Turkish bath, and I settled in for a good night's sleep. Usually I like to hear the rain pattering on the roof, but this time it was a bad omen - if it rains, then there will be no snow.
Two years ago I still captured the Odem forest in all its snowy glory/Walla! system, Rami Gilboa
No bears, no snow
Very quickly I fell asleep comfortably, it was really fun in the car.
At three o'clock in the morning I woke up, and heard perfect silence.
Has the desired storm arrived?
I opened the door, turned on a headlamp and "yes, it's snowing"!!!!
Not a raging storm but cute, small, white flakes falling silently to the ground, and accumulating below in white softness.
Wow, I've already started imagining myself shoveling the huge piles of snow in the morning, leveling an access road to my fellow travelers, cut off from civilization.
The roof tents are suitable for sleeping even on freezing nights/Walla! system, Rami Gilboa
Bang!
The awakening to reality was unbearable.
Apparently during the night I woke up exactly for the 22 minutes it snowed, and the accumulation was pretty poor.
A few inches of snow, a pretty nice layer on the cars but it wouldn't have made any impression on Steve from Colorado.
Just Rami, Joy and Yossi from Tel Aviv who went looking for a winter experience, and got just a successful adventure in the Odem forest - between us, we can't complain about that either.
It is not pleasant to see a closed mountain
Early in the morning I started from the Wrangler, it was white all around, the forest was completely quiet, 1+ Celsius.
I made myself a cup of coffee, sat down facing the forest and enjoyed the morning peace.
One by one the guys woke up, started folding tents and equipment.
We decided to go up towards the Hermon, maybe we will find serious snow there?
The entrance to the mountain was, of course, closed - and the truth is, the day after our visit, Hezbollah launched two anti-tank missiles at the Hermon outpost, so we have nothing to complain about. Hagit joined us with the Rubicon and Dor with an elderly galloper. The longed-for snow trip turned into a mud and water trip, more routine and local.
In a Sport or Rubicon version, the Jeep Wrangler is an excellent off-road vehicle/Walla system!, Rami Gilboa
As always, the Wrangler gave work and swallowed the terrain without blinking.
The 'Sport' model is the simplest in Jeep's hierarchy, without large off-road tires, no differential locks, disconnecting the stabilizer bar and other capabilities offered in the Rubicon and Gladiator.
But the Sport comes with an excellent off-road specification to begin with, the traction control is very good and the body angles are excellent.
Offenders will raise it 2 inches, then it'll be perfect for touring.
Joy led our group on the 'Golan Trail' and other magical places, which were flooded by large bodies of water - with all the green around and the black cliffs, it looked almost like Gudmonsen's Norway.
We thought to snorkel in Nahal Dishon but it was flooded with large water, beyond the safe passage of vessels without snorkels.
Come on, go home, it was great fun!
On a successful snow day, the Golan Heights looks like a vision from another world / Walla! system, Rami Gilboa
So how do you go on a snow trip in your own 4x4?
Winter is not over yet and I hope we will all have more opportunities to enjoy this white-white;
Please accept the tips that I formulated with Rebbe Joy Byrne. A snow trip is one of the most exciting experiences for Jipay; it is not fundamentally different from any other field trip, but it has, nevertheless, additional highlights.
Snow is an extremely slippery substance and it may also to be compressed into a state of ice, which increases the danger of slipping to an extreme degree - the transformation to ice may occur even when the temperatures are high, above zero degrees. In addition, in Israel, snow accumulates only in high mountains, and this creates a dangerous environment: deep chasms on the sides of the path, dangerous side slopes, in some You can't even keep the vehicle standing, after stopping. The white material tends to hide ditches that look like a friendly plain, it hides rocks that could damage the vehicle and in short - you need to keep your eyes open. Especially if you are caught driving at night, or if fog falls on you.
Protect yourself from the hours of darkness and the elements of the weather/Walla! system, Rami Gilboa
So when to go out?
When a serious snowstorm has already started, it may be too late to go north - there are traffic jams, the police are blocking the roads, 2x4 cars are stuck on the road.
It is better to leave in the afternoon and reach the high area before the snow.
Yes, you may be disappointed (like us, this time) that the snow didn't come to the meeting - but that's the price of adventure.
Just as many times we went down south to hunt floods, and we didn't see even a trickle of water.
A jeep snack break, before heading back home/Walla! system, Rami Gilboa
More concrete - as with any field trip, don't set off alone.
Take a partner or partners in additional SUVs.
Make sure you have tow straps, a shovel, nothing like a winch for difficult rescues.
Make sure you know how to safely harness the tow straps.
A walkie-talkie in every vehicle + a device for an external router will facilitate communication between travelers.
Start the car before going down to the field, you never know if you won't have to spend the night with the engine running.
Let your friends know where you are going, load a change of warm clothes, headlamps, food and snacks, a coffee kit or a large thermos.
Children?
It's lovely, but only if they're patient.
Please note that this year there are serious disruptions in GPS data in the north of the country, it is impossible to rely on Wise or Cloud Pillar.
Take paper maps, don't go near the dangerous border areas, obey the instructions of the police and the home command.
Do not cross wire fences, beware of entering mined areas.
Always use common sense - if the path is too slippery and dangerous, you have to turn back.
Or even stop and wait for rescue, or for the snow to melt later in the day.
Brothers to Arms/Walla! System, Rami Gilboa
Despite the temptation to enter a pristine snow surface, stay on existing colises - it's safer for you, and doesn't damage the scenery.
Keep a calm and fluid driving, avoid strong accelerations or braking.
If the vehicle has advanced control measures (HDC descent control, TC, hill climb control), use them.
Sometimes it is actually better to disconnect the ESP, which may neuter the engine's power.
If the tires lock, try to release the brake for a moment, to regain traction.
In deep snow, lower air pressure to increase buoyancy;
Not to the level of a dune, because the level has sharp rocks.
In snow shallower than 15 inches, leave normal air pressure for off-roading.
4x4 crossovers have basic snow capabilities, but not Offroad/Subaru Challengers
Crossovers: If you go out into the snow with a 4x4 jeep, know that you are at high risk of getting stuck, or the possibility of hitting the rock that lurks under the snow.
Make sure you have a full-size spare wheel, arrange in advance for towing;
Rigid Jeep recovery equipment is not suitable for recovering a soft vehicle.
You need thinner straps, small shackles, and an intimate familiarity with anchor points that won't harm you.
If extricating a crossover with a massive off-road vehicle, make sure the extricator does not apply too much force while towing.
Be careful on steep climbs, your S&M tires may fail you.
And despite all this - don't give up on the white experience, it's a wonderful way to feel European or North American for a moment.
Photo editing: Dodi Moskowitz
After the mud crossings, we went to wash the stomach/walla system!, Rami Gilboa and Joy Byrne
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