User:(WT-en) Thesiegeld

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=Sea to Sea=

Sea to Sea is a short trek spanning from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee. It is usually a three to four day trip which suggests a nice experience of the Upper Galilee.

Prepare
It is essential to have the Israel Hiking Map Number 2. The Israel Hiking Maps are scaled 1:50000 and are very accurate. The trails are marked corresponding to the colors on the map. You can buy one at any camping store for around one hundred shekel.

The trek can be done almost any time of the year except for winter and the peak of summer. The preferable time to go is during the Spring. Be aware of the timing of the holidays. During Passover this trek is incredibly popular, especially for the many youth movements of Israel.

Watch weather in the area a week prior to leaving. Much of the trail runs on river beds that are normally dry or muddy, unless it has rained heavily recently, in which case they are not traversable.

The trek is usually done from East to West. It is much easier to travel this direction.

Water is not an issue; there is water at end of every day and sometimes in between at parks or campsites. Carry enough water for a day. Do not drink out of the rivers or springs because they could be polluted. Bring enough food for the whole trek, although it is possible to purchase some if you choose to hike through any of the towns located along, or not far off, the trail.

Get in
You can start on Mediterranean side by one of two popular options. The first option starts from Akhziv Shore, six kilometers north of Nahariyah on Route 4. From here you follow Nahal Kaziv. You can reach Akhziv by bus or taxi from Nahariyah. The second option is to start the trek a day’s worth of hiking east by taking a taxi or bus from Nahariyah and starting somewhere on Nahal Kaziv. A good place is Goren where there is picnic area. This option allows for a shorter trip.

Tradition
It is tradition to take a small bottle of water from one sea and dump it into the other. Another tradition is to dunk your head, or go swimming, in each sea.

Day 1: Akziv to Ma’alot 22 km
From Akziv shore follow Nahal Kaziv. The trail will be unmarked but it you will know you are hiking on Kaziv because it is the only Nahal (riverbed) at Akziv shore. When Nahal Kaziv intersects Route 70 there will be a green trail. This trail follows Nahal Kaziv. Continue until you reach Ein Zev. From Ein Zev you can hike into Ma’alot and sleep in a hostel or hike northeast of Ein Zev and camp in the national park there. Be aware that there is no water at the national park. There is water available 1 km south in the settlement of Abririm.

Day 2: Ma’lot to Mount Meron 17 km
From Ma’a lot the trail for Nahal Kaziv picks up again on the eastern side of the town at Ein Tabat. If you stayed at the national park you will need to follow the road from Abririm for about 5 km through the town of Elkosh. At the intersection of Routes 89 and 8944, about a kilometer south of Elkosh, the trail on Nahal Kaziv starts again. The reason for the gap in the in the trail following Nahal Kaziv from Ein Zev to Ein Tabat is because that section of the Nahal is a wildlife sanctuary. Continue following Kaziv until it forks at the intersection of an unmarked road. Follow the eastern trail. This is Nahal Neriya. Nahal Neriya will take to the base of Mount Meron. There is a campsite run by the Nature and Parks Authority.

Day 3: Mount Meron to Tsfat approximately 20 km
From this point on you will be following The Israel National Trail.

Start the day with a short intense climb to the top of Mount Meron. Meron is the second highest peak in Israel. On a clear day you can see all the way to Lebanon.

After hiking up and over Meron you will be on Nahal Meron that quickly connects to Nahal Amud.

Once on Nahal Amud you can decide if you want to walk up the ridge into the city of Tsfat to spend the night, or continue down Nahal Amud for another few kilometers and stay in one of the two campsites on the east side of the Nahal.

Day 4: Tsfat to The Sea of Galilee approximately 20 km
Follow Nahal Amud until you reach the Sea of Galilee. This section of the trail running along Nahal Amud is very steep and dangerous. Be careful and take it slow. You will pass some ruins of pump stations built by the British before Israel was a state.

At the end of Nahal Amud the Israel National Trail will continue to Migdal. When you enter into a banana grove, stop following the INT and walk to the east. You will see the Sea of Galilee and the town of Ginosar.

Stay safe
Sea to Sea is very popular trip for Israelis. Generally, Israelis are open people. It is not uncommon to be offered a cup of coffee or to be joined for a meal while hiking on the trail. It is acceptable to camp in a farm, some of the trails even run right through them. The farmers do not mind as long as you are respectful of their land. The biggest threat to your trip will be the weather.

Get out
Once you arrive at the Sea of Galilee you can take a bus to the destination of your choice. There are buses that run and have stops on Route 90. These can get you to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The alternative is to call a taxi and go to Tiberius and take a bus to almost anywhere in the country. Be aware that buses do not run on Saturdays in Israel.