Adventure | Riding Israel: Lost in the Holy Land – Part 3

Trials star David Cachon goes on an adventure through one of the world’s most incredible places. Israel offer unparalleled history culture and a surprising amount of unique biking terrain. Below is the first 3 days of his week long trip to Israel captured with the amazing photography skills of Ismael Ibánez, enjoy!

This is part 3 of 3. Part 1 | Part 2

Day 6

The alarm goes off really early: 5:00 a.m. Today we want to enjoy a sunrise at the Mitzpe Ramon Crater. We use some rocks to improvise a trial area. I am not a morning person so I usually don’t perform well so early, but the effort is worth it. After a hearty breakfast we head to Tzin Valley, an amazing desert area that for a second reminds us of The Bardenas Reales, but in a more beast way. The guys from GeoFun, experts in the locations of this special area of Israel, are there to welcome us.

We are told that some good money has been invested to create a few good trails in the area, and the truth is that they have succeeded. Hundreds of miles of singletrack are waiting for us snaking playfully through the mountains.
After eating something we head to another known area located very close to the previous one. The landscape changes slightly but the trails are still just as fun. After visiting some of the local bicycle rental facilities we set our way to which would be our home for the night, the Hai Bar Nature Reserve, in the wilderness of Samar.

The place is a kind of camp with bungalows, waiting for us with beer and soup, a reception that we deeply appreciate from the bottom of our heart. After checking out the area we discover that the camp has a cement pump track that looks incredible. Shame it is already dark, now the only I thing can think of is that spot and how much time is left until the sun would rise again. Meanwhile, I enjoy watching a movie screen at the chill out area of Samar Bike Hotel.

Day 7

Tonight is probably the best of all, we have abandoned the luxuries of hotels to stay at what could be a military camp full of bungalows, where we do not miss anything, quite the opposite. The company of a charming and crazy passionate about two wheels as Yaron Deri, head of Samar Bike, who transmits us all that passion for two wheels that we like to find where we go was the high of our stay. Yaron decided one day to see the world, he saw almost the entire planet before dropping in our Canary Islands, where he lived for several years and where he learned our language. Later he decided to fulfill his dream: return to Israel and set up a biker camp where he created the best trails in the country. If I was to advise someone a place in Israel for cycling, I definitely recommend this place without a doubt and, please, stay at Samar Bike, it is 100% authentic. Of all the days we had spent in Israel this could for sure be the most genuine, without forgetting Jerusalem. If before arriving to Israel I had some sort of preconceived idea about the weather and landscape of the area, it closely resembled this place. The heat, the desert areas plagued with rocks and mountains.

The trails in the area are fantastic. Trails for all levels and styles; from relaxed walks to hiking, from cross country declines to high technical level ones. After performing one of the best free rides of my life, we receive permission to access a very special area that we had waited for a few days.  We have permission to film with the bicycle at the Timna Park. It is a protected area north of Eilat in the Negev desert, located quite close to the Jordan border.
This place is amazing and has some of the best natural wonders of the area: King Solomon’s Pillars, Mines of Time, Timna Lake, or the amazing Stone Mushrooms. Within the park is possible to roll a bicycle, in fact there is a circuit of 19 km through out all the wonders of the place.

After this adventure, the end of our trip is coming. We go back to Samar Bike Hotel to take a shower, to pack, eat something and say goodbye to our new friends, whom have already touched our hearts: Ran Yaron Ganor and Deri.
A transfer takes us to Tel Aviv, where that night we take a flight back home. Just when we thought our adventures had come to an end, we realize we are wrong. Our transfer driver was driving at 160 miles an hour and passing through the right on a minibus…is this Free ride? Bye, bye friends, see you at the next adventure.

Shalom P.D We should not pass up the opportunity to thank the government and tourism delegation of Israel and the airline Tel Al for all their help with our trip and for facilitating us the paperwork to carry photographic equipment and sports equipment. Shalom.

Text & riding: David Cachon Photos: Ismael Ibánez

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