Burning tempratures deep in the Jordan valley made the group sweat through this 2-day hike over relatively forgiving terrain. Forced to stop for a chilling dip in the holy waters every hour or so, we had ample time for discussions and laughs. As 2 members were immobilized after 2 hours of hiking, due to dehydration, we decided (too late...) to slow our pace and show more attention to our bodies and our team mates.
View Breaking the Ice - Golan ascent in a larger map
Serious debates were taking place during this trip, exposing deep and powerful feelings about our nationalities, past and identities. Few things said were consensus, and all of us were moved and, sometimes, confused by what we heard and said. True friendships among us made it possible to overcome these feelings and quickly restore mutual trust and good atmosphere within the group.
As the scenery gradually changed along the route, from a wide river, to crops and on to basalt canyons, a sense of relief come to us from the cool waters of the Gilabun stream. A relaxed pace in the late afternoon sun put us all in a good mood.
In our final session that day we were asked by guides Olfat and Ilan to write down the names of the participants (from the other part of the group) that we think fit best in the group. currently there are 5 Arabs and 6 Jews, but only 4 of each will eventually head out to the alps this summer. Not an easy task, but personally I felt a kind of relief when I was finished. I tried to put friendship and personal feelings aside, and focused on the benefits each member can bring to the group, given the political objective of this project.
Our next adventure will be in the Negev desert in a couple of weeks. After dealing with hot climate this time, I hope we will prvent dehydration by correctly planning, timing and pacing our trek.
View Breaking the Ice - Golan ascent in a larger map
Serious debates were taking place during this trip, exposing deep and powerful feelings about our nationalities, past and identities. Few things said were consensus, and all of us were moved and, sometimes, confused by what we heard and said. True friendships among us made it possible to overcome these feelings and quickly restore mutual trust and good atmosphere within the group.
As the scenery gradually changed along the route, from a wide river, to crops and on to basalt canyons, a sense of relief come to us from the cool waters of the Gilabun stream. A relaxed pace in the late afternoon sun put us all in a good mood.
In our final session that day we were asked by guides Olfat and Ilan to write down the names of the participants (from the other part of the group) that we think fit best in the group. currently there are 5 Arabs and 6 Jews, but only 4 of each will eventually head out to the alps this summer. Not an easy task, but personally I felt a kind of relief when I was finished. I tried to put friendship and personal feelings aside, and focused on the benefits each member can bring to the group, given the political objective of this project.
Our next adventure will be in the Negev desert in a couple of weeks. After dealing with hot climate this time, I hope we will prvent dehydration by correctly planning, timing and pacing our trek.
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