Hi,
We finally a company trip!
After two years we had the chance to leave the work (almost) aside and go on a nice trip when all the expenses are paid by the office :-).
After going North and going South. This trip was set to be in En Prat on the Judaean desert, a place I like very much!
The problem was the weather =/ It is the Spring in Israel and some rain is expected in this time. But the rain comes from the East, as in the Winter it comes from the West. That means there is a risk of floods in the Negev, Ha-Arava and Judeaean desert. The place we where intended to visit, En Prat, is a spring in Wadi Qelt, has a risk of floods.
It was something that hunted me the day before the trip. The weather precast was of extreme rains that can cause to flash floods. Because those creeks are very narrow, and the soil absorb no water – the flowing is very fast and strong. It can be dangerous to be inside the creek.
I thought about it: First I know the place, I have been there several times (here). The area we’ll visit it not as narrow as the end of the stream (here) or like Darga stream (here). Apart from it rain will not start until the afternoon (according to 02ws.co.il, a weather precast site only for Jerusalem). And finally – to enter the site you have to pay, meaning that if it will be dangerous, they will close the gate and won’t let us in.
It was OK, no flood, and no rain. Just a nice cool hike as can been seen in the pics. 🙂
Looking down on the creek we are about to go down to
Going down the water…
The cliffs of the creek in its steepest point. On the right is a monastery
The steps up to the monastery
On the other side is rock climbing site
The stream – looking up
The stream – going down
The British pump house, that use to supply water to Jerusalem
The fish in the pool, they bite! But they do clean off the dead skin off your feet if you let them 🙂 The spring area, easy to recognize with all those large trees
Down the stream – another pool with a suprising animal – a crab, running into the water to hidePart of the British water system no longer in use
The running stream from En part allows those planets to grow in the middle of the desert.
The last flowers of the spring still blooms – The red is papaver
P.S. 26.04.2018
The teenagers that went out hiking on Nahal tzafit, in the Arava, get caught in a flood. 10 out of the 25 the died from the power of the flowing water. It is a disaster, that makes you understand how dangerous those floods can be and why you have to be careful. It is still unclear how they went out on an hike like this in this weather with cautions about kind of hikes been published for several days.