Tracks

Leave Metula and ride down to Kiryat Shmona, after 5 km carefuly turn left to Kfar Yuval. Ride on a road between agriculture feilds till we meet with road 99, turn left again, general direction east ( Beit Hilel/Kibbutz Hagoshrim). After 300 meters turn right at T junction to road 9888 that crosses Beit Hilel. Continue south on road 9779 till we meet with road 918. Turn right to road 918 and pass Kibbutz Gonen. At Gadot junction, turn left to Bnot Yaakov bridge. Ride over the Jordan river on this bridge and climb 5 km to the Golan Hights to Beit Hameches junction to road 888. Carefully we will start riding down towards the sea of Galilee, Kinneret. Ride on road 888 to Beit Tzeida T junction, turn left and connect with road 87, that circles the Kinneret. After 1.5 km we leave road 87 and turn right to road 92 to ride along the east side of the Kinneret. We will ride by the Kibbutzim Ein Gev, Haon to Maagan junction where we turn right towards Tzemach junction, there we turn left to raod 90. Ride south till we meet road 71, north of Beit Shean. We will ride around Beit Shean from the east on road 71 in the regional council of Emek Hamaayanot. In the junction with road 7079 turn right till we meet with the maayanot route, turn left and ride parallel to the water flow untel we meet with a small road leading to Kibbutz Ein Hanatziv (road 6678). Turn right and reconnect with road 90, this time, south of Beit Shean. Turn left at Shluchot junction and pass by the Kibbutzim Shluchot, Reshafim till we arrive to Kibbutz Nir david. 






Track and journey plan second day, Thursday 04/04/19 KIBBUTZ NIR DAVID - MASADA
Distance: 168 km
Total climbing: 1,507 meters
  

Description of the track: we will meet in the morning  in Kibbutz Nir David in the Beit Shean valley (by Gan Hashlosha/Sachne), there we will park our cars in a parking lot. After organizations and briefing we will carefully leave the kibbutz gate and turn left. Drive 1 km and turn left to Sonol gas station where we will start to climb to the Gilboa mountain. After 9 km of climbing with the amazing view of the Beit Shean valley and Moav mountains on the east side of the Jordan river, we will turn left on the first intersection towards Maale Gilboa. Continue to climb and then we start to ride down hill on an amazing long track (15 km) to Sde Trumot junction. Carefully turn right to road 90 which we will be riding on till the end of this day. Our first refreshment station will be on our 27th km at the Bezek checkpoint.

 After refreshing we will continue to ride on road 90. The green scenery that followed us at the beginning of our ride will change to brown desert colors all the way to the second refreshment station on the 92km, Mifgash Habika.

The journey will continue south on raod 90. At Beit Haarava junction (A very busy junction, ride very carefully here) we will turn left, still on road 90 and ride to the third refreshment station, the Lido parking lot by the Megilot regional council municipality, 107 km.  We will continue to the last refreshment station of the day at the 146 km spot by the Eid Geddi youth hostel. The last 22 km of rolling hills will bring us to the Masada youth hostel where we will be spending the night.

 
 

Description of the track: Leaving Masada youth hostel in the morning we will turn right and reconnect to road 90, riding South.  We will ride by the Dead Sea  to the hotel campus at Ein Bokek where we will stop at our first refreshment station by the Leonardo Plaza hotel.  We will ride on the interior road of the hotel campus, heading south where we will rejoin road 90 through the south exit, very carefully turning left and after 2 km we will turn right at Neve Zohar junction to road 31 where we start the meaningful climbing of the day, from the Dead Sea to Arad, 24 km of beautiful desert climbing. 
As we enter the city of Arad from the south we will continue straight at the road circle to the second refreshment station of the day at the gas station on the right. 
Continue on road 31 heading west, general direction Beer Sheva, after 9 km turn left to raod 80 heading south until we meet with road 25 at Arara juntion in the Negev, turn left. Ride 12 km on road 25 to Dimona Yerucham junction, turn left to road 204. We will pass Yerucham on our way till we arrive to Chalukim junction and merge to road 40. 

. We will ride straight towards Miztpe Ramon passing by Haroe camping site, Kibbutz Sde Boker and the entrance to Ben Gurion's hut. From this point we have 35 km mostly uphill all the way to Mitzpe Ramon where we will accept the Shabbat and give rest to our bodies and soul, but not for long.

 

Distance: 150 km
Total climbing: 945 meters

Description of the track: After a good night's sleep we will wake up to the amazing sun set above the Ramon crater, a scene that is always magnificent. We will carefully start our ride of the day to the huge interior of the biggest crater in Israel to the area that is called "The Sawmill" there we will stop for a few minutes till all the riders come down the hill and we can continue riding safely as a group. The first refreshment station will be after 25km, on road 40. Our tired legs from the previous two days of riding will awake at this stage with the city of Eilat being only 120 km away…..

From the refreshment station we will ride a twisting downhill route, climb up the Faran and continue to ride on road 40. After 35 km, by Tzichor junction we will stop at our second refreshment station of the day. Continue to ride to the community of Neot Smadar, refresh again, third time this day and prepare ourselves for the downhill ride to Ketora junction that meets with road 90. Shortly before Ktora junction where we will be getting on road 90, we will stop to allow all riding members to gather together and make sure that the escort cars are at the back securing the riders. We will get on road 90 heading south hoping for north winds that will blow us to the last refreshment station of the day at Yotveta, 40km before the city of Eilat.

After refreshing at Yotveta we will again head for road 90, south, towards Eilat all the way to the pampering Leonardo Plaza hotel. We will have a hot shower and a good poultry lunch. After showering the dust of the journey from our bodies and eaten a good meal we will all join for coffee and cake to summarize the whole journey.

After this the bicycles and equipment will be loaded on the busses and we will all head back north to the starting point at Kibbutz Nir David.