2020-05-31 Aammiq - Barouk - Ain Zhalta - Aammiq Loop
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 16.49 mi
- Elevation gain
- 3,871 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 3,871 ft
- Max elevation
- 6,215 ft
- TrailRank
- 46
- Min elevation
- 2,861 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 8 hours 47 minutes
- Coordinates
- 2101
- Uploaded
- June 1, 2020
- Recorded
- May 2020
near El Qasr, Béqaa (Lebanon)
Viewed 466 times, downloaded 7 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
The first real hike this spring because of the lock-down due to Corona virus! All hikers used their own cars to get to the start point.
This hike was supposed to be a 17 km but snowballed to a 27.7 km and did not complete its objective, for we did not visit the marshland of Aammiq.
The hike started near the Aammiq marshland reserve and went uphill through a steady constant slope passing through the Sit Shaawani shrine (lady Shaawani shrine of religious significance to the Druze sect in Lebanon) and through a mixed cedar-pine forest walking on a dirt road leading up to the Barouk Cedar reserve; This ection of the trail is an 8+ km uphill. From the Barouk reserve we went rightward through another a 4+ km uphill slope and a 4+ km of a straight walk (no elevation 😊) to reach the Ain Zhalta Cedar reserve. The trail then went through an 11 km downhill through a cow path road to reach our cars.
The trail scenery was a wonderful mix of marshlands, green pasture, pine and cedar forests, old oak trees (some are 1000s year old), and a variety of high contrast spring colors. The weather was breezy pleasant with temperature in the lower twenties and a clear sunny sky.
I rank this hike as advanced because of its length.
I intend to do it again in order to visit the marshlands.
This hike was supposed to be a 17 km but snowballed to a 27.7 km and did not complete its objective, for we did not visit the marshland of Aammiq.
The hike started near the Aammiq marshland reserve and went uphill through a steady constant slope passing through the Sit Shaawani shrine (lady Shaawani shrine of religious significance to the Druze sect in Lebanon) and through a mixed cedar-pine forest walking on a dirt road leading up to the Barouk Cedar reserve; This ection of the trail is an 8+ km uphill. From the Barouk reserve we went rightward through another a 4+ km uphill slope and a 4+ km of a straight walk (no elevation 😊) to reach the Ain Zhalta Cedar reserve. The trail then went through an 11 km downhill through a cow path road to reach our cars.
The trail scenery was a wonderful mix of marshlands, green pasture, pine and cedar forests, old oak trees (some are 1000s year old), and a variety of high contrast spring colors. The weather was breezy pleasant with temperature in the lower twenties and a clear sunny sky.
I rank this hike as advanced because of its length.
I intend to do it again in order to visit the marshlands.
Waypoints
Waypoint
3,167 ft
BHG Yoga
We ran into the Brummana Hiking Group practicing Yoga in the pine forest of the reserve.
Waypoint
3,331 ft
Skaff Residence Road
The Skaffs own a huge section of the mountain; it was gifted to them by the French government, I am told by locals, during the French mandate over Lebanon (1918 - 1945)
Waypoint
3,947 ft
Ain Tein
Ain Tein (the two springs) is a spring with running eaters throughout the year. It seems the reserve are taking good care of it.
Waypoint
5,516 ft
Barouk Cedar Reserve
Waypoint
5,576 ft
Second Break
I forgot my handmade cedar stick behind here :(
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