It was only three days after I arrived to Lebanon that I was told about a local nonprofit that charters a bus every Sunday to distant parts of the small country. And on the fourth day, I was on that bus, a day trip several hours south of Beirut in the Chouf region. It was an 18 km hike from Maasser el Shouf to Baadarane. The name meant little to me at the time, but it was an incredible introduction to the country side of Lebanon and the villages, orchards and communties that dot its landscape. We walked through small towns of homes built of white stone with orange clay tile roofs, fig trees and grape vines just about picking time and trees full of ripening pomogranets.
Here are images from the hiking trip, and I have many many more to share from trips since I arrived.
Most of the hikes are in the Lebanese Mountains. A recent project called the LMT Association (Lebanese Mountain Trail) documented the trails creating a continuous 440 km trail from north to south. The trips are arranged through a non-profit called TLB Destinations and CIFA. Their mission states:
Established in September 2005 by tour operator TLB Destinations, CIFA has initiated training programs which focus on the linkages between tourism, conservation and sustainable development, all within the movement for responsible tourism. CIFA also supports and creates projects to provide motivation, income and livelihood for members of the local community, with a focus on rural regions.
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