The Israel Trail

Judith Galblum Pex

Do you enjoy traveling to exotic places, challenging yourself physically, learning about the history and geography of the Bible firsthand, meeting amazing people, and experiencing different cultures? And do you have two months to spare?

Then hiking the Israel Trail, a 1100-kilometer (683 miles) trek from Israel’s northern to southern border, might be a perfect fit for you. But equally, if you can’t see yourself on this adventure, you may enjoy reading travel memoirs, vicariously experiencing someone else’s journey, and learning about distant places.

Firstly, what is the Israel National Trail, more commonly known as the “Israel Trail” or “Shvil Israel” in Hebrew? Inaugurated in 1995 and named by National Geographic as one of the world’s twenty most epic trails, the Trail encompasses a variety of spectacular scenery from the rough desert to flowing streams and waterfalls (in the springtime); the Sea of Galilee, Mediterranean and Dead Seas; Jerusalem and Tel Aviv; Arab towns and villages; and winds past Jewish, Muslim, Druze, and Christian holy sites.

Who walks the Trail? In the beginning, the hikers were mainly young Israelis who completed their army service and wanted to get to know their land before traveling abroad for work or to study. But with a comprehensive guidebook in English, as well as apps, easier logistics due to water tanks at critical spots along the way, and the extensive network of “Trail Angels” who offer accommodation and other help to travelers, more and more people from all over the world are discovering this unique experience.

My husband, John, and I had the privilege of walking the Israel Trail in 2005 when we were both in our late fifties. We had lived in Israel for thirty years having immigrated from the U.S. and Holland. In Israel, we both began to read the Bible and believe in Jesus. After we met each other here and married, we decided to make Israel our home and settled in Eilat, a small town wedged between the Red Sea with its coral reefs, and the Rocky Mountains. With warm weather year-round, Eilat is an international tourist destination.

We always loved traveling, hospitality, and meeting people from different countries, so several years after moving to Israel we opened the Shelter Hostel, a guesthouse in Eilat. “Love God” and “love your neighbor as yourself” are our guiding principles for life and for the Shelter as we’ve sought to create a welcoming atmosphere catering to body, soul, and spirit, and are a home away from home for travelers. Between managing the Shelter with its forty-two guest beds, mentoring our volunteers, and raising four children, our lives were busy.

On one of our getaways in a remote desert oasis, we met two young people who told us they were hiking the Israel Trail. After a short discussion, we concluded it was something we’d like to attempt ourselves, though we hadn’t backpacked since our twenties. But we love discovering places that are off the beaten path in Israel, and our children were all grown. Our daughter, together with a friend from abroad and the volunteers, could manage the hostel in our place.

This would be the sabbatical we had never taken, a chance to disconnect from our normal lives, focus on God, bond more deeply with each other, and visit friends as we trekked north. Upon returning home from that encounter, I bought a book called “Israel Trail,” sought out others who’d walked it, and looked on the internet. But twenty years ago, the Trail was still relatively new, and information wasn’t readily available. A year later we were finally ready to go. And, as in every long-awaited plan, we had expectations for our journey but tried to be realistic and willing to stop if health issues or anything else got in the way.

The first day was fourteen kilometers mostly uphill. My backpack weighed heavily on my shoulders but our simple meal of rice, a cucumber, carrot, and apple while sitting around our little campfire, tasted better than any I’d ever eaten before. While sleeping on my thin ground pad, I felt as rested as in any hotel, not just five stars – we had thousands of stars above us. Crawling into our sleeping bags, John immediately fell asleep, but I managed to record the day’s experiences in my journal, a habit I continued for the length of our trip.

Day by day we progressed northward, not ceasing to marvel, “Can you believe we walked to Jerusalem/ Tel Aviv/ Ben Gurion Airport?” After eighteen days we completed the desert section and entered more populated areas. We were able to sleep at friends’ houses, and food and water were more readily available The scenery changed from stark, rocky brown hills to green meadows studded with red poppies and yellow mustard plants. We forded streams and walked by waterfalls.

We reached the end on our thirtieth wedding anniversary, our forty-second walking day. We made it. We walked the length of Israel, a thousand kilometers. Part of me didn’t want to stop but to just keep going, maybe even turn around and walk home. I knew I’d miss the silence, the simple lifestyle, and absence of distractions.

I learned a lot during the trip. Life itself is a journey, just like the Trail. As King Solomon said: “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil,” (Proverbs 4:2527). Many times, we lost the trail signs and strayed off the path. If we weren’t paying attention, we stumbled and slipped. In my life, the Bible is my guide like maps when hiking.

Walking the Israel Trail changed my life, not only for the experience and memories it gave me. It turned me into an author as after returning home I wrote a travel memoir called Walk the Land – A Journey on Foot through

Israel and have gone on to write three more books. Furthermore, we developed a desire to trek other long-distance trails and have since walked parts of the Camino de Santiago three times, and we listed our Shelter Hostel as a trail angel, keeping us in contact with Israel Trail hikers.

“

Arise and walk the land,” God said to Abraham. In some ways, our walk was the continuation of a journey we began when we arrived in Israel. We were a couple of hippies traveling around the world when someone suggested we read the Bible, the Old and New Testaments. A new life opened for us, and we found the love, joy, and peace we had been seeking. We discovered that Jesus is the promised Messiah for Israel and the world. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Judith Galblum Pex was born in the United States but has been living in Eilat, Israel with her husband, John, since 1976 where they manage the Shelter Hostel, a guest house for travelers from all over the world. Judith has written four books, Walk the Land – A Journey on Foot through Israel, A People Tall and Smooth – Stories of Escape from Sudan to Israel, Come, Stay, Celebrate: The Story of the Shelter Hostel in Eilat, Israel, and To Belong: A Novel.