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Loops number: 2
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Major loop: A-B-D-A
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Length
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Leg 1: 6Km- 3 hrs; Leg 2: 14 km – 6 hrs
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Evaluation
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Leg 1: Easy; Leg 2; Average +
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Start at Haqlet al-Heya. Following down a tiny trail, we reach an isolated house by Fidar stream. A wooden footbridge crosses for a good footpath that follows down its wooded left bank to Maaden (meaning metals). The reddish soil indeed reminds of iron ores. This is encountered all over Lebanon but it seems that tenure is too low to justify extraction.
Above the path, a water spring, Ain al-Maaden next to a weeping willow and, a bit higher, an old house still standing. The trail continues downhill passing nice oak trees, a ruined house and, after running along under a small cliff, it goes uphill until it reaches a dry oued (water course), Saqiet Douali, separating Ehmej domain from its neighboring village of ‘Almat.
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Cross over to the other side of the oued, through a jungle of thorny bushes. Continuing to ‘Almat via “al-Bahsassa” is a piece of cake. Altitude 950m. Once in ‘Almat, two options face the hiker.
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Option1. MEBAAJ
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Mebaaj is a nice grotto open to public visits since 2007. It is 700m deep with easy access. Visitors can also profit from games such as “Tyrolienne”. The Grotto is closed in winter time.
Point C- Km 3- Arriving to ‘Almat as described above, one has to follow the asphalt for a while, crossing the village to the “Haidar brothers’ villas” and follow the downhill path to the road bridge in Ferhet below. It’s around a 30-minute walk from ‘Almat. Option1 ends here, altitude 800m.
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Option2. BOQAATA
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This option allows the loop back to Ehmej via Boqaata fields. Arriving to ‘Almat, a short walk in the village, like a U-turn, and the uphill starts via a very nice winding footpath leading to the heights of ‘Almat, to Boqaata wooded area, altitude 1400m, where it gives way to an agricultural crossroads.
Point D- Km 5- Going left, uphill, the sandy road leads to “al-Wata” , a flat depression, where T06, the Adventure trail, is met and followed through the nice ”Azr” oak forest down to Ain Nassouh and to Ehmej.
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