THE RIDE :

The Israel End to End Bike Trail starts  at an elevation of 1000 meters on the lower slopes of Mount Hermon, and it will have another approximately 900 kilometers to run before it hits the warm blue waters of the Gulf of Eilat ! The Trail is unique for a cross-country cycling route in a small country because of the variety of landscapes, topography, and riding conditions encountered, plus the multitude of remarkable sites taken in. 

This first section is no exception.  Riding the basalt plateau of the Golan Heights offers wide vistas in all directions ; the Syrian plain to the east, the Hullah Valley, part of the Great Rift Valley, and onwards to the Galilee Mountains, in the west.  The route covers rocky tracks, extinct volcanos, quiet country lanes through fruit orchards, and ravines of gushing waters, and sites of ancient and more recent history, all within a 65 kilometer length.

The trail starts  at Neve Ativ, a village on the slopes of Mount Hermon, and the atmosphere is definitely alpine-like. The trail first ascends on a back road to the settlement of Nimrod, named after the Crusader Castle, which can be seen northwards on a magnificent  rocky escarpment.  The route then  follows the green, blue, and white markings of the Golan Trail to  the little lake of Birkat Ram which may have been the crater of an  extinct volcano, but is now a placid pool of water surrounded by fragrant fruit trees with a backdrop of the snow clad summit of The Hermon. It is recommended to a take a break at a cafe in the Druze village of Mas'ade to sample their local  speciality energy bar, Knefe , a pastry of cheese and sugar!

The subsequent ride is through the Odem Oak Forest, cow pastures, and orchards , then scaling the volcanic peaks of Har Odem, Hermonit, Har Bental and Har Siphon. Don't miss the the multicoloured rock quarry below Har Odem.  It is also a journey through the relics of military conflict.  Scattered on either side of the tracks are the scars of battles past, shattered bunkers, uncleared minefields, and memorials to the fallen soldiers.  If time permits, it is worth a detour to climb Har Bental from the village Merom Hagolan. At the summit are bunkers and fortifications, a great view to Kunietra in Syria, and a cafe, named 'Coffee Anan', a cute hebrew word play on a certain ex- UN Secretary General !

The climax of this first section is the final descent from The Golan to the Jordan River, 800 metres below. This is a great MTB experience, quite technical in places, and care has to be taken on the steep rocky trails.  If in doubt, it is best dismount and take some photos of the magnificent view down to the Hullah Valley. The trail exits on to the highway, and after passing the ruins of the old Syrian Customs House,  the Jordan River is crossed on the Bnei Ya'acov Bridge, there is then a road climb to Kibbutz Gadot, where the section ends.