Trails in the Holy Land
“Think like a camel. Ride like a tiger. And drink like a Viking coming from the battlefield!” Maor, our guide for the day, gives us these words of advice to prepare us for the inevitable heat in the Judaean Desert. Camels look for the path of least resistance and would never walk up a steep one. That’s why camel treks are predestined for mountain bikers, he tells us. The smooth riding style of a tiger is in our blood anyway. Or so we hope.
It’s not even 7am and the thermometer already reads 24 degrees. This is going to be fun. Michele, a colleague from the Qloom Team, and I enjoy breakfast on a blanket in the Judaean Desert, along with Maor, and guide and trailbuilder Hovav. We can see Jerusalem and other smaller cities in the distance. Everything seems sparse and grey in the desert landscape. The eye has to adjust to the endless expanse.
While Hovav knows just about any trail in Israel, this is the one place where someone else knows the trails better in the maze of camel paths that make their way through the rocky region: Maor. Known lovingly as The Janitor, Maor has recorded about 700 kilometres of trails via GPS here, finding each and every one without a navigation device. He promises an unusual day with a few surprises.
We pack up what’s left of our breakfast and hop on our bikes. We need some time to get used to the slippery, rocky terrain. Keen
