South · One-way

Faran - Peres

Paran → Arava Junction

All my rides →

Recent rain? Check the mud forecast before you go. Download the route’s GPX and upload it to ‘HaSingletor’ – you’ll get the chance of mud from the nearest rain station and the soil type.

Mud forecast Built by Boaz Yoffe · mtb.yoffe.net

Distance 235 km

Total climbing 2,896 m

Highest point 690 m

Lowest point -208 m

Days 3–4 days

Difficulty Moderate

Recommended months Nov–Apr

North from the central Arava through desert streams to Arava Junction. Wide channels, cliffs and the silence of true desert.

How to load the file to your device → Download GPX

Elevation profile

663 m -208 m

0 km 47 km 94 km 141 km 188 km 235 km

Route story · Faran - Peres

From Paran to Nahal Peres, by way of two craters

235 km from Paran in the Arava to the Arava junction. You climb from the Arava along Nahal Tzihor and Nahal Meishar, enter the Ramon Crater through Nahal Nekarot, drop off the Tzinim cliff to Nahal Zin, climb Ma'ale Akrabim, pass the Small Crater and Mamshit, and descend Nahal Peres back to the Arava. Almost 2,900 m of climbing, with no fuel and no shops until the Arava junction at the finish: true desert.

One-way · Paran3–4 daysNov–AprModerate

235km

2,896m climbing

235km, longest stretch without fuel

1fuel station within 300 m

4water taps along the way

9night campsites near the route

There is no fuel and no shop along the whole way, until the Arava junction at the finish, and food only at Khan Be'erot (km 100.7). Water only at the start in Paran, at km 43.8, 100.7 and 165.3, and at the Lower Tzihor campsite (km 27.3). The last 70 km have no water at all: plan water and food for every section in advance.

Firing zones on the way

The route crosses 7 firing zones, about 124 km of 235. Entering a firing zone requires advance coordination and approval, and zones can be closed on weekends and holidays too.

Firing zone 1003 km 4–25 Southern Command coordination center 08-9902926
Firing zone 1000 km 27–29, 31–43 Southern Command coordination center 08-9902926
Firing zone 1390 km 48–53, 57–91 Southern Command coordination center 08-9902926
Firing zone 1005 km 77–79 Southern Command coordination center 08-9902926
Firing zone 520 km 115–129 Southern Command coordination center 08-9902926
Firing zone 317 km 131–151 Southern Command coordination center 08-9902926
Firing zone מתכים km 164–172, 175–177, 179–187, 193–204 Southern Command coordination center 08-9902926

Boundaries from OpenStreetMap (source: IDF) and may be out of date. Some sections are a road that crosses the zone. Either way, check and coordinate before you go. All coordination centers →

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The route at a glance

Fuel stationGrocery or supermarketWater tapNight campsite

01km ⁦0–45⁩

From Paran to Be'er Ashalim

You leave Paran, at about 100 m, and enter the Ashosh reserve. The route climbs gradually, past Givat Bohar and the Tzihor palace, a closed gorge with rock formations, and along Nahal Tzihor and Nahal Sira, to about 400 m. At the end of the section a campsite and water wait at Be'er Ashalim.

Along the way

km 2.1Ashosh nature reserve, until km 44
km 9.7Givat Bohar, 310 m off the route
km 23.3The Tzihor palace, a closed gorge
km 27.3Lower Tzihor night campsite, with water, 270 m off the route
km 34.1Nahal Sira
km 43.8Be'er Ashalim night campsite, 110 m off the route

Resupply · km 43.8
Water at Be'er Ashalim. The next water is at Be'erot, km 100.7

02km ⁦45–83⁩

Nahal Meishar

From Be'er Ashalim you ride north, through Nahal Yaham, to the broad Nahal Meishar, and follow it for almost 17 km. The route tops out at about 440 m and then drops, enters the Tzinim cliff reserve and reaches Mezad Nekarot, with a campsite right by the route.

Along the way

km 49.1Nahal Yaham
km 65.9Nahal Meishar, until km 83
km 69.7Nahal Hadav
km 74.6Tzinim cliff nature reserve
km 82.8Mezad Nekarot night campsite

03km ⁦83–125⁩

Nahal Nekarot and the Ramon Crater

Up Nahal Nekarot, past the Nekarot cave, you enter the Ramon Crater. Mezad Saharonim and Ein Saharonim, a seasonal spring with water plants, then Khan Be'erot, with water, food, toilets and showers. From there you climb out of the crater, about 260 m, to the route's highest point, about 690 m.

Along the way

km 93.2Nekarot cave
km 95.8Mezad Saharonim
km 96.8Ein Saharonim, a seasonal spring
km 100.7Be'erot night campsite, paid, with toilets and showers
km 102.8Mezad Mohila, 380 m off the route
km 116.3Nahal Teref

Resupply · km 100.7
Khan Be'erot: water and food, 130 m off the route. The only food on the way

04km ⁦125–166⁩

The Tzinim cliff and Ma'ale Akrabim

The dramatic part of the route. Along Nahal Hagor and Nahal Marzeva you drop about 500 m off the Tzinim cliff to lower Nahal Zin, only about 30 m above sea level. By Khan Tzafir, Ma'ale Akrabim begins, and you climb almost 460 m up it, with lookouts on the way, to the edge of the Small Crater.

Along the way

km 127.6Nahal Hagor
km 143.6Makhteshim-Ein Yahav nature reserve
km 155.1Lower Nahal Zin night campsite
km 157.2Khan Tzafir and Rogem Zafir
km 159.5Ma'ale Akrabim
km 161.2Ma'ale Akrabim lookout

Resupply · km 165.3
Water at the entrance to the Small Crater reserve. The last water on the route

05km ⁦166–200⁩

The Small Crater and Mamshit

From the Mitzpe HaMakhtesh campsite, right on the route, you pass the Small Crater lookout and drop to Mishor Yemin, an open plain exposed to the wind. From there the route climbs again to Mamshit, the Nabataean town, with a national park and a paid campsite at the Nabataean khan.

Along the way

km 166.8Mitzpe HaMakhtesh night campsite, right on the route
km 168Small Crater lookout, 170 m off the route
km 177.7Mishor Yemin night campsite, exposed to the wind and without shade
km 188Mamshit, the Nabataean town, 160 m off the route
km 190.3Mamshit Nabataean khan night campsite, paid, 220 m off the route

06km ⁦200–235⁩

Down Nahal Peres to the Arava

The finale. After a rolling stretch at about 400 m comes a descent of more than 550 m, along Nahal Admon, Nahal Ayalim and Nahal Peres, to the Arava junction, about 210 m below sea level.

Along the way

km 218.1Nahal Admon
km 225.7Nahal Ayalim
km 229Nahal Peres, until km 234

Resupply · km 235
Arava junction: Delek, Menta and Joe & The Juice, about 300 m from the finish

Where to sleep

Over three days, Be'erot (km 100.7) and Mitzpe HaMakhtesh (km 166.8). Over four days, Mezad Nekarot (km 82.8), lower Nahal Zin (km 155.1) and Mamshit (km 190.3).

Straight-line distanceDistances from the route are straight-line distances, not riding distances. Before you set out, check on a map that a trail or road actually reaches the place.

km 27.3With water

חניון לילה ציחור תחתון 270 m off the route

km 43.8Free

חניון לילה באר אשלים 110 m off the route

km 82.8Free

חניון לילה מיצד נקרות 10 m off the route

km 100.7Halfway

חניון לילה בארות 60 m off the route · Paid

km 155.1Free

חניון לילה נחל צין תחתון 40 m off the route

km 157.2Free

חניון לילה נחל עקרבים 960 m off the route

km 166.8Free

חניון לילה מצפה מכתש 0 m off the route

km 177.7Free

חניון לילה מישור ימין 30 m off the route

km 190.3Paid

חניון לילה ממשית 220 m off the route

Where to refuel

Fuel stations, groceries and food within 300 m of the route. Fuel stations usually have water, toilets and a convenience store.

Straight-line distanceDistances from the route are straight-line distances, not riding distances. Before you set out, check on a map that a trail or road actually reaches the place.

km 100.7

A café or restaurant

km 23524/7

Delek, Menta A café or restaurant

Distances along the route are calculated from the GPX file; the distance of each place from the route is a straight-line distance. Night campsites come from the site's campsite map, other places from OpenStreetMap. Not checked on the ground: confirm before you go.

Firing zones: OpenStreetMap, IDF data import

Photos from the route

Distance, climbing and recommended months come from the routes table. Highest and lowest points are calculated from the GPX file, and difficulty is an estimate based on climbing per kilometre.