The Journey Begins

Well, it’s Thursday 12 July 2018 and I’m on the plane to Israel contemplating the start of the Israel National Trail (INT) on Wednesday next week.

Of course, it’s not the first time I’ve thought about it.  I’ve been planning it for months and the idea has swirled around my head for years, although in the rather inchoate way that normally goes nowhere.

So, what has turned the idea into reality on this occasion, rather than it staying something I promise myself I’ll do one day and never get around to?  Like my dream of sailing the Mediterranean from West to East (Vale do Lobo to Herzliya) purely island hopping.  I’m not entirely sure, and maybe the sailing will happen one day (I only mention it here to put pressure on myself to do it), but as I’ve not yet started the INT, let alone finished it, I’m definitely getting ahead of myself. 

One reason is I need a challenge.  Without one I’m inclined to vegetate,  and having cycled from North to South in Israel – Metulla to Eilat – twice now I don’t want to cycle it again.  Especially as seeing the country that way, though fun, doesn’t give you the time to live and feel it.

Another is that I’m following in the footsteps (literally!) of friends of ours – Josyane and Lawrence Gold and Lucy and Michael Daniels – who started in 2014 and have so far reached Arad.  Quite an achievement both physically and in having the determination to stick to the task.  Lawrence, in particular, in his conversations with me has managed to produce just the right blend of envy and inadequacy to get me going.

But I think the primary reason is this.  We are fortunate enough to have a home in Israel, have visited many, many times, and I love exploring and learning more about our history.  I believe, and want to discover whether, a greater depth and understanding of my love of Israel, good and bad, will come from the experience of walking the whole land.  And perhaps also of myself.

At this point I should explain what the INT is.

The Israel National Trail(Hebrew: שביל ישראל‎, Shvil Yisrael) is a hiking trail that criss-crosses Israel from North to South, traversing a wide range of landscapes, a rich variety of flora and fauna, and a diversity of cultures.

The trail stretches from Kibbutz Dan, near the Lebanese border, to Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba, and was named by National Geographic as one of the 20 best “epic hiking trails” in the world. The INT is approximately 1100 km (683 miles) long. The exact length changes periodically as the Israel Trails Committee makes minor changes to the routing in various locations.

I am not walking it alone or in one go but with Ronnie Green, friend and sailing partner, and his old IDF friend Rafi Yossipovitch, and in sections over a period of years as time and circumstances permit.  But I’m hoping that in some ways a slower pace will allow me to savour and deepen the experience, and ensure that I truly take the time to absorb it rather than just treat is as something to be done.

Let’s see how it works out…