2023-06-23 Saydit Habs Aqoura to Saydit El Qarn Laqlouq Loop

1. This is a semi-new trail.
2. This trail, with views of the Aqoura plain and its ponds, makes you feel like hiking from the plane.
3. It is a challenging trail for two reasons: The ascent/Descent and the last stretch of the trail through the "Rashme" valley. There is 900+ ascent/descent and the Rashme valley segment of the trail is a difficult almost unmarked switch backs trail.

We started the trail from the lower part of the town; we started on pavement for about 1+ km passing through Aqoura's square where the virgin Mary church (kneesit El Saydi in Arabic) is located. Right at the end of the pavement we made a detour to visit the shrine of Mar Yacoub Al Muqataa (St. James the Mutilated) on the outskirts of Aqoura. The shrine is 228 stairs above the main road; you have a birds-eye view of Aqoura from the shrine.
After St. James detour, the trail turned into an uphill dirt road snaking between apple orchards and man-made ponds (we found very few cherry trees among the apple orchards; my guess these trees were planted for personal consumption by the farmer and not for business). Seven km into the trail we reached Saydit El Qarn church (virgin Mary Church of the Horn). We had a small break and lunch at the church and then moved uphill again to catch the trail on the shoulder of the cliff leading all the way to Aqoura cross. This segment of the trail had about 4 uphill/downhill segments.
After the cross we passed by the rock forest and started the hardest part of the trail: Going down the switch backs of Rashme valley. Finished Rashme valley, we walked around 2 km to reach Saydit El Habs and down its stairs to our cars.