Mount Hermon is also named Har Hermon in Hebrew, and it is a mountain cluster, including the southern end of the Lebanon Mountains. Its peak extends across the border between Syria and Lebanon, and its highest point is in Syria at 2814 meters above sea level. The southern slopes of Mount Hermon stretch to the Israeli area of the Golan Heights, where the Mount Hermon ski resort is situated at the highest elevation of 2236 meters. The Hermon range spreads over 70 kilometres, and it covers a 700 square kilometres surface, of which 70 square kilometres belong to Israel. Mount Hermon consists of a group of mountains with three separate peaks of almost the same height. A significant part of Mount Hermon is in Israel, and it is part of the Hermon Nature Reserve.
The Hermon Nature Reserve
The Hermon Nature Reserve is a nature reserve that is located in the north of the Golan Heights. It includes a part of the southern Mount Hermon, which is situated in the Israeli territory of the Golan Heights. This beautiful reserve has a total area of almost 79 square kilometres. The most diffuse types of birds are the northern wheatear, the sombre tit, the western rock nuthatch and the white-throated robin. Moreover, there are many species of butterflies, of which twenty-three are typical of the Hermon Nature Reserve and were not present in Israel before 1967. In the nature reserve, the most common reptiles are the four-lined snake and the Vipera bornmuelleri. At the top of the mountain, the growth and the blooming starts in August. In 1905, the botanist Aaron Aaronsohn discovered the Triticum dicoccoides, which is also named the mother of wheat, in the eastern slopes of Mount Hermon.
The Flora in Mount Hermon
The mountain area is one of the most significant natural resources of Israel. Because of its height, it is a location with an enormous amount of precipitation in a country where most of the territory is naturally very dry and desertic. The most common geological formation is Jurassic limestone, crossed by faults and channels that create a karst topography, which is a topography formed from the decomposition of soluble rocks such as the dolomite, the gypsum and the limestone. Underground drainage systems create sinkholes and caves. Mount Hermon has snowfalls in the winter and spring, and when it occurs, all its three peaks are covered by snow most of the year. When the snow, which covers the mountain western and southern bases, melts, it infiltrates into the rock tunnels and holes, feeding the springs at the bottom of the mountain, and forming streams and rivers. These streams and rivers merge into the Jordan River. The water flow benefits the lavish vegetation below the snow line, where there is an abundance of oak, pine, poplar trees, and vineyards. Mount Hermon has different names such as Snowy Mountain, Gray-Haired Mountain, Mountain of Snow, and The Eyes of the Nation.
The Ski Resort Of Mount Hermon
Starting from 1981, when the Golan Heights law was approved, the Israeli area of the Golan Heights started to be governed under Israeli laws. Mount Hermon owns the only winter ski resort and snowboard resort in Israel, and it includes a wide selection of ski trails for beginners, intermediates and experts. The resort also offers winter activities for families, such as Nordic skiing and sledging. The members of the team that manage the Hermon Ski area live in the Druze town of Majdal Shams and the nearby Israeli settlement of Neve Ativ. The ski resort owns a ski patrol, ski classes, and several restaurants placed at both the bottom and peak of the resort. It is incredible how the Ski Resort of Mount Hermon is only three hours drive from the desert in a small country like Israel. It is a trendy location for both Israelis and tourists, who dedicate a day or two to enjoy the winter sports. In the autumn, spring, and summer, in the resort, many outdoor activities benefit from the fantastic nature and landscape, including a mountain bike park and hiking.
The Wintertime in Mount Hermon
In the wintertime, in Mount Hermon, the Skii Resort is open fifty days for skiing, drawing almost 300 thousand visitors between January and March. In the resort, there are fourteen ski runs and five chair lifts. Visitors are welcome to enjoy ski classes and rent equipment at the Center.
The Summer And Spring In Mount Hermon
In the summertime and springtime, Mount Hermon draw about 40 thousand visitors who want to enjoy outdoor activities thanks to the beautiful nature and landscape. Visitors can benefit from a cable car to visit the HaMa’apil peak. Moreover, there are guided summer tours that show the local flora and fauna. Other tours guide visitors, providing explanations about the battle on Mount Hermon. Hiking and biking trails are available all over the region.
Activities In Mount Hermon
Mountain biking is a very diffuse sport at Mount Hermon, and there is a unique park that is named Bike Park, which is a biking place at the Hermon Ski Resort, including three bicycle trails. Additionally, there is also an easy bike trail to allow visitors to learn the mountain biking activity and practise the technique. Two 5-kilometres downhill trails go from the top to the bottom of the ski resort, including jumps and other features. Bikers can benefit from ski chairlifts to reach the top of the trail.
Hence, there is no reason to wait to plan a trip to Mount Hermon, one of Israel’s most unique and fantastic places.