Northern Africa and the Middle East - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 145

American expatriates, it was only through the
co-operation of local families, community groups
and Lebanese NGOs that it was able to happen.
Along the way you might stop at historic
Ehden, home to some of Lebanon's oldest
churches (one dating to 749 AD) and spectacular
natural springs; Hasroun, in the Qadisha Valley,
which boasts lush orchards and gardens, stone
houses with red-tiled roofs and traditional
coffeehouses; and Niha on the peak of Niha
Mountain, with a medieval fort, an important
religious site for the Druze community called
Nabi Ayoub Shrine, and dense forests of pine,
cypress and oak.
Accommodation is in B&Bs in renovated stone
houses, decorated with rustic wooden furniture
and bold Bedouin kilims (tapestry-woven rugs).
You can hire local guides, trek independently
or go with specialized tour operators which
also offer mountain biking, rafting, caving,

(Clockwise from top) The
Qadisha Valley; Horses
along the route from
Qannoubine to Ehden;
Trekking from Hasbaiya
to Marjaayoun; Your local
guides on the Qbaiyat to
Tachea walk; Breathtaking
views on the route between
Ehden and Qannoubine

187 A long wAlk THrougH THE
MounTAInS of lEBAnon

The Lebanon Mountain Trail, launched in
2007, is the country's first long-distance hiking
route. Running from Qbaiyat in the north to
Marjaayoun in the south along the Mount
Lebanon range, it makes use of ancient trade
routes and rural tracks to connect national
parks and nature reserves with 75 villages at
altitudes of 1000-1800m. The 440km circuit is
divided into 26 sections, each walkable in a day.
Intended to bring additional income to
neglected mountain areas, while safeguarding
Lebanon's environmental and cultural heritage,
the trail has united religious and political
groups - previously in conflict during the
Lebanese civil war - towards a common national
project. While it was the brainchild of Lebanese-