Starting at Haqlet al-Heya, this itinerary goes to the deserted hamlet of Bkarta, passing among the old stone houses to enter a wooded area of great beauty.

Follow an up & down path in an easterly direction following what looks like a thalweg (valley line) dotted with depressions in the ground. Steadily gain altitude through a wooded area with a variety of trees: wild plums, wild pears, several species of oak trees.

You then arrive to a pass where the thalweg clearly ends and meets with another similar thalweg, almost perpendicular to it. Cross the thalweg and you will be surrounded by beautiful junipers and maples, some of the largest in Lebanon.

You are now at a higher altitude where oryx gazelles once roamed, earning it the name “Maoul al-Ghzal” or ”The Steep Valley of the Deer”. The trees become scarce but more majestic as the altitude increases. Tall junipers and age-old Brabant oaks seem to be the only inhabitants of this rocky world.

You are now getting closer to an area known as “Khachaa”, one of the most difficult parts of this trail.

As you meander between rocky depressions, climb up to a crest, the highest point on the trail and discover an unmistakable pointed shape known as Hafroun peak, famous for its legends and once popular with would-be treasure hunters. Pottery shards and caves are evidence ancient villages. Hafroun, local say, was a king who decided to spend winter in his palace on top of the peak (1800m) but could not survive the cold. They’re still looking for his hidden gold.

You have now exited the most difficult part. Cross another pass and you begin a decent that will lead you to the Alpine Refuge. At this point you can choose to make a detour and climb legendary Hafroun.

After the detour, continue walking and you will notice an area with young cedars planted by the Municipality of Ehmej in an effort to reforest the land.

The trail continues under the majestic cliff of Abou-Haidar and then crosses a wooded area full of maples. Here, the trail links the Ghbâr valley and continues downward to Ehmej via Ain Nassouh and Qornet-ar-Râheb.