Hi there!
You may have heard of Mt. Hermon, the tallest mountain in Israel rising to a peak of 2,236 m (7,336 ft) above sea level. In winter, the snowcapped Mt. Hermon is home to the only ski resort in Israel. However, in summer it offers quite a few family attractions. My daughter, friend, her daughter and I took a trip to Mt. Hermon to try out the latest addition, the new ‘Sky Rider’ mountain ride, courtesy of PR Azoulay & More, but don’t think for a second that we didn’t enjoy the rest of the summer activities. The new CEO, Alon Friedman extends his welcome to you.
Trip Agenda Options
Trip Anchors
Sky Rider
Mountain Sleds
Summer Tubes/Tires.
Cable Car
A Nature & Heritage Tour
Karting down the mountain
Additional Options
De Karina Chocolatier Workshops
The International Master Classes Project in Safed
Other Galilean Music Festivals in August
Trip Anchors
Sky Rider
The new ‘Sky Rider’ attraction is a circular rail system, in the style of a roller coaster hanging above the ground. You sit with seatbelts, your feet hanging in the air and you start riding forward along a rail built on pillars about 15 meters above ground. The ride takes about two minutes and covers about 320 meters. Sky Rider is located near the mountain sleds so that it is easy to get from one ride to the next.
Although it is being launched in the summer, ‘Sky Rider’ will work year-round. It is suitable for children from age 6 that are at least 1.20 m tall. Children up to the age of 8 must be accompanied by an older companion (over the age of 14).
Mountain Sleds
The mountain sleds move over a 1 km track and reach a speed of up to 45 km / h. Each sled seats up to two people. The surfer in the back controls the speed with a hand brake. The route is built along the contour of the mountain with amazing elevations, descents and turns all within the wild Hermon landscape. The use of sleds is suitable from the age of 10 and above (minimum 140 cm) and can be done either as a single rider or in pairs.
Summer Tubes/Tires
The summer tubes/tires are near the entrance of the resort. The children carry a tire up a matted slope and then sit in it and slide down. The activity is dry so you don’t have to bring bathing suits and is suitable from the age of 5.
Cable Car
The resort covers an area of 2,432 dunams (~600 acres), at an elevation of 1,600 to 2,040 meters above sea level. The cable car is 1250 meters long and the journey takes 15 minutes. The cable car operates throughout the year, allowing up to two people per seat. In winter it is used to reach the ski slopes and in summer aside from the amazing landscape, you should reach the top in order to enjoy the free nature and heritage tour.
A Nature and Heritage Tour
Free guided tours take place at the top of the mountain in cooperation with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. Tour and hiking lovers will enjoy a wide variety of hiking trails of various difficulty levels. The tour includes the story of the battle of the Hermon outpost during the Yom Kippur War in which the nickname for the Hermon Mountain "the eyes of the state" was coined. You may also get to see flowers endemic to the region like we did. In August, tours will be held every day, including weekends (Fri and Sat) at 11:00 and 13:00, but the site must be reached half an hour beforehand. The tour lasts about an hour and a half. The starting point is at the top station cafeteria. Don’t forget to bring sturdy walking shoes/sneakers and warm clothing.
Karting Down the Mountain
This is the only attraction that we didn’t try out since it is suitable for kids aged 15 and up, but it looks great! I caught a photo from the cable car above. The karting cars in the Hermon are a one of a kind in Israel, because they are three-wheeled. The self-driving is conducted on paths that were especially cleared on site for vehicle traffic. The karting vehicles are not motorized but are suitable for driving in rough terrain and ensure a pleasant and safe trip albeit challenging trip down the mountain for those who like action. The path is about 850 meters long downhill. You arrive by cable car to the starting point and from there you drive down, wearing a helmet.
Entrance to the resort in the summer and the nature-heritage tours on top are free. The facilities and attractions are paid. I don’t put prices because I don’t update them. However, there are a variety of combination tickets as well.
Additional Options
If you’re going up north for Mt. Hermon, you’ll probably want to sleep overnight so I’m adding a few additional recreational activities that are taking place this summer.
De Karina Chocolatier Tours and Workshops
The chocolate boutique "De Karina" in Kibbutz Ein Zivan, Ramat Golan is offering an airconditioned activity that includes a tour of the boutique factory, with a view of the handmade chocolate production process, a sweet visit to the coffee shop in the compound including the boutique’s self-made ice cream and cold chocolate drinks that are a perfect match for the Israeli heat. In addition, during the summer vacation there will be chocolate making workshops that are suitable for the whole family. As part of the visit and the workshop, you will taste chocolates and also produce chocolate bars and products that you can take home with you (unless they are eaten on the way...). You can read a previous review of mine here.
Registration to the Tours and Workshops is at: 04-6993622.
The International Master Classes Project in Safed
Traditionally, every year in Safed there is a summer musical festival knows as “The International Master Classes Project”. This year it will be held between August 19-23, 2018.
Dozens of musicians from all over the world will come to participate in the musical event that will take place at the Safed Academic College campus, in a variety of musical styles including special performances. As part of the international project, lectures and master classes will be held on the campus of the Safed Academic College. Individual classes will be offered, musical films will be screened, and jam sessions will be held for the general public, who will also be able to watch the rehearsals and special lessons this year.
During our trip we met with the Director of the International Master Classes and international violinist Eyal Shiloah who gave us a sample of what to expect.
For further information you can check out the festival website here.
Other Galilean Music Festivals in August
Tu B'Av will be the opening shot for the annual festivals of the Galilee, and tens of thousands from all over the country will participate in the next three weeks in various events including the "Ben HaKramim” (i.e. Between the Vineyards) Festival (26.7-2.8), the "Layla Lavan Hof Achziv” (i.e. Achziv Beach Night Festival) (on 9.8) and “The International Master Classes” in Safed (19-23.8) above. Since the linked program websites are in Hebrew, I’m writing the contact numbers for each:
"Ben HaKramim" Festival Phone: 04-6919807
“Layla Lavan Hof Achziv” Festival Phone: *2207
Food
The Hermon resort has a burger bar in the indoor cafeteria where you can purchase a hot meal while on site.
We also made a stopover at a ‘Bar Mitbalim’ in Rosh Pinna. It’s a kosher restaurant under the supervision of the Rosh Pina rabbinate that was founded by Chef Yaniv Hadad in 2006 and serves a variety of meat and fish dishes alongside Israeli salads and special desserts. Examples of the Israeli chef dishes include: grilled eggplant in tahina sauce and lamb chops with mint and honey sauce. I used a photo provided by the restaurant since I didn’t take any.
The restaurant operates during the weekdays from 11:00 to 24:00 and on Saturday night half an hour after Shabbat until midnight.
Address: Hagalil Street, Rosh Pina
It is recommended to book in advance by phone: 04-6860107 or 04-6806806.
Accomodation
You can find recommended B&Bs on the Mt. Hermon website and on mine.
My Timeline
This trip filled up a day.
This is what it looks like on the map:
Have a great summer!
Talma
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