Pesach in Israel with my wife Ruth, son Jonathan, and his wife Lisa and children Sophie (6), Eva (4) and Emmy (16 months) (and Lisa’s mum Ros) was wonderful. But, once Jonathan and his family left, there was a chance, before we too flew back home from Israel, for me to make preparations for the next stage of our hike. This starts with what looks like the longest (and toughest?) stage yet, to Kfar Kish.
I packed ready for the trip and pored over maps. There is now an English language on line downloadable series of 53 maps (one per day) of the INT and, although they seem to lack some detail, they are downloadable free. I shall try printing and laminating them.
The best maps though still seem to be the large SPNI Series covering the shvil. Although expensive they are comprehensive, waterproof and easily carried (I may try and pick them up in Tel Aviv when I fly back to Israel on 12 May). Those in the Red book are also good but – not ideal for the Trail – so I photograph both them and the daily guide and refer to the images on my phone.
I also use the Wikiloc and the Israel Hiking maps available online on my phone to keep track of where we are. Rafi uses the Amud Anan app and has downloaded the maps (close to £100) to use with gps when there is no phone signal. They seem excellent and I might invest – though there is somehow something ‘more authentic’ about hiking with a hard copy map.
The long range weather forecast looks good – hot even – and over the three days walking we have planned we will start heading west towards the Mediterranean. This means lighter clothing to pack – more than offset by the need for extra water.
There are in fact a number of ‘Sea to Sea’ (i.e. Kinneret to Mediterranean) hikes similar to the next stage of our journey, most taking three or four days, and they all look interesting. One or other west to east might be worth a separate trip some time!
UPDATE: I bought a laminator and this has transformed my view! I cut the maps out of my old Red Book and although a little dated they are A5, detailed and you only need to take a single sheet for the day. Laminated they are waterproof and robust. Similarly, I’ve printed and laminated the A4 downloadable SPNI A4 maps. They are ideal when combined with something more detailed – the Red Book maps or in my case the free online version of Amud Anan; I’ve not had the need to download their maps yet, and it tells you precisely where you are…
Hiking the Israel National Trail 