LMTA 10 YEARS IN REVIEW

Transcription

1 SECTION NAME free distribution THE MAGAZINE OF THE LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL ASSOCIATION VOLUME NO.6 SEPTEMBER 2017 LMTA 10 YEARS IN REVIEW THRU WALK 2017 TOGETHER WE WALK TO PROTECT OUR MOUNTAINS A NEW SIDE TRAIL IS BORN: BKASSINE IS ON THE LMT THE LMT TWICE IN ONE MONTH A New Trail Running Record on the LMT The LMT Connecting the Lebanese Diaspora with Lebanon lebanontrail.org

2 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE THE LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL PRESIDENT S MESSAGE DOUMA SIDE TRAIL EHMEJ SIDE TRAIL BASKINTA LITERARY TRAIL BKASSINE SIDE TRAIL El Qoubaiyat Andqet 470km Trail Distance m Elevation Profile 27 Sections THE TRAIL CROSSES 1 World Heritage Site 2 Biosphere Reserves 4 Protected Areas 75 Villages & Towns Dear Friends, Martine Btaich October 2017 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association. Ten years working relentlessly to promote and protect the LMT. Ten years celebrating this national treasure that has become a resilience card for all of us hikers and outdoor people, who genuinely care about our shared heritage and our mountains, and who believe they are necessary for our development and well-being. Ten years may seem little but we have come a long way in making the LMT a successful hiking destination despite the turmoil and the challenges in the country. We cannot but feel proud when we see the trail listed in the World Travel Market 2016 report among the initiatives that are driving New Tourism Hopes for Communities in the Middle East and positively influencing travel trends, not only in Lebanon but also in the region. The ECODIT team must have believed in this and seen that this could happen when they imagined the trail back in The unique community-based experience, the thousands of years of history, the diversity of the terrain and the breathtaking landscapes and forest reserves, are attracting more than 30,000 travelers per year. Many of those are repeat visitors. The LMT has contributed to making the local Lebanese rediscover their own country. It has also brought international recognition and contributed to establishing the image of Lebanon as a unique adventure travel destination. Thanks to the World Trail Network and friendship trails in Canada and South Korea, and the support of the LMT ambassadors and our friends in Washington DC, Canada, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and the UAE, the trail is increasingly attracting international travelers as well as the Lebanese diaspora, keen to reconnect with their home country. Thanks to local and international partners and friends from civic society, nature reserves, the private and public sectors and local communities, the trail continues to develop. With their help, we were able to launch a national discourse for trail and mountain protection. The side trails we have developed are success stories in themselves and witnesses to the growing interest of local communities in embracing the culture of these trails and their conservation. We can t but applaud them as well as the municipalities that have embraced the idea, believing in the benefits of these endeavors. The challenges are big though. Unfortunately, we are witnessing an unprecedented environmental crisis in the country. And a deep one at that! Because of the many gaps between institutions and the lack of enforcement of laws, the mountains and the trail are being eaten up in an irreversible way by the unplanned and unsustainable development of the mountains. Sadly, diverting the trail, changing the path to connect to new places which give a nicer experience is a daily riddle. This is why, in 2017, we chose to walk for our mountains. We chose to raise our voice to highlight the urgent need for new laws to protect the trail and the mountains, as well as to come up with a sustainable basis for their development. We all cherish fresh air. We all cherish access to a refuge for recreation and culture. We all cherish access to a space in which we can recharge our body and soul. We all cherish beauty, fresh air and healthy food. We all cherish connecting with nature and finding other kindred spirits. The trail is a dynamic corridor which offers all that. Let us draw attention to this vital thing of common interest and to what really matters. It is our right and duty to protect this million-year legacy that gives us hope, and continues to give us hope, in a country where the system keeps on failing us. In this 6th issue of the LMT Society magazine, we continue to share with you the great things taking place on the LMT and with the LMT Association. You will see how the efforts and the passion of so many people with vision and energy, partners, volunteers, staff and friends like you, are making all this happen. Thank you! Respect and honor to all those who started the LMT, to those who continue it and those who will continue developing it. And as Joseph Karam, the godfather of the LMT always says, the sky is the limit! Happy 10th anniversary to the LMTA and long live the LMT and our mountains. Martine Btaich President [2] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

3 EDITORIAL TEAM Martine Btaich Carlos Bou Nafeh Christian Akhrass Maya Karkour BOARD MEMBERS Martine Btaich President / Head of Communication Maya Karkour Vice President / Head of Education Committee Assaad Najem Secretary Salam Khalife Treasurer, Head of Outreach and Fundraising Committee Fadi Baaklini Accountant Kamal Rizk Head of Trail Committee Omar Sakr Head of Community Development Committee Alia Fares Member Sami Beydoun Member LMT AMBASSADORS Jean Pierre Cressot, France jpcressot@wanadoo.fr Desmond Astley-Cooper, UK lucla@aol.com CONTACT US Lebanon Mountain Trail Association Sacre-Coeur Hospital Street Ghaleb Center, 1st Floor Baabda, LEBANON Phone Fax info@lebanontrail.org EDITING AND LANGUAGE REVIEW Desmond Astley Cooper (EN) Beatrice Le Bon Chami (FR) Science and Ink (AR) STAFF Carlos Bou Nafeh Communications Officer Christian Akhrass Trail Manager Josephine Chaar Project Coordinator Michella Akiki Financial Officer Takla Khoueiry Education Officer Sawsan Haddad Executive Secretary Stephanie Audi Environmental Education Officer Zeinab Jeambey Program Manager Wim Balvert, Netherlands wimbalvert@xs4all.nl Wafa El-Osta, Canada wafaosta@gmail.com Elias Sejean, UAE esejean@loveandquiches.com In the USA American Friends of the LMT (AFLMT) 1600 Wilson Blvd, Suite 1220 Arlington, VA USA Phone Fax info@aflmt.org CONTRIBUTORS Alia Fares Carlos Bou Nafeh Christian Akhrass CEECDD Dan Milner Faissal Abu-Izzeddin FDDM FFA Private Bank Team Frank Schoenhoeffer Jean Pierre Cressot Jihan Seoud Joseph Karam Joseph Lteif Karim El Jisr Martine Btaich Marielle Fares Maya Karkour Michel Moufarege Nadine Weber Nayla Hage Chahine Nazih Baz Nizar Hani Pascal Abdallah Paul Khawaja Rend Haffar Rima Harb Serge Soued Stephanie Audi Steve Izma Takla Khoueiry Tamar Hadechian Wafa El-Osta William Helou Wim Balvert Zeinab Jeambey Rend Haffar, Belgium rend.haffar@gmx.com Farid Al Fozan, Kuwait Kuwait Lebanon ff4@gulfgroupco.com This issue is printed by Cover Photo: Ouadi Hakl El-Kherbeh, Michmich, Akkar - Courtesy of Khaled Taleb Layout and Design by: Julie Khalil Copyright LMT Association, All Rights Reserved CONTENTS LMTA Years In Review Reflections on the LMT 10 Years After Protecting Lebanon s Mountain Ranges Perpetuating Our Mountains A New Side Trail is Born: Bkassine is on the LMT وادي الطبيعة والتاريخ وادي بكاسين Interview with an Adopter صوت من البراري Local Guides Undergo Training Interview with a Trainer مقابلة مع مرشد محلي على درب الجبل اللبناني Hot on the LMT Guesthouses: Spotlight on Tashea رحلة إلى القبيات دير مار ضومط لآلباء الكرملي ين The Silk Story of Lebanon The Banquet under the Pines Fall-Trek 2016, Walking for Food Heritage Thru-Walk 2017, Together We Walk To Protect Our Mountains Encounter with a Thru-Walker The LMT twice in one month [4] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org 6 TRAIL AND CONSERVATION 32 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 44 EDUCATION برنامج "درب لكل صف" تواصل األوالد مع نفسهم ومع المجتمع المحلي Formation de plus de 60 enseignants Head count goes up to 125, and we re still counting... What do the Parents have to say? Why Don t We Virtually Explore Our Mountains? Les Petits Explorateurs de nos Montagnes 58 THIS YEAR S HAPPENINGS Running the LMT - LMT Run #2, check. - A New Trail Running Record on the LMT - Des Courses de Trail Running Organisées sur le LMT FFA Walks Lebanon: Making the Connection When Our Friends from the Bruce Trail Conservancy Visit Us Seul sur le LMT, de bout en bout Mountain Biking the LMT 98 LMTA OVERSEAS When you're an LMT Ambassador The LMT, Here and There LMT in Foreign Press The LMT Connecting the Lebanese Diaspora with Lebanon 108 THE LMT PARTNERS HAVE NEWS Découvrir le LMT en tant que Partenaire The AFLMT Fundraising Dinner 114 FINANCIALS Donors and Partners A Revised Strategy for the LMTA Thanks to Strategy& LMTA Annual Dinner 2017 Financial Statement 2016 Adrian Life Membership 122 VISION, PURPOSE VALUES 123 END TO END LIST

4 LMTA YEARS IN REVIEW, HIGHLIGHTS 10 years celebrating the natural beauty and cultural wealth of Lebanon's mountains! 10 years celebrating Lebanese communities determination to conserve this shared and unique heritage! The LMT is the result of the serious efforts and the passion of many people with vision and resources, in Lebanon and abroad. Thanks to them the LMT came into being and is still alive and well Genesis of the Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT) Inspired by his childhood walks in Baskinta, and the 3,500 km Appalachian Trail that he discovered after moving to the US, Joseph Karam imagined the Lebanon Mountain Trail in his native Lebanon Concept Development and Funding The concept of the first long distance trail in Lebanon became a reality when ECODIT, Karam s company which was working on environmentally and socially responsible development programs, receives funds from USAID to implement the LMT project in Dec The gradual rise of ecotourism as a post-conflict recreational industry in Lebanon has intrigued me and my colleague Karim El-Jisr. Beginning in 2001, we began thinking of ways to help develop local ecotourism products in Lebanon, focusing on the Batroun region. I have also been awed by the Appalachian Trail ever since moving to the United States in the mid-eighties: a 2,175-mile hiking trail from Georgia to Maine, a six-month journey that several hundred thru-hikers completed each year. Wow, I thought!" Joseph Karam Project Implementation The LMT Association is founded to ensure the sustainability of the trail and take it forward Attestation No. 234/a.d. LMTA MISSION Maintain, conserve and develop the LMT and its side trails Promote the LMT as a destination for rural tourism and wellness Conserve natural resources and protect historical landmarks on the LMT Advance economic opportunities on the LMT through responsible tourism Encourage behavior change through targeted education and outreach Michel Moufarrej who has led the delineating of the path of the LMT is elected as 1st President of the LMT Association. The Baskinta Literary Trail is born The 24-km path celebrates acclaimed poets and novelists from the region including Mikhail Naimy, Amin Maalouf, Abdallah Ghanem, Suleiman Kettaneh, Rachid Ayoub and Georges Ghanem. Between Baskinta, Ain el Qabou, Kfar Aqab, Wadi el Karm, and Boqaatat Kenaan. TRAIL MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES [6] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org The project team builds partnerships and engages regional stakeholders in collaborative planning The trail is delineated and developed (440 km delineated, test-walked and mapped) Volunteers get trained with US Forest Services expertise Non-Traditional Lodging Facilities develop Rural Tourism Attractions are enhanced and revived Annual/seasonal rural festivals and events are organized Hospitality providers and trail/culture guides are trained The Lebanon Mountain Trail is promoted and hikes are organized 2009 The first LMT Thru-Walk is organized. Dozens of trekkers from Lebanon and all over the world hiked the LMT for a month to promote the trail as a sustainable tourism destination and inject much needed income in local villages. First thru-hikers: Christian Akhrass (LB) Hana Hibri (LB) Norbert Schiller (Austria) Liselotte Sulukdjian (DK) Wim Balvert (Holland) Chamoun Mouaness (LB) The American Friends of the Lebanon Mountain Trail (AFLMT) is established in the US as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to promote greater public awareness of and support for the LMT in the US, and to provide financial and technical support for the protection, maintenance and promotion of the trail. LMTA as part of a coalition of Lebanese NGOs saved the natural stone bridge of Kfardebiane (LMT section 13) protesting and banning all forms of construction on and near the site. LMT is featured as a Trail of promise (article by Norbert Schiller) in the Aramco World magazine and receives international acclaim. Pascal Abdallah becomes the 2nd President of the LMTA The 2nd Thru-Walk is organized (dozens of participants, 3 thru-hikers) The LMTA organizes the launch of A Million Steps on the LMT during the 2010 Thru-Walk in El Mtain Square with hundreds of people attending. Written by Hana Hibri with Photography by Nobert Schiller, the book depicts author s experience into the heart and soul of a traditional rural lifestyle, and days of physical exertion spent in spectacular countryside on the LMT during the Thru-Walk of Adrian Life Membership is created The membership is an honorary form of membership into the LMTA. All revenues from subscriptions are kept in an account dedicated to long-term conservation goals. Membership is named after an inspirational British hiker, Adrian Cazalet, who hiked the entire LMT in 2010 and 2011-twiceat the age of 75. It is also a hint to the Roman Emperor Hadrian Augustus ( AD) who had put up around 187 boundary inscriptions in the mountains of Lebanon banning the felling of four species of trees. AFLMT holds it formal launching event at a reception hosted by H.E. the Ambassador of Lebanon Mr. Chedid in DC. Karim El Jisr is elected as 3rd President of the LMTA.

5 SECTION NAME Khaled Taleb - Qammoua'a, Dahr El Kaf The 3rd Thru-Walk is organized (90 participants, 3 thru-hikers) LMTA reports a massacre of a large number of storks in north Lebanon to the Ministry of Environment. The latter raises the case to the Ministry of Justice and instigates a court appeal against the hunters. LMTA participates in the World Trail Conference in Jeju Olle, South Korea and officially becomes a founding member of the World Trail Network (WTN). The LMTA was the 1st and only participating organization from the Arab region. BLC bank becomes the first bank to adopt a trail and chooses the scenic section 6 from Ehden to Ouadi Qannoubine (10 km). The Ministry of Education and Higher Education includes the LMT in the Brevet Exam for The inclusion of the LMT in a 2-hour exam highlights the increasing importance that the Ministry is attributing to the LMT. The year for Water Conservation The 4th Thru-Walk is organized (72 participants, 6 thru-hikers). The Lebanese Army joins the trek. LMTA launches the USAID - funded Water Awareness on the LMT and initiates public discourses with municipalities, local actors and students for the protection of the springs. The Trail to Every Classroom (TTEC) Program is launched to engage youth in volunteer, fun activities, and experiential learning on the trail, and to empower them while promoting healthy lifestyles and respect to nature, culture, and the LMT. LMTA goes back to South Korea to exchange experience and promote the LMT at the World Trail Conference in Jeju Olle. The first LMT Society Magazine is issued. LMTA inaugurates the 1st Friendship Trail with the Bruce Trail of Canada on Section 5 on the LMT, in Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve, with the Ambassador of Canada to Lebanon and in collaboration with the Municipality of Zgharta- Ehden and the Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve. This friendship promotes cultural exchange and reaches out to the Lebanese community in Canada and the Canadian community in Lebanon. The LMTA and ECODIT celebrate the Int'l Mountain Day (Dec 11) by organizing the 1st National Mountain Summit to accelerate the national discourse on how to develop and protect the mountains, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization and the GIZ- Environmental Fund for Lebanon. The Year for Birds Protection AFLMT celebrates the LMT with the Consulate General of Lebanon in New York. The 5th Thru-Walk is organized (hundred participants, 3 thru-hikers) The LMT is featured in the Guardian UK. LMTA team discovers the dieback of the Juniperus Drupacae trees (Syrian Juniper) on the northern parts of the trail, and mobilizes local and int'l experts to investigate root causes and response measures to this dieback. The LMT is extended to Andqet, Section 0, Andqet-Qobaiyat is developed. The LMT is now divided into 27 sections. Shell cleanup campaign is organized on the LMT. Led by College Melkart, schools collect 1 million empty shells on the LMT to go to recycling and to manufacturing waste bins. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the impact of illegal hunting on bird populations and the environment. The LMT goes to Africa and gets the attention of the Lebanese diaspora in the Ivory Coast with the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The 1st Fall Trek is organized in October The Year for Trail Protection The 6th Thru-Walk is organized (165 participants, 8 thru-hikers). The Springs Guide (WAT-LMT) is finalized: 72 mountain springs on the LMT are mapped out and sampled. A Teacher s Guide on water awareness on the LMT is produced to raise awareness among students about the rational use of water. Water Days are organized to clean up rivers near the LMT. The LMTA inaugurates the 6km Jeju Olle Friendship Trail on Section 21 of the LMT in Jezzine w/ the Ministry of Tourism, the Korean Embassy in Lebanon, the Jeju Olle Foundation, and the municipality of Jezzine. The LMTA w/ the Lebanon Mine Action Center, the Lebanese Army, and the Lebanese Red Cross organize an awareness seminar about mines and mine action. A new side trail is developed in Ehmej w/ the municipality of Ehmej and funds from USAID. LMTA supports ECODIT in delineating a 14km trail in Lazzab Dannieh Nature Reserve. 14 private schools integrate the TTEC Water Education Program in their activities. 7 guesthouses are rehabilitated and equipped. 30 guides on the LMT train w/ 33 North and Responsible Mobilities. The LMT is promoted in Brussels and in Amsterdam at the Cycling and Hiking Fair. The 2nd Fall Trek is organized in October The Year for Cultural And Archaeological Heritage Nadine Weber is elected 4th President of the LMTA. The 6th Thru-Walk is organized (170 participants, 9 thru-hikers) LMTA launches its Ambassador Program to initiate interest in the LMT overseas. LMTA and Eco Consulting launch the 1st Environmental Championship Program on the LMT: a 5-day awareness and sustainable living program for 9 to 12 y-o children. LMTA participates in the World Trail Conference in Jeju Olle South Korea. The TTEC Program continues in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education: TOTs for teachers are organized. The Environmental Championship Program continues with the support of Eco Consulting, Holdal and Fattal. LMTA partners with the Balamand University, Faculty of Engineering- GIS center to update its GIS maps. Avedis Kalpaklian runs the entire LMT for the 1st time in 10 days. LMTA initiates a preliminary assessment of some of the endangered heritage sites on the LMT in coordination with the Ministry of Culture and the DGA. The 3rd Fall Trek is organized in October. The Adopt A Trail Program is launched. TRAIL MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES TRAIL MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES [8] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

6 REFLECTIONS ON THE LMT 10 YEARS AFTER The Year for Food Heritage The 7th Thru-Walk is organized (180 participants, 12 thru-hikers) We Walk to Protect Our Mountains Local guides continue to improve their skills through an LMTA modular training thanks to funds from USAID. 3 guesthouses are rehabilitated thanks to the support of Dar al Handasa and Reva. Home accommodation owners are trained and develop seasonal menus to promote their culinary identity. LMTA signs an MOU w/ the National Conservation Center at the American University of Beirut to reinforce collaboration in research and program development. LMTA inaugurates Douma Side Trail in collaboration w/ the municipality of Douma and w/ the support of USAID. LMTA partners w/ Italian organization COSPE and the Italian Association for Responsible Tourism to work on the conservation and development of Economic Opportunities on sections 3 to 10 of the trail; w/ funds from the EU through the Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR). The LMT is featured in the Live Love Lebanon national tourism campaign promoting rural tourism in Lebanon. LMTA partners with the Swiss "Fondation du Developement Durable des Regions de Montagnes" to develop the "Mountain Explorers" interactive game. The 4th Fall Trek is organized in October. The LMTA participates in the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech. Martine Btaich is elected as 5th President of the LMTA. The 7th Thru-Walk is organized (230 participants - 8 thru-hikers and 20 foreign nationalities). Christian Akhrass and Joseph Lteif complete their 8th consecutive Thru-Walk on the LMT! Work w/ local communities on sections 3 through 10 to adopt the trail and develop their destination continues. Signage on the Baskinta Literary Trail is being revamped thanks to AFLMT. Work on trail blazing, maintenance and development continues... Hopefully all LMT sections are blazed soon and much more to discover in the next pages of this volume of the LMT Society Magazine! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY LMTA! Today the LMT is listed among key successful trends and destinations in the Middle East and as New Tourism Hopes for Communities" sending out a message of peace, hope and reconciliation. World Travel Market, Euromonitor, October 2016 Report JOSEPH KARAM Godfather of the Lebanon Mountain Trail Conceived the idea of the trail, and worked on making it happen through his company ECODIT "By their fruits you will know them." They labor to clear, maintain, and blaze the Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT). They pour their heart into educating our youth on the values of nature and heritage conservation. They advocate valiantly for protecting the LMT and the mountains of Lebanon. They purposefully invite people from around the world to visit Lebanon, walk on the LMT, and support its cause. They welcome hikers in their homes, showcasing the legendary Lebanese hospitality. They guide visitors through old footpaths so they may discover and enjoy Lebanon s cultural and natural heritage. They are the volunteers, champions, staff, board members and benefactors of the LMT Association and the American Friends of the LMT. They are too numerous to name in 200 words, but you will know them by their fruits. Thanks to their good deeds and generosity, the LMT is not just any trail! The LMT enshrines a vision for a beautiful, prosperous and peaceful Lebanon. It is a beacon of hope for our children and their children, and inspires us and them to continue to believe in Lebanon and its people. It nurtures the seeds that will empower future generations to assert their right to accessible parks and trails, clean air and water, unspoiled vistas and streams, healthy living, and sustainable mountain towns and villages. FAISSAL ABU-IZZEDDIN Conservation Expert and Pioneer Chief of Party of the LMT Project ECODIT Lebanon, The Lebanese love to boast about their history and the role they have played in spreading civilization across the world. But by what means of travel did our ancestors spread their culture? Certainly not by car or bus or jumbo jet, but by walking along narrow foot paths that weaved between mountain villages and the houses in them. The foot paths connected to well-worn trails linking village to village and converged into broader avenues that led to the coastal cities and their ports on the Mediterranean. From these ports two major items were exported to the world solid cedar wood and ambitious people. In the old days most Lebanese walked, some had donkeys, a few had mules and the most fortunate of all had horses! All these marvelous beasts are now gone, replaced by cars, buses and trucks which run on congested and polluted roads and dangerous highways. Thankfully, some foot paths remained in and around many old towns and villages. It was these trails that the Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT) set out to save and revive in an effort to promote ecotourism and encourage people to walk again. Ten years is too short a time to evaluate this brave undertaking which has, as its aim, to save a system of communication that survived tens of centuries. I suggest we wait and see what our great-grandchildren have to say. I have no doubt they will thank the LMT Association and everyone involved with it for saving a part of our cultural heritage that keeps us close to the earth and reminds us of who we are. TRAIL MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES [10] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

7 MICHEL MOUFAREGE Led the original delineation of the LMT Former LMTA President PASCAL ABDALLAH Responsible Tourism Expert Founding member of the LMT Association Former LMTA President KARIM EL-JISR Former Director of ECODIT Liban Former LMTA President Quand, en 2006, j avais proposé le premier tracé du LMT, j étais loin de me douter des changements qu il allait subir durant sa 1ère décade. Je ne parle pas ici des boucles (side trails), du nettoyage ou du balisage qui sont la routine d un bon entretien. Je parle surtout des tronçons créés en remplacement de ceux disparus suite aux agressions sur le sentier. C est ainsi qu il a déjà fallu trouver des alternatives à environ 20% de l itinéraire originel. Ce pourcentage fait peur et doit nous inciter à réfléchir sur les moyens de préserver notre chemin national. On déplore souvent la dégradation de notre patrimoine naturel au Liban mais on ne parle quasiment pas de nos sentiers de montagnes, juste bons pour les chèvres! La Randonnée n est pas encore bien ancrée, ni dans nos mœurs, ni dans les rouages de l État. Mais la situation change avec les nouveaux conseils municipaux: des équipes plus jeunes, plus conscientes de l environnement, prennent la relève. Et l on voit, ici et là, rouvrir des sentiers et organiser des randonnées. L exemple du LMT n est certes pas étranger à ce nouveau souffle. Il faudrait cependant qu un tel élan soit contrôlé dès sa naissance. Il est temps à l État d en poser les normes dans le cadre d une "Stratégie Nationale de Chemins Pédestres". Mon rêve est que le Liban devienne une destination pour les randonneurs du monde entier. Le réseau de nos sentiers millénaires est un patrimoine culturel à préserver car symbole historique de communication et potentiel non négligeable du développement rural. Here we are 10 years after launching the LMTA! Ten lengthy years on a normal scale but short-lived on my scale. Ten years that were enough to applaud ECODIT team for their tremendous work achieved during the implementation of the LMT project, and to praise their determination to founding the LMT Association. More time is needed to make real sustainable change in such a challenging environment. On a personal level, twenty years working in ecotourism in Lebanon may have not been enough for me to help change behaviors towards adopting a cross-cutting responsible tourism approach for protecting the environment and to really understand: The relationship between nature conservation and tourism The relationship between fun and sobriety The relationship between science and humbleness The relationship between the profane and the sacred Two years are not enough for an LMTA president to protect the trail. In a country with big challenges, 10 years may seem little to engage all to adopt this national trail. Thank God the LMTA is still standing tall with fierce fighting board members and team defending the cause of both the environment and the society. Together on this same path, is still my hope 10 years from now... I was ten years younger then! The Lebanon Mountain Trail was and remains a life-transforming journey. It traces our unique history and also peeks into our future and that of our mountains too. A brighter future we hope! Sadly this future will haunt us if we accept business as usual, if we let personal gain overtake our shared values, and if we let development erode our natural capital. Between a passionate team of young professionals at ECODIT, aided by seasoned trekkers and self-motivated villagers, spent countless hours and days delineating the trail, from North to South and from South to North. Since then, Lebanon has experienced a host of challenges, too many to list, but the LMT has stood the test of time, becoming an international travel destination. Today there is no better way to discover Lebanon than with a pair of hiking shoes, a backpack, in the company of friends and random hikers whom one meets along the way. A long-distance trail is often likened to a marathon. I believe protecting and maintaining the trail is an ultra-marathon requiring boundless work and dedication and, above all, harmony. I mean harmony between those who serve the trail and those who walk the trail, between visitors and hosts, between the LMTA and officials. And above all, harmony with nature. Trail upkeep and conservation is fraught with hurdles and challenges. Every challenge however has the potential to bring us closer together connect the dots and bridge our differences. The most pressing challenge remains land degradation due to urban sprawl and pollution. Every year we see strange manifestations of development chipping away at the trail, forcing labor-intensive detours and switchbacks. Stepping back, the best investment in the LMT to date has been the LMT Association. Its unwavering commitment to the trail and trailside communities has defied colossal challenges and galvanized the support of countless followers including volunteers, hikers, mayors, artists, journalists, photographers, local villagers as well as the Lebanese diaspora. Supporting the LMTA will not only help protect the trail and the hundreds of attractions along its path, it will also foster lasting friendships and timeless memories. Happy trails! En conclusion, je souhaite une longue vie au LMT et que la LMTA porte le flambeau de tous les sentiers du Liban! [12] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

8 NADINE WEBER Former LMTA President NIZAR HANI Director of the Shouf Biosphere Reserve Former Field Coordinator on the LMT Project JOSEPH LTEIF Local Guide on the LMT Joined the fleet since the very beginning The Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT) project and its association are playing a key role in encouraging hiking in our mountains. In fact, the LMT has become the backbone of hiking in Lebanon. A hundred kilometers of the LMT trail passes through the Shouf Biosphere Reserve from the village of Ain Dara in north to Niha, Aitanit and Jezzine in the south. The LMT connects hikers with the mountains and with the local communities; and in turn, it connects local communities with national and international guests. As a direct result of the LMTA s activities and programs, some of the local community members have become qualified local guides and service providers and this means that more effort is now being put into the conservation of our mountains. The LMT is important too for raising awareness about the mountains in general, as well as helping to increase the income of local communities and supporting their local economies. The LMT Association has become a key partner of the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, helping us to protect our beloved cedar forests and to support our innovative local communities. ب د أت رحلتي مع درب الجبل اللبناني مع إطالق المشروع في عام 2005 وتم اختياري للمشاركة في أول برنامج تدريب للمرشدين المحليين. وقد استهواني هذا المشروع وأردت معرفة المزيد عنه. تعم ق ت عالقتي مع الجمعية بمشاركتي برحالتها مع مرور السنين إلى أن كانت مسيرتي األولى على كامل الدرب في عام أصبحنا أنا وزميلي كرستيان أخرس أكثر إثنين نعرف الدرب... فانتسبت للجمعية أكثر وأكثر. نمت الجمعية وزادت تطورا بجميع برامجها. أما اليوم بدأت أهتم أكثر بهذا المشروع. لقد تغير الزمن بالنسبة لي بحيث أعتبر نفسي مسؤول عن الدرب بشكل غير مباشر من جهة صيانته ومسؤول عن الفريق الذي أقوده إن كان في أشهر الرحالت ااطويلة أو بمراحل فردية بسائر أشهر السنة بحيث أمشي أحيانا لمدة أسبوع أو أكثر مع رواد محليين وأجانب. أصبحت الجمعية بالنسبة لي كبيتي وأعضائها كأهلي. أما بقية المرشدين فيعتقدونني في االدارة! فخر لي أن أكون سفير بلدتي في لبنان. شكر ا لكم. س م عت عن مشروع درب الجبل اللبناني ألول مرة عندما أعلن أحد أعضاء النادي اللبناني للتنقيب في المغاور Speleo Club du Liban عن مشروع تأهيل بالوع بعتارة من فريق عمل المشروع سنة كنت عضو ا في هيئة إدارة النادي اللبناني للتنقيب في المغاور. وكان قلقنا حيث لم نكن نعلم حينها بتفاصيل المشروع وأهدافه تركيب مصاعد وجسور في موقع البالوع للسماح للسياح بالوصول إلى داخله. بالوع بعتارة أو بالوع الجسور الثالثة هو معلم طبيعي عمره آالف السنين يقع في أعالي جرود البترون. ويبلغ العمق اإلجمالي للبالوع نحو 255 متر ا. استغرق التكون الطبيعي لفوهة البالوع نحو 150 مليون سنة كمنفذ للمياه وهو بالوع حي ال تزال المياه تجري فيه. يتمي ز عن سواه من البواليع في لبنان والعالم بأن الوصول إليه سهل نسبي ا وشكل فوهته نادر. قلقنا على البالوع كان شبيه بمخاوف المجتمعات المحلية على طول الدرب إذ إعتبرت أن المشروع سيستولي على أراضيهم وأمالكهم. مشي ت أو ل مرة على الدرب مع شركة Blue Carrot التي نظ مت رحلة مشي من نيحا إلى جزين سنة ولم نلحظ أي تواصل مع المجتمع المحلي. سنة 2010 إشتركت بمسيرة المشي على كامل درب الجبل اللبناني. وفي البدئ الحظت غياب المجتمع المحلي في المسيرة. إختل ف ت األمور مع تكرار المسيرة كل سنة. فتجاوبت البلديات بين عندما إلتحقت بالهيئة اإلدارية لجمعية درب الجبل اللبناني. بدأنا نراسل كل البلديات الموجودة على الدرب طالبين استقبال البلدية لفريق المشي عند وصولهم إلى منطقتهم والمشاركة معنا خالل المسيرة. سنة 2011 و 2012 استجابت نحو 5 بلديات. وسنتي 2015 و 2016 وبفضل جهود األعضاء الذين تطوعوا خالل السنين توص لنا إلى لقاء نحو 20 بلدية وجمعيات عد ة خالل المسيرة. باإلضافة إلى ذلك تواصلت معنا نحو 10 بلديات طالبين ربط ض ي عهم بالدرب عبر إنشاء دروب جانبية. استوعب أخير ا المجتمع المحلي أهمية الدرب. وتتعاون اآلن السلطات المحلية مع جمعية درب الجبل اللبناني على مشاريع عد ة ولكن هذا ال يكفي. يجب على كل مواطن مشارك في الدرب أن يحافظ عليه وعلى كل مواطن آخر أن يمشي على الدرب أو أن يزور البلدات لتعزيز االقتصاد في الريف. All the best to the LMTA members. The LMT hikers are most welcome in the Shouf region. [14] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

9 NAZIH BAZ Owner of Nazih Baz Guesthouse, in Baadarane Receiving LMT guests since 10 years WIM BALVERT Hiker from the Netherlands Loyal and constant hiker of the LMT since its beginnings PAUL KHAWAJA Hiker from Lebanon Hiking the LMT for more than 10 years now Vice President of the LMTA between 2010 and 2014 CHRISTIAN AKHRASS Hiking Team Leader and LMTA Trail Manager Knows the LMT like the back of his hand, if not more منذ زمن ليس بالبعيد عشرة أعوام تقريبا كانت النظرة األولى وكانت مسافة األلف ميل تبدأ بخطوة في البداية كنت أترك للبصر والبصيرة العنان لما وضعه اهلل بين أيدينا على األرض والعمل على حمايته فما كان من جمعية درب الجبل اللبناني أن أضاءت البصر وأهدت البصيرة فبطبع كل واحد منا أن تكون له أبعاد في ناظريه وكانت نظرتي بعد التعم ق في تلك الجمعية أنها من أضخم المداخل. وهذا اإلعتراف مبني على مواكبة الجمعية منذ تأسست على أيدي الخي رين وأصحاب الكفاءات. ومثلما كانت نظرتي بها من ناحية الحماية وبشتى مراحلها كان هناك تأم ل آخر بعد إنشاء على تلك الدروب وما تخل له من إستراحات تلك البيوت هي للضيافة عنوان بوضع بيوت الضيافة على هذا الدرب. وما أعطته من زخم وفضولية دفعت زائري مختلف البلدان أن تأتي لتكتشف وت عطي ما خطته نظراتهم وبعد قراءتي لما استنتجت من تلك النظرات أي نظرة زائريها كانت لتزيد بداخلي وتقو ي الثقة التي كنت ألضعها بها. وبإستمرار برنامجها السنوي الدائم وحفاظها على ما خططته ونف ذته تكون رس خت بي وبكل واحد واكب مسيرتها الثقة المستحق ة. فهنيئا لبلد على أرضه أشخاص شعارهم مطبق "سوا منمشي لنحافظ على جبالنا". My first hike on the LMT was the 2009 Thru-Walk. I have been back many times since then to enjoy the trail again and again. For me the experience encompasses nature, the food, my friends, our hosts all together in one unique combination. I have seen changes taking place over the years, mostly to the good but unfortunately some which have gone in the wrong direction as well. I admire the dedication of the board and volunteers who keep putting their effort in, even if progress is sometimes very slow. The good news for me is that the trail is catching on and more and more villages want to be a part of it. And the number of side trails is increasing all the time. The food is still excellent, I make more friends every time I hike and the quality and number of guesthouses on the trail is better than it was in As its education and awareness programs grow, hopefully more and more people around it will see the value of their natural surroundings and the enjoyment and opportunities nature brings with it. I ll certainly be back for more, even though the hunting has not stopped and the garbage has not all been collected! The LMT is an excellent destination so let s all try to make it even better! 10 years on, but more challenges lie ahead for the trail I first came to learn about the Lebanon Mountain Trail at its design stage back in 2005 through friends. That is when I volunteered to offer them my knowledge of various trails in northern Lebanon and beyond. Later in 2007, along with other outdoor pursuit gurus, I was invited to take part in the first Thru Walk, to test different sections of the trail and to make recommendations. My devotion to the LMT has grown by the day since then. It is gratifying to both see and experience it develop kilometer by kilometer and to watch it shape up into what is now, arguably, one of the world s top destinations for international hikers. Yet the highlight of my involvement with the LMT is getting to know like-minded individuals who care about the wellbeing of Lebanon s environment, heritage and culture. Although I have witnessed continuous destruction of some parts of the trail over the last 10 years, I have also witnessed the sterling determination of my LMT colleagues to fight back and to raise awareness over the protection of our beautiful mountains. Bigger challenges lie ahead though. What I d like to see happen with the Lebanon Mountain Trail is for the government to announce a decree making these paths protected areas and then for a relationship to develop which balances the interests of the inhabitants and nature. How can you describe a national treasure that you re fighting for and trying to help it survive? Yes... The LMT is our national long distance trail and ten years after its creation, a lot of things have changed along the trail. In spring 2007 I was asked to join the team which was responsible for putting the last touches to the northern sections of the trail. After walking for 10 days, I began to see the magical beauty of this path and to appreciate its significance for our culture and natural heritage too. It was at that moment that I realized its importance and the impact that it could make in Lebanon. 10 years later... Wow... Even though, for many reasons, we re still making deviations in the main path, here we are with a world class destination trail and we re very proud of it. In the past 10 years, we have promoted it via different media and successive presidents and board members have worked hard to present the LMT as a top mountain trail destination. Eight Thru-Walks and three Fall-Trek events have been held with hundreds of hikers joining from Lebanon and all over the world. Better still, hundreds of kilometers have been marked and maintained. This is our national treasure... This is the LMT. Looking forward to the next 10 years! [16] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

10 TRAIL & CONSERVATION Carlos Bou Nafeh - Hiking from Aitanit to Jezzine [18] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

11 TRAIL & CONSERVATION CONSERVING THE MOUNTAINS OF LEBANON A PRESSING MATTER! PROTECTING LEBANON S MOUNTAIN RANGES Lama Bashour Lebanon is blessed with a variety of landscapes and ecosystems across a very small land area. The Mount Lebanon range in particular has a rich ecosystem with diverse flora and fauna. This region runs from Akkar in the North to Jabal Amel in the south and peaks at 3,088 meters in Qornet El Saouda. Even though most Lebanon s protected areas and nature reserves are located in this region, its natural resources are under considerable strain. Major threats to Lebanon s natural resources come from the unsustainable land management practices adopted throughout the country. Poor agricultural practices, deforestation, quarrying and urban sprawl have damaged the land and resulted in major losses in biodiversity, green cover and soil. The losses from land degradation in Lebanon are estimated at US$132 million yearly. Desertification has become a critical threat to Lebanon s land area with 60% of the country under threat; the mountains and high country are particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon. To combat these challenges, several initiatives are being pushed forward to deter further damage and to regulate land management issues. The National Physical Master Plan for the Lebanese Territory introduces the green and blue network for the protection of the most important ecosystems in Lebanon and calls for the stabilisation of steep slopes to avoid excessive erosion. More recently, the Ministry of Environment has urged the Council of Ministers to develop a Master Plan for the Protection of Mountain Plateaus, Natural Areas, Beaches, Green Areas, and Agricultural Areas. Although this plan has not been approved yet, it could ultimately bring about more environmentally-sound approaches to land-use planning in sensitive mountain areas. On this basis, the Ministry of Environment also approached the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for support. The latter is working on a project that seeks to promote the concept of land degradation neutrality (LDN) in Lebanon s mountain areas. LDN is defined by the United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD) as a state whereby the amount and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security remain stable or increase within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems - an optimal mix of measures designed to avoid, reduce and/ or reverse land degradation in order to achieve a state of no net loss of healthy and productive land. At its core are better land management practices and improved land use planning. The project being prepared will be submitted to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for funding by early Its main objective is to identify the major threats to mountain areas in two specific pilot locations: Akkar and Jbeil. The project will seek technical and institutional remedies to be applied on a pilot scale in these regions to test proposed land degradation neutrality approaches that can be scaled up in the future. Activities include the rehabilitation and restoration of degraded forests or natural areas damaged by development activities such as quarrying; the promotion of responsible tourism, sustainable agriculture and grazing and improved local level planning that takes land protection concepts into consideration. The project will also support upstream interventions at the institutional level by providing technical tools and promoting policies that protect mountain areas at the national level. Jihan Seoud Energy and Environment Programme Manager at UNDP 1. World Bank. 2004a. Cost of Environmental Degradation The Case of Lebanon and Tunisia 2. MoA National Action Programme to Combat Desertification 3. Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) [20] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

12 TRAIL & CONSERVATION LMT SECTIONS PERPETUATING OUR MOUNTAINS SECTION# FROM TO DISTANCE (in Km) Approximate Ascent (in meters) Approximative Descent (in meters) The meandering mountain roads and paths of Lebanon have been a unique travel destination for centuries. Smelling the breezes traces the footsteps and journey of two such travelers, in the summer of 1957 (prior to the disorders of 1958), and much along today s Lebanon Mountain Trail. The two voyagers rightfully observed that Lebanon s dominant physical characteristic is a high and abrupt mountain range rising steeply from a narrow plain. This mountain range is the Lebanon, which gives its name to the country. [ ] The range is deeply scored by the gorges and chasms of the rivers carving their way through the soft rock to the sea, and it is these rivers, gushing from their caverns in the flanks of the mountains, that give identity and life to the different sections of the mountains. So true! Simply, Lebanon would not exist without its mountains. These magnificent ranges encapsulate much of the country s natural and cultural capital, which have perpetuated for centuries. Since 1991, we have seen untold degradation of our mountains, much of which is irreversible. Fortunately, during this period of relative stability, we also witnessed the emergence of a number of protected areas which have become safe havens for plants and animals. Much of this conservation work has been led by civil society and conservation champions. We need more of them! But protecting our mountains will require more than civil society. It requires a unique blend of policies and actions by financial institutions, businesses, and government. Lebanon Carlos Bou Nafeh - Aitanit already boasts a plethora of conservation laws, many of which remain poorly or partially enforced. Legislators must step up their efforts to formulate and pass the elusive Mountain Law, which would cement conservation goals and principles, and severely limit urban encroachment above a certain elevation - the Lebanon Mountain Trail is posed to be the lower limit of any future non aedificandi zone. Meanwhile, regulators need to streamline environmental procedures across all zoning and building regulations. And they must also decommission all future road projects in ecologically sensitive areas, including protected landscapes. And the judiciary too has a crucial role to play by cementing green victories in Lebanese courts across the country. Unfortunately, examples abound where environmental offenders have walked free despite damning evidence of their offense. External influence or narrow interpretations of the legal texts have protected countless offenders. We need to continue to work with Lebanon s nascent environmental prosecutors and environmental police to detect environmental crimes and bring offenders to justice. Green victories will deter future offenders. Equally important, we need to also engage businesses and financiers. Much of the degradation that we have witnessed required public or private finance. However, we need green finance which are financial investments flowing into sustainable development projects and initiatives, environmental products, and policies that encourage the development of a more sustainable economy. Green finance also includes climate finance that stimulate low-carbon technologies, projects, industries and businesses. Perpetuating our mountains must not hinder economic development and growth. Perpetuating our mountains demands green and climate resilient growth. Karim El-Jisr, ECODIT ( ) 0 Andqet El Qoubaiyat El Qoubaiyat Tashea Tashea el Qemmamine el Qemmamine Kfar Bnine Kfar Bnine Bqaa Safrine Bqaa Safrine Ehden Ehden Qozhaya/Qadisha valley Qozhaya/Qadisha valley Bcharre Bcharre Bazaoun Bazaoun Tannourine el-faouqa Tannourine el-faouqa El Aaqoura El Aaqoura Afqa Afqa Faraya Faraya Kfardebiane Kfardebiane Baskinta Baskinta El Mtain El Mtain Falougha Falougha Ain Zhalta Ain Zhalta El Barouk El Barouk Maaser ech-chouf Maaser ech-chouf Niha Niha Jezzine Jezzine Aaitanit Aaitanit Kaoukaba Bou Arab Kaoukaba Bou Arab Rachaiya Rachaiya Hasbaiya Hasbaiya Marjaayoun [22] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

13 TRAIL & CONSERVATION A NEW SIDE TRAIL IS BORN: BKASSINE IS ON THE LMT Christian Akhrass - Bkassine-Jezzine Maintaining all sections of the Lebanon Mountain Trail has been, and continues to be, a big challenge for the Association. And developing side trails like Ehmej and Douma is an even bigger one. Working on the Bkassine side trail has been especially challenging since it has taken more time and effort than we usually put into developing most side trails. The 22-km path is divided in two parts: the first starts from the main village square and goes toward the Niha fort before linking back to section 21 of the LMT while the second heads towards the majestic pine forest of Bkassine and ends next to the spring at Jezzine. Bkassine-Niha: about 8km of trails with outstanding views over Ouadi Jezzine and the Bisri valley, passing by two major cliffs with a steep ascent/descent, crossing an Ottoman bridge and a preserved water mill. The path is formed from goat trails, foot paths and dirt roads as well as a surviving old stone path which is three meters wide at some points. The entire path has been cleared and blazed for hikers. Bkassine-Jezzine: a diversified trail, extending from the famous Bkassine pine forest towards El Toughra pass by way of Ain el Zaarour and El Roummane with their panoramic views of Sidon and the Mediterranean, then running beneath Jabal Safi before finally ending up at El Hima of Jezzine. It has a length of approximately 14km. The Bkassine Side Trail of the LMT is part of a project implemented by the LMTA, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), under the Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development (LIVCD) project. Christian Akhrass Christian Akhrass - Bkassine-Niha [24] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

14 TRAIL & CONSERVATION وادي الطبيعة والتاريخ وادي بكاسين WHEN HIKING THE LMT MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW THE BLAZING CODES SIGN ON LMT SIGN ON SIDE TRAILS SIGN ON CONNECTING TRAILS GO STRAIGHT TURN LEFT Christian Akhrass - Bkassine-Jezzine عند د خولك ذلك الوادي الجميل بطبيع ت ه صعب بجغرافي ت ه قد ت رى في البداية أن عبوره صعب ومرير. لكن تقف مندهش ا أمام جمال ه بمياه ه ومطاحن ه. وحكايته هذه الحكاية ليست كجميع الحكايات. بحن ين تشعر بحرارة اإليمان فتحاول البحث عن السبب. تجد دير بحن ين يتضفق عليك خشوعا وإيمانا من الوادي بين األشجار والغابات. الكالم كل ه ال يكفي... لكن إلكمال الصورة والتعر ف أكثر أهال و سهال بكم في أي ساعة أتيتم. TURN RIGHT Christian Akhrass - Bkassine-Jezzine قد ترى طريق ا بري ا ضيق ا ك ك ل طرقات األودية لكن هذه الطريق الضيقة من كفرتعلى الى بحنين الى قلعة فخر الدين حفرت بأقدام أبطال كتبهم التاريخ أبطال تو جهم التاربخ في معارك كبيرة. إن تلك القلعة وذلك الوادي لم يأوي إناس عاديين ومقاتلين صغار بل قادة في التحر ر والقتال ك ت ب ت أسمائهم بالد م في تاريخ المنطقة على رأسهم األمير فخر الد ين. بعد هذه الجولة العسكري ة عند وصولك الى وليم حلو WRONG DIRECTION END BEGINNING OF TRAIL [26] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

15 TRAIL & CONSERVATION INTERVIEW WITH AN ADOPTER: WALID KHOURY Adopted Section 7: Qozhaya/Qadisha valley - Bcharre The Adopt-A-Trail program continues into its second year; 24 adopters continue their maintenance with the help of their coadopters. And they re all actively contributing to the sustainability of the trail. You re actively contributing to the sustainability of the trail. What this says about you is that you re someone who makes things happen, rather than waits for things to happen. Is there any truth in that? It s true indeed. Two years ago, we were in the trail committee meeting at the LMTA, and after a long discussion about how to finish blazing and cleaning the 470 km, I was the one who suggested adopting a trail. What did you do in particular on your last trip to your adopted section? We cleared the path and re-marked some blazes after the winter season had unmarked them. NEW VOLUNTEERS FOR THIS YEAR: Adopter Soha Yammine with adopter Tarcisio Alvarez- Rivero on section 1 Adopter Dany Njeim on section 14 Co-adopter John Bentley on section 10 Let s salute their effort for volunteering! Walid Khoury A big thank you to Walid, from the depth of our hearts, for volunteering for such a task. Do your children feel like they have a sibling? Are they jealous in any way? Jealous? Not at all! They feel concerned and they re involved; sometimes they come along with me to visit my new, little child. Do you have a feeling of trail parenthood yet? I had it even before the Adopt A Trail program. I do have this feeling especially when I think of the time and effort I put into the trail, all the preparation, getting up early, setting up the gear, calling friends, getting on the trail and all the maintenance work... Does your family come with you on the trail? Yes sure, twice a year, and they bring their friends as well. It s one big family! What does it mean to you, in any way that is, when you transmit your love for the trail and nature in general to your children? It means to me, more than anything else. I think love for nature is maybe the most important value to try to transmit to children. It s a natural feeling, so all we have to do is to try to get them back in touch with it. What is LMT section 7 giving you in return? The trail passes through the Holy Valley of Qadisha, where you re at risk of having peace of mind, peace in the heart, and hence peace in your body too. That s exactly what I m getting. Who is Walid Khoury, on a personal level? I m a 50-year old father of three beautiful girls - Yara, Nour and Jana. I m married to a lovely lady, Maro. Professionally, I m the owner and manager of Al-Arz Printing Press. Since 2008, my only hobby is going into forests, climbing hills and witnessing the beauty of Lebanon from the top of them. You ve been walking the LMT for years now. What keeps you coming back? Simply the LMT. These three words -Lebanon Mountain Trail- hold a lot of meaning. There s so much heart and soul embedded in Walid Khoury them. I m not the only one who keeps coming back. Apart from the locals, look at all the foreigners who bother to do the trip year after year. If you haven t experienced it, you might be missing out on a lot. You re adopting a child who will always need a parent. If you had to say one thing to the next parent of your section, what would it be? Do I really have to give it to another parent?! If I had to, I d tell them to take good care of it. But I won t be giving it up so easily! [28] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

16 TRAIL & CONSERVATION من البراري صوت على درب الجبل اللبناني - مسار رقم 22 في الوسط و عند السفوح الغربية لسلسلة جبال لبنان الغربية ومرور ا بسهول البقاع الغربي وصوال إلى بعض مناطق الجنوب وعند أقدام جبل حرمون تمر طريق للمشاة ت سم ى درب الجبل اللبناني وهو الدرب األطول المتواصل في لبنان والذي تبلغ مسافته أكثر من 470 كلم مقس م إلى مراحل عدة للسير على األقدام. ويعلو هذا الدرب ما بين 570 م عن سطح البحر عند قرية أبو قمحا في الجنوب و 2011 م قرب مرتفع سيدة القرن في اللقلوق. يمتد هذا الدرب بين بلدات وقرى عدة فيها بيوت ضيافة ومواقع تراثية وتاريخية وثقافية. يمر الدرب أيض ا في طبيعة متنوعة كالمحميات الطبيعية وجبال وأودية نائية عميقة ووعرة ويغوص في ممرات ضيقة ومسالك متعر جة ولكن ليست خطيرة. و يقطع بعض األنهر و سواقي المياه والينابيع الغزيرة و يمر عبر غابات متنوعة األصناف واألجناس مثل الصنوبر والسنديان واللزاب واألرز والشوح وغيرها من األشجار والنباتات المتوسطية إضافة إلى عدد كبير من الحيوانات المختلفة األنواع. ت سم ى هذه الطبيعة المتنوعة "البراري". إن مغامرة اليوم مميزة فهي تسلك المسار الوحيد الذي يقطع سلسلة جبال لبنان الغربية بين عيتنيت في البقاع الغربي وجزين في السفوح الغربية لسلسلة جبال لبنان الغربية. ينطلق المسار رقم 22 جنب عين القرية في عيتنيت على الطريق العام من على ارتفاع نحو 1052 م عن سطح البحر وهو محد د جيد ا بإشارات درب الجبل اللبناني باللونين األبيض والبنفسجي إلرشاد رواد المشي على المسار الصحيح. نمر جنب الكنيسة ونتابع صعود ا على طريق ترابية ال يمكن سلوكها إال بسيارات الدفع الرباعي أو سير ا على األقدام. بعند التقد ك صعود ا تشتد قساوة المسار تدريجي ا على طريق متعر جة ومطلة على بحيرة القرعون وبعض من قرى البقاع الغربي واألوسط. وإذا سلكتم هذه الطريق في فصل الربيع تكونون محظوظين بمشاهدة شجيرات الوزال التي تزين هذه الطريق بصفارها وت عبق صدرك برائحتها المميزة والمنتشرة على هذه المرتفعات. وبعد المرور بخزان المياه نكون قد قطعنا نحو كيلومترين ونصف تقريب ا من بداية المسار. وقبل الوصول إلى ساقية المالحة نترك هذه الطريق الترابية نهائي ا ونسلك يسار ا درب رجل يمر بشكل متعر ج بين الشجيرات والوزال. وبعد دقائق من هذا االلتفاف نصل إلى سهلة "البيسة" وهي أرض منبسطة تمتد نحو المئة وستين متر ا في الطول والخمسين متر ا في العرض وهي مكان هادئ جد ا وبعيد عن أي ضوضاء ومناسب لالستراحة والتأمل بالطبيعة المحيطة بك فقد كانت على ما يبدو أرض ا خصبة لزراعة القمح على ارتفاع نحو 1432 م عن سطح البحر. عند هذه النقطة نكون قد تسل قنا تدريجي ا نحو 300 م فرق االرتفاع عن سطح البحر ويبقى لنا المزيد من الصعود نحو 330 م. عند الجهة الجنوبية من هذه السهلة يجب علينا متابعة السير على عالمات درب الجبل اللبناني واالنعطاف بجانب إحدى أشجار السنديان المعمر. إن ها إحدى السنديانات العمالقة التي سنمر بها صعود ا نحو القم ة. تقف أمامها محاوال أن تقد ر عمرها لكن بصعوبة وتحاول أن تقد ر كم من فصول وفصول قد مر عليها وبقيت صامدة في هذه البقعة من األرض. عند هذه النقطة يبدأ الصعود الصعب باتجاه تلة السيبة ونمر بمسافة الكيلومتر من الدرب القديم داخل غابة من الوزال والسنديان. ويكون المسار واضح ا ولكن مشبع باألحجار واالنحدار وينعطف في أحيان عدة لنعود ونخرج من هذه الغابة ونكمل الصعود بين أشجار نفضية متعد دة األنواع كالزعرور األصفر والقيقب. ثم نصل بعدها إلى منطقة ميدان الدياب وهي أرض مسطحة تختبئ فيها نسافات الثلج حتى شهر نيسان وبحسب فصل الشتاء. عند هذه النقطة يمتد نظرك 360 درجة من دون منازع على ارتفاع 1762 م فيظهر نحو الشرق سد القرعون وجبل الشيخ وبعض من قرى البقاع الغربي والجنوب والسلسلة الشرقية. أما نحو الغرب فتنبسط أمامك أودية وتالل الشوف وجزين حتى البحر. وتكون االستراحة عند هذا الموقع االستراتيجي على هذا المسار ضرورية والتمت ع بالهواء النقي أمر ال بد منه. ثم نكمل سيرنا على طريق ترابية مسافة 900 م ونمر تحت تلة السيبة 1810 م والمسماة أيض ا "الشونة" حيث النقطة الجوهرية لنعود ونترك الطريق مرور ا ببضع أشجار من الدفران الصامدة قرب أحد المواقع العسكرية المهجورة. من هنا وبسبب طبيعة األرض الجرداء يجب على رواد هذا المسلك االنتباه جي د ا ومتابعة اإلشارات بشكل مستمر. وبعد نحو الكيلومتر ونصف تقريب ا وبعد المرور بتلة مسماة "قلعة الدب" يبدأ المسار باالنحدار نزوال نحو وادي عزيبي ثم يمر داخل غابة الصنوبر قرب عين خجولة على مفترق طرق ترابية. ونتابع التقد م يسار ا باتجاه الغرب والجنوب داخل غابة الصنوبر الجوي ونعود لنخرج منها ونعبر ساقية المياه مقابل خربة دغمان حيث التكاوين الجيولوجية مميزة في هذا الوادي الجميل على المسار رقم 22. وبتقد منا نزوال وإذا كنت محظوظا يمكنك النزول إلى بعض البرك الطبيعية المغذاة من بعض العيون كعين الماليكي وعين الفوار والتمت ع بمياهها العذبة والتي تزي ن المسار بزهورها البرية. نصل بعدئذ إلى طريق ترابية مقابل مزرعة عزيبي الفوقا ونت جه يسار ا على هذه الطريق مسافة نحو الكيلومترين ونصف نحو مدينة جزين ومن بعدها عبر األدراج المطلة على البلدة ومنها نحو نبع جزين ومطحنة المياه على ارتفاع نحو 990 م. عند هذه النقطة نكون قد انتهينا من هذه الرحلة المشوقة بين عيتنيت وجزين ونعدكم برحلة أخرى على الدرب لنكتشف بقعة جديدة من جبالنا. تعليمات مهم ة يمر جزء كبير من هذا المسار على الدروب القديمة التي ال يزال يسلكها بعض من أبناء المنطقة كالرعاة والفالحين ومحب ي الطبيعة. ويجب على من يقر ر سلوك هذا الدرب أن يكون متمر س ا بالمشي في الجبال نظر ا لصعوبة بعض الممرات من جهة الجهد الجسدي ولكن ما من ممرات خطرة. كما أن المسار ال يتعد ى مسافة الستة عشر كيلومتر ا. ويمكنك سلوك هذا المسار في فصل الشتاء واستعمال معدات خاصة فهو يكتسي معظمه بالثلوج لبضعة أيام وحسب المواسم وقساوة الفصول. وحذار سلوك دروب المشي بمفردك وتأك د من الحصول على المعلومات الكافية عن المسار بخاص ة إذا كانت الينابيع متوف رة وإال تزو د بالحاجة المطلوبة وال تنس تحضير كل لوازم وعدة المشي وعلبة اإلسعافات األولية والتأك د من أحوال الطقس وطريق الوصول والخروج من القرى المحيطة. وحاف ظ على نظافة البراري وابق رواسب ما أكلت وتخل ص منها في أقرب مستوعب للمهمالت وال تترك شيئ ا خلفك ألن الحيوانات ليست بحاجة إلى طعامك للبقاء على قيد الحياة. وابق على المسار المحد د من الجمعية وال تق م باختصار المسار عند المنعطفات فهذا يؤدي إلى تقهقر الدرب. وال تقطف األزهار أو األعشاب فهذا مكانها األصلي وال ت شعل النار إال عند الضرورة. وفي حال وقوع حادث ما أينما كنت إت ص ل على الرقم 140 )الصليب األحمر( واعط معلومات كافية عن موقع الحادث ونوعيته أو ات ص ل على الرقم الموجود على صفحة الموقع اإللكتروني للجمعية. وأخير ا أرك ن سيارتك في مكان ال يزعج أحد وابق اسمك ورقم هاتفك واضح ا على الجهة األمامية من ناحية السائق. كرستيان أخرس Christian Akhrass - Midan el Diab Christian Akhrass - Trekking from Aitanit [30] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

17 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Carlos Bou Nafeh - Local guides' written exam at Melkart School [32] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY

18 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT LOCAL GUIDES UNDERGO TRAINING [34] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY Carlos Bou Nafeh - Tannourine Carlos Bou Nafeh - Melkart School 30 local guides on the different LMT sections completed the course work of the LMTA's Guides Training Program They enrolled back in September 2016 and finished their last training session in January The modular training aims at improving their knowledge and skills in guiding techniques, fauna, flora, history, geology, meteorology, first aid, environmental regulations and other topics relevant to their work. Written exams and assignments followed. Currently, the guides are being tested for their knowledge and skill acquisition during the Thru Walk and Fall Trek events organized by the LMTA. They re also being tested during hiking trips with partner tour-operators like Lebanese Adventure. The training is funded by USAID under the Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development - LIVCD Project. Zeinab Jeambey INTERVIEW WITH A TRAINER "MOUNIR ABI SAID" Mounir Abi Said is a mammalogist, wildlife expert and trainer of local guides on the LMT Please tell us a bit about your background. I got a BS in Agricultural Engineering and a Masters in Animal Sciences from the American University of Beirut. I then continued with a PhD in Biodiversity management. I majored in mammals, ecology and conservation and in resolving human wildlife conflict. Tell us a bit about Animal Encounter Animal Encounter is a unique educational center for wildlife conservation with three main objectives: 1- Raising public awareness towards biodiversity. Thousands of students and other visitors visit us each year. They are exposed to either a presentation on wildlife topics, or are guided around the center. They can also access a small library to continue their research. 2- Animal rehabilitation. Each year we receive hundreds of orphaned or injured animals, reptiles, birds and mammals that are rehabilitated and released back to the wild if their situation permits. If not, they stay in the center and act as an emblem for their species. 3- Captive breeding. Different animals breed in the center and their offspring are released back into the wild. How do you feel about contributing in your own way to the LMT by being a trainer of the local guides? It s like a dream come true. I ve walked here and there around the world, and most of the guides I met acted as educators; they were there not just to walk, but to educate, and inform visitors about biodiversity and its importance in their areas. I think it s really good that the LMTA has initiated the guides training program, not just this one, but the previous ones as well. The guides become aware that taking people on a hike is not just a walk, it s an informative and interactive trip.the most important thing for the guides is to put their training into action. How would you describe your experience in passing on your knowledge to the guides? I felt that the guides were very enthusiastic about the training that I gave. Most of them were really interested in knowing more about the topic of mammals. They seemed very involved, and were asking a lot of questions, even after the training was over. Mammals are very attractive. Even people who don t like animals are interested in knowing more. What are your thoughts about their visit to Animal Encounter? Many of the guides had not seen animals like that before. This was a good experience for them, at least to see what they are going to talk to hikers about, to feel what it s like to actually encounter an animal. It gives them hands-on experience, much better than talking about something they ve only ever heard of. lebanontrail.org

19 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT How would you describe the Fauna in Lebanon, qualitatively and quantitatively? Relative to its size, Lebanon is rich in fauna. However, the population size is questionable. That said, we have to perform some more informative studies before arriving at conclusions for certain species. The fauna faces several threats in Lebanon including habitat destruction due to urbanization and deforestation. Hunting is a big problem as well. There is also another threat with a hidden effect called tourism. Sadly, many people haven t got to the point where they respect nature and its components. When we go into wild habitats, we can disturb them and often negatively at that. For example, I was studying the fauna in a particular region in Lebanon and had set cameras all over the place. On one summer evening, a big bunch of people went camping in that area. Afterwards, the animals disappeared from my cameras for a whole month. Though people did not have a direct contact with them, or threatened them in any direct way, they did have an impact on their habitat by just being there with their noise, smells, food... With more responsible tourism, that I hope the LMT will be practicing, it s very important to control the number of hikers, to stay on the trail and to take other types of precautions because this has an enormous impact on wildlife. How do you feel about the general condition of Fauna in the Lebanese mountains? Mice and rats are definitely increasing. Wild boar are on the increase as well. No matter how much they re hunted, they re still smarter than people; especially that real hunters are very few in Lebanon. I m using the expression real hunters because I think many people are just Carlos Bou Nafeh shooters. If we had hunters, the number of wild boar would be more controlled, since those people would respect nature and the wild boar s predator, hence preserving a natural balance. Urban carnivores, like the fox, the stone marten and the jackal are common. But when you talk about higher wildlife, like hyenas, wolves, wildcats and badgers, these are on the decrease because they re very sensitive to human activity Do you feel there should be any protection program? It doesn t matter how I feel, it s a must! How do you think it could be implemented practically? Everyone is responsible; you can t depend on anyone in particular. The state is busy with its own problems, NGOs are busy with fundraising... So I believe you have to depend on people and hope they act responsibly and that they understand the importance of every element in nature and why particular animals exist, from the mosquito to the elephant. If they understood their importance, everything would be fine. But people don t want to know. Awareness is pointless without a sense of morality and responsibility. How do you imagine things can move forward with what s on hand? If 10 percent of people who walk on the LMT become aware, this alone would have a positive impact. You, as the LMTA, have a role just as much as everyone else. Together we can make a difference. The trained guides have the responsibility, not to preach to people, but to inform them about animals, plants and the environment... With time, things will pick up. Let me tell you a story. I used to have a problem at Animal Encounter. When we first opened, every visitor or group of visitors had to have a guide with them. People were reluctant to accept it at first. We endured this for a couple of years. However, persistence paid off and now the first question they usually ask is: where is the guide? So things change. As I said, if you believe in what you are doing, and if what you are doing is for the benefit of all, persistence will pay off in the end! مقابلة مع مرشد محلي على درب الجبل اللبناني جوزفين شعار متى بدأت المشي في الطبيعة بدأت المشي في الط بيعة منذ أن بدأت المشي... فأنا تربي ت في حدث الجبة حيث الط بيعة كانت ملعبنا. ولكن أثناء الجامعة والعمل أصبح المشي في الطبيعة أيام العطالت فقط. برأيك ما الذي يجذبك في فكرة درب الجبل اللبناني ويجعلك قريبة منه درب الجبل اللبناني هو تجربة فريدة من نوعها حيث يسمح لك بالتعر ف على لبنان وطرقاته وجباله وشعبه وعادتهم. هذا ما يجذبني إليه ويجعلني متعل قة بالدرب وأبذل ما باستطاعتي للمحافظة عليه وتطويره أكثر فأكثر. إذا تعي ن عليك تسويق القسم على درب الجبل الذي تعملين عليه إلى القراء ماذا تقولين لهم كي يأتوا ويمشوا عليه يمر درب الجبل اللبناني في جزء بسيط من حدث الجبة. فأنا لست مرشدة على الجزء الذي يمر فقط في حدث الجبة إن ما أيض ا في وادي قاديشا وهو وادي القديسين حيث اندمج جمال الطبيعة بأصالة التاريخ وعمق اإليمان... فمن يريد أن يخرج من روتين الحياة اليومي ة ويشعر بأن الجن ة قريبة ليس عليه إال تمضية نهار في الوادي حيث ال يسمع غير صوت العصافير وتدف ق المياه وال يرى إال أجمل اللوحات الطبيعية. من هي جوزفين شعار درست في الجامعة الل بنانية تحاليل مخبرية, وتخر جت سنة 2009 وتوظفت فور ا في مستشفى في طرابلس حيث عملت حوالي سبع سنوات. بعد ذلك شعرت أن ني لست في مكاني الصحيح فقر رت االستقالة. وهذا ما سمح لي بأن أخص ص وقت ا أكثر للمشي في الطبيعة. ومن هنا جاءت فكرة أن أكون مرشدة على دروب المشي في حدث الجبة. وما كان انطباعك األول عن درب الجبل اللبناني عندما تعر فت عليه كان انطباعي األول انذهاال بما يشكل ه الدرب من ثروة حقيقي ة للبنان وبخاصة كيف يصل المجتمعات بعضها ببعض وأحسست بأهمية المحافظة عليه وترويجه أكثر فأكثر. أخبرينا قص ة مثيرة لالهتمام عنك على الدرب. سأخبركم عن قصة صغيرة غالب ا ما تحدث معي وبخاصة عندما أعر ف عن نفسي وأقول للفريق أن ني سأكون مرشدتكم في هذا النهار. أشعر أن األكثرية يستخف ون بقدراتي على اإلرشاد وإعطاء المعلومات ومنهم من يشعر بالخوف قليال وذلك ألن وجهي ال يدل على عمري أبد ا بل يعطي أقل بكثير. وبعد ساعة تقريب ا من االنطالق ال بد من أن يتشج ع أحد ا من الفريق على سؤالي عن عمري ألن هم يشعرون أن هم مع مرشد واثق من نفسه ويعرف ماذا يقول وأين يذهب لكن هم يرون شخص ا أصغر مما يتوقعون. فعندما أقول لهم إن عمري 29 سنة تظهر الدهشة على وجوههم وأعينهم فيخبرونني حينها أن هم ظن وا في بادئ األمر أن ني صغيرة جد ا على تحم ل مسؤليتهم وأخذهم في طريق ال يعرفونها لكن هم غي روا وجهة نظرهم بعض االنطالق بقليل. هذا يكسر حواجز كثيرة كانت موجودة بيننا ونصبح أقرب. Criss Gibran [36] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

20 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HOT ON THE LMT GUESTHOUSES Spotlight on Tashea Getting to the village of Tashea in the Akkar region, whether hiking the LMT from the north or from the south, is always a majestic experience. You ll pass by an amazing forest of fir trees located on the Qammoua'a plateau, bursting with vivid green colours mixed with all the tones of purple. It s full of endemic peonies in bloom and wild violets which load the air with the marvellous scent of spring. You ll be left dazzled. Abou Marwan's guesthouse is a small and humble abode in this tiny village, yet it shines with the spirit of Lebanese hospitality, where an abundance of good food and good mood is the motto. You remove your hiking shoes, enter the house, walk on the carpets which connect the rooms together. Then you reach the dar (main living room) and its central soubia giving out its comforting warmth. On top of it, a hot tea pot is always ready for visitors. You are received by the two lovely sisters of Marwan, Hala and Zahar, with their homemade sharab el tout (mulberry syrup) to quench your thirst, while Emm Marwan prepares dinner in the kitchen. Food is served on a big b'ssat (straw mat) spread on the terrace floor. Displayed on it is always a wide variety of local dishes made with love: from hot lentil soup and Kebbet Batata (potato pie) to the stuffed cabbage leaves and aromatic wild herbs. It s a colourful mosaic which seduces the eyes and enchants the palate, filling the diner s stomach with deliciously comforting food. It is these precious moments, away from our hyper-modern life, that unite us all with nature and its magic. This is what the LMT experience is all about! Text and photos by: Tamar Hadechian Khaled Taleb - Meshmesh, Ouadi Hakl El Kherbeh [38] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

21 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT رحلة إلى القبيات دير مار ضومط لآلباء الكرملي ين Les Demeures El Qoubaiyat قسم رقم 1 على درب الجبل اللبناني القبيات > جغرافي تها تبعد عن بيروت 140 كيلومتر ا. يجاورها من الغرب بلدة عك ار العتيقة ومن الشرق بلدة عندقت ومن الشمال قرى الباردة والنهرية وعيدمون ومن الجنوب الخط الفاصل بين قضائي عكار في محافظة الشمال والهرمل في محافظة البقاع. > إسمها آرامي يعني مجامع المياه الصهاريج وذلك لغناها بالماء. > تاريخها تاريخها تاريخ الوادي الخصيب في كل زمان ومكان يعود إلى ثالثة آالف سنة قبل الميالد. هي مركز استقطاب للناس الراغبين في االستقرار المرتكز على الزراعة. على هذا االساس نشأت الحضارة. وصفها أحد قناصل فرنسا في لبنان Ducousso سنة 1912 قائال: "إنها وديان مدهشة في خصبها". لذلك عرفت القبي ات بسكن الشعوب فيها منذ القديم القديم وآثارها شاهد على سكانها القدماء: - قبور من عصر الحديد والنحاس )ثالثة آالف سنة قبل الميالد( - مذبح فنيقي وثني قبور رومانية في جميع االنحاء - معبد اإلله بان في حلسبان الذي يعود إلى الحقبة االولى للميالد والذي تحول الى كنيسة على اسم القد يس ارتيموس - شليط - قصر مريق في شويتا كشاهد على احداث الصراع األموي البيزنطي في الشرق مقابلة مع األب ناجي يحشوشي ماذا يمكنك أن ت خبرنا عن الدير جاء رهبان سي دة جبل الكرم ل )الرهبان الكرمليين( إلى القبيات سنة 1830 وباشروا رسالتهم. سنة 1852 انتهوا من بناء كنيسة ودير صغيرين وع ر ف الدير على اسم القديس ضومط تيمنا بشفيع كنيسة قديمة خربة كانت في المكان والكنيسة على إسم الطوباوي ة العذراء مريم سي دة جبل الكرم ل. قام هذا الدير على زاوية مصطبة عند ملتقى واديين يتوسط االحياء الثالثة: غوايا الضهر الذوق. عرفت هذه المصطبة سكن االنسان منذ عهود ما قبل التاريخ )االلف الثالث قبل الميالد( وعرفت هيكال وثني ا في العهد الروماني ال تزال بعض أساساته ظاهرة للعيان. سنة 1870 شرعوا في بناء الدير الجديد القائم حالي ا بطابقين فوق أقبية معقودة بإتقان كذلك بالكنيسة الجديدة فكان االنتهاء من بناء الدير سنة 1909 ومن بناء الكنيسة الكنيسة ذات هندسة بازيليكية فخمة بثالثة صحون على الطراز الروماني المحدث ) ROMAN ( تدخله فتشعر للتو بسكينة النفس. شارك في زخرفتها فنانون ايطاليون وصناع محليون مهرة فال تزال حذاقة هؤالء ظاهرة في مصراعي الباب الخشبي الرئيسي الذي مضى على صنعه ما يقرب من القرن. مدرسة هؤالء الرهبان هي االولى التي كانت احدى قاعات الدير في األيام الممطرة وتحت السنديانة القائمة الى اليوم ايام الصحو. يحوي الدير متحف غني للحيوانات المحنطة والفراشات من كل أنحاء العالم. جدير بالذكر ان النهضة العلمية واالجتماعية التي تحظى بها القبيات اليوم مدينة بها بشكل اساسي للرهبان الكرملي ين األتقياء. كيف تصف تجرب ت ك في استقبال هواة المشي في الدير على درب الجبل اللبناني تحمل تجربة إيجابي ة وخاص ة مع الشبان والشابات وهواة المشي وخاص ة أن هم من مح ب ي الطبيع ة. إن اإلختبار في استقبالهم و ل د كيفي ة اإلصغاء إليهم والس ماع في كالم والتعبير عن مدى انتمائهم وتعل قهم بوطنهم وهذا ما ي عطي اإليجابي ة بنظرة ملؤها األم ل في لبنان األم ل والر ج اء وحياة شبابي ة ال تشيخ. ماذا تعني لك الكلمات "درب الجبل اللبناني" الدرب كلمة تحمل معان إيجابي ة على جميع الصعد وخاص ة من الناحية الشخصي ة إذ فيها نعرف كيف ننظر إلى درب كل واحد من ا نحو خالقه نحو ذات ه ونحو أخيه اإلنسان وعالقته حتى مع الثروات الطبيعي ة. ويستطيع اإلنسان عبر اكتشافه لها أن ي سل ط الضوء على عظمة المحمي ات والجمال الطبيعي والثقافي في وطنه وتنم ي فيه الغيرة على المحافظة على هذا التراث الذي يوس ع المجاالت اإلقتصادي ة التي تعود إلى كل المناطق الريفي ة والتي بدورها تنم ي السياحة وتعز ز الحضور السك اني واليد العاملة في المناطق. ما هي خصائص الد ير وما الذي يمي زه عن بيوت الضيافة التقليدي ة ما يمي زنا أكثر عن بيوت الضيافة اللبناني ة هو في تقديم هذا الغنى والتراث الموجود ي ن في الرهبانية الكرملية وللتعبير عن أهمية تواجدها في لبنان وخاصة في القبيات. [40] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

22 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THE SILK STORY OF LEBANON Alia Fares Alia Fares Many of us love mulberries; freshly picked white, black juicy, mulberry syrup, ice cream, mulberry jam. So does the silkworm, but for another reason. The silkworm loves to eat the leaves of the mulberry tree. The silk worm is a caterpillar born from the mating of a male and a female moth. As it nourishes itself on the mulberry leaves, it grows. In the process, it creates a home around itself called a cocoon, made up of intertwined white threads. Once the caterpillar is large enough, it turns into a pupa and then a moth which flies away, leaving its selfmade hideout. The cocoon is a precious natural commodity for humans. It was the raw material that formed almost 80% of the economy of Lebanon in the 19th and the early 20th century. We call it silk. George Asseily mentions in the book, In the Time of the Mulberry by Desmond Astley-Cooper: There was a time when the mulberry tree could have easily surpassed the cedar tree as a symbol of Lebanon. Due to the high demand for raw silk, this tree had an unsurpassed economic impact on our rural communities until the 1940 s, when silk began to be imported from the Far East. This led to the rise of the first subsidies from the government. When the civil war broke out in 1975 and the factories began to close, many owners emigrated abroad. Today, many of the silk factories are still to be found on the mountain slopes, hidden inside villages, often behind large oak trees, or attached to restored houses, reminding the visitor of the heyday of silk in Lebanon s history. Some of the ruined factories are to be found along the hiking paths of the Lebanon Mountain Trail. El Qoubaiyat and Andqet, two villages on sections 0 and 1, have more than five. Their halls and walls bear witness to this unique and vital source of economic wealth which supported so many families only two centuries ago. Mtein, another village along the LMT and the capital of the Abillamaa dynasty, also saw an increase in silk production. Seven factories were built in the 1850 s, of which only one survives today. In the year 1968, the guardian angel of Lebanon s cultural heritage and famous archaeologist, Dr. El-Mir Maurice Chehab, announced that in 1893 the mountains of Lebanon had ca. 194 silk factories. He saw the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of this industry fifty years ago as does the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association today. Maurice Chehab also mentioned in his studies (perhaps went on to say would be better here) that by 1911 Lebanon and Syria were producing around 524,000 kilos of raw silk, most of which was exported to its sister silk city of Lyon in France. In the first half of the 19th Century, the Jesuits of the University of St. Joseph encouraged the import of experts and machines for silk production from Lyon s university, bringing them across the Mediterranean. This, in turn, created a boost to the economic status of Lebanon s mountainous regions. Furthermore, Albert Hourani s book Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age mentions that the port of Beirut profited greatly from the region s silk production, becoming a trade hub for the region. 1. Astley-Cooper, Desmond. In the Time of the Mulberry. Preface P.9 The Lebanon Mountain Trail Association believes firmly that the preservation and rehabilitation of the silk factories can, and should be, coupled with support for rural communities. It is worth mentioning here that in the 19th century, for the first time in Lebanon s history, women were not only allowed, but sometimes encouraged, to work alongside men in silk factories as their subtle hands were more capable of handling the delicate fabric. Reviving the silk industry in remote areas, therefore, will also benefit women on both the economic and social level, as it did two centuries ago. It s for this reason that the LMTA has come up with a project to survey the cultural heritage along the entire trail, including the silk factories, in order to preserve their memory for future generations and to assist in their revival. We dream of a day when fine Lebanese silk will return to our wardrobes again. Alia Fares Article featured in "Annahar" E-Newspaper 22 August 2017 [42] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

23 Claude Khoueiry - Arz Ehmej [44] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

24 EDUCATION برنامج "درب لكل صف" (TRAIL TO EVERY CLASSROOM) تواصل األوالد مع نفسهم ومع المجتمع المحلي Meeting the Mayor - Tannourine Origami Decoration Claude Khoueiry - Fnaidek تسبيخ )compost( في خضم المشكالت التي يعاني منها العالم اليوم وخاصة وطننا الحبيب لبنان هناك مشكلة كبيرة هي التلوث البيئي. إنه المرض المخفي والمتفشي. انطالق ا من مبدأ "بيئتنا... صحتنا" ومسؤوليتنا تربية مواطن يعي أهمية المكان الذي يعيش فيه وأهمية المحافظة على كل ما يحيط به من ماء وهواء وتربة كان لنا سلسلة لقاءات مع جمعية "درب الجبل اللبناني" في مدرستنا. عملت الجمعية من خالل فريق متكامل مع طالب الحلقتين األولى والثانية من التعليم األساسي وجعلت الطالب يدركون أهمية ما يملكونه وما وهبهم اهلل إياه وضرورة المحافظة عليه من خالل األنشطة التي كانوا يقومون بها الصفية منها والالصفية منها زيارة محمية أرز تنورين بمرافقة الدليل المحلي الذي عر فهم على التنوع البيئي في الغابة وكيفية المحافظة عليها من خالل إجراء مقابلة مع رئيس بلدية تنورين "األستاذ بهاء حرب" )مشكور ا لتعاونه ودعمه( عن الكومبوست اكتشفنا خاللها قدرات طالبنا من حيث وضع األسئلة وتنظيم الوقت والتصوير. ما أستطيع أن أقوله كمسؤولة عن المدرسة وقد كنت حاضرة في األنشطة تقريب ا إن عملهم مع اآلنسة تقال خويري كان حافزا لهم للوعي البيئي واستطعنا معها معالجة قضايا تربوية منها: خجل بعض الطالب من العمل والتعبير عن الذات واكتشاف قدرات هائلة لدى بعضهم بالرسم والتلوين على حيطان الملعب عن المواضيع البيئية التي تعل موها واستفدنا من معلومات قي مة متشاركة كان طالبنا ينتظرون اللقاء الشهري مع الجمعية بفرح وشوق كبيرين. شكرا لجميع المساهمين في مشروع "درب لكل صف". شكرا لجمعية "درب الجبل اللبناني" شكرا لآلنسة تقال الخويري. السيدة ريما نعمة حرب مديرة مدرسة تنورين الفوقا الرسمية للسنة الثالثة على التوالي ما زلنا نعمل على برنامج "درب لكل صف" Every( Trail To )Classroom الذي يتوجه لتالميذ المدارس الرسمية بين عمر ثماني سنوات وخمسة عشرة سنة وذلك لتثقيفهم حول مواضيع المواطنية البيئية المستدامة. 90% من هؤالء التالميذ يرغبون بالحفاظ على البيئة في بلداتهم وذلك يظهر من خالل شغفهم بتلقي وحفظ المعلومات ومحاولتهم لتنفيذ المشاريع الصغيرة من خالل طلب المساعدة من روؤساء بلدياتهم. في السنة الدراسية 2017/2016 قام طالب المدارس الرسمية في عيحا وإهمج وتنورين وحصرون وفنيدق وقبيات الذوق بتنفيذ بعض المشاريع بالتعاون مع بلدياتهم. نذكر من هذه المشاريع: فرز الورق إلعادة تدويره تنظيف عدد من األنهر الينابيع والغابات تجميع الدواليب وإعادة استعمالها كمقاعد في المالعب إعادة استعمال قناني البالستيك للزراعة رسم لوحات بيئية على جدران المالعب والطرقات في بلداتهم إجراء بحوث حول التنوع البيئي واألمراض المزمنة التي تصيب بعض األشجار النادرة في لبنان وكيفية معالجتها تقال خوري منسقة برامج التربية Tannourine Tannourine [46] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

25 EDUCATION Cette formation de deux jours organisée en novembre dernier était dédiée à la familiarisation des enseignants aux concepts, aux principes et aux enjeux de l écocitoyenneté, du développement durable et de la pédagogie de projet interdisciplinaire, ainsi que leur intégration dans l enseignement des différentes matières scolaires, avec un focus particulier sur les thématiques de l eau et des déchets. Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth FORMATION DE PLUS DE 60 ENSEIGNANTS "Pédagogie de projets et interdisciplinarité pour une éducation nouvelle, une sensibilisation efficace et un développement des compétences requises au XXIème siècle." Créée par la Fondation Diane en 2015 et hébergée par l Université Saint-Joseph (USJ), la chaire de l éducation à l écocitoyenneté et au développement durable (CEECDD), vise à intégrer les problématiques d écocitoyenneté et de développement durable dans l esprit, les pratiques, les décisions, les valeurs et les comportements de chaque citoyen libanais. La CEECDD a organisé en partenariat avec la LMTA la formation de plus de 60 enseignants venant de 30 établissements scolaires publics, situés sur le sentier du LMT. Cette formation a eu lieu en collaboration avec le ministère de l éducation et de l enseignement supérieur au Liban, grâce au financement collectif de l ambassade de Suisse au Liban, le bureau du ministre de l état pour la réforme administrative (OMSAR), l Union Européenne, la Cooperazione Italiana per Il Sviluppo dei Paesi Emergenti (COSPE) et l Associazione Italiana Turismo Responsabile (AITR), que nous remercions ici vivement. Cette activité s est inscrite dans le cadre des missions respectives de la CEECDD et de la LMTA qui consistent à la sensibilisation des jeunes sur les problématiques d'écocitoyenneté et de développement durable, afin d'encourager un changement d attitudes par rapport à l environnement et à l'écocitoyenneté. Différentes interventions animées par des formateurs de haut niveau de la CEECDD et de la LMTA ont ainsi mis en exergue l importance du passage des techniques d enseignement traditionnelles et mono-disciplinaires à des méthodes d enseignement plus holistes et intégratives, permettant l'éducation à travers la mise en place de projets interdisciplinaires. Des ateliers de travail par groupes d enseignants ont permis à ceux-ci de concevoir des projets interdisciplinaires à mettre en œuvre avec leurs élèves durant l année scolaire au sein de leur établissement scolaire. La CEECDD et la LMTA ont également offert un période de coaching auprès des enseignants durant la phase d implémentation des projets. Ce projet s'est clôturé le 4 mai par un congrès à l USJ durant lequel les élèves ont pu présenter leurs projets. Des prix et des attestations leur ont été décernés à l occasion. CEECDD, Chaire de l Éducation à l Éco-Citoyenneté et au Développement Durable Fondation Diane / Université Saint-Joseph [48] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

26 Volume No.5 / SEPT 2016 EDUCATION ECP SPONSORS FOR THIS YEAR HEAD COUNT GOES UP TO 125, AND WE RE STILL COUNTING... Abtal El Bi A, the LMTA Environmental Championship Program (ECP), started three years ago and so far nine programs have been held (three per year) and 125 kids between 9-13 years, from both public and private schools, have become little champions! What pleases me the most is when I bump into one of them accidentally, hardly recognizing them as they grow so fast at that age, and they almost inevitably ask me if they can participate in the program again I tell them to wait till they are over 15-years old.and when I say that they can then volunteer to help us with other Abtal El Bia programs and smaller kids, a big smile lights up their faces. On other occasions, they jump on me and start telling me excitedly what they have done at their school or home to improve the environment. Or how they went hiking with their family and explained to their parents what the LMT is all about. One of them even dragged me to her garden and started picking up all the trash on the way to her house to put in a garbage bin there. This gives me hope that some of those kids will one day become fully aware eco-citizens, respectful of others and of our environment too. Maya Karkour LMTA Vice-President, heading the Education Committee IN COLLABORATION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM (ECP) The ECP is a new, innovative environmental education program for kids and is the fruit of a collaboration between the LMTA and EcoConsulting. It consists in organizing fiveday environmental awareness and sustainable living programs which engage children from diverse ethnic, religious and social backgrounds in joint social-environmental action. It is built on the concept of experiential learning, in other words learning through experience. And it involves hands-on, fun, and creative activities aimed at giving them a clear understanding of the full loop that is our supporting ecosystem. Our objective is to empower those kids by giving them the title of Environmental Champions, and to inspire them into becoming stewards of our planet in a pro-active way. That s to say protecting nature, acting sensibly about eco-issues and communicating important environmental messages to others around them. [50] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

27 EDUCATION WHAT DO THE PARENTS HAVE TO SAY? Here is some feedback from the parents of the children who have taken part in different ECP camps I want to thank you profoundly for the great experience my son had with your team. He came back home enthusiastic, happy, and healthy; he learned a lot and met new friends. He even wrote a report to present to his class in school about pesticides and water resources, how we use water and how we should manage it. This experience gave him new horizons and definitely added to his skills in relying on himself and in meeting new people and new challenges. In addition to that, we as parents were comfortable with how you handled our children and how you handled obstacles. I was very proud that my son got to be part of your group. Again many thanks for all the care, thoughtfulness, effort and citizenship you offered my son and even though it was a short time, it surely had a beautiful impact on him. Carmen El Khoury We would like to thank you and the team of the ECP program for the successful camp and dedicated work. Our daughter is so happy and joyful because of the exciting experience she had with you. We believe it was a moment of intense and happy learning for her. We appreciate and value the chance you have given her to be part of the camp. All best wishes to you and for the beautiful work you are doing. Richard and Loulwa Bteich Thank you very much for the effort you and the team have made in making my son so happy and so aware. He enjoyed this greatly and was asking me if there are any upcoming camps soon! Lama Awad First I want to congratulate you on this initiative. It is a comprehensive educational program, child-friendly, motivating and aimed exactly at the right goals. Proof: - The overwhelming enthusiasm of the children on their return - The amount of information they had to tell us both from the point of view of knowledge and of human experience - Their determination to put their knowledge into practice - Their desire to change their habits Regarding my children: They shared moments and now share memories with children from a different environment, one that they do not have the opportunity to experience in their daily lifestyle. They became friends! My elder took on responsibilities and coped well with them. He looks forward to continuing with a concrete project and expanding to a larger circle! In short, you have succeeded in 5 days to convey what parents and school have been trying to do for years! It was all a very positive experience. With all my gratitude A mother fulfilled. Carla Tadros Since my daughter came back home, we are under "eco-friendly" surveillance! No more wasting water, unnecessary lights and tissue papers in dozens. More than that, "Let s compost! Everything gets recycled from now on! Our way of life is divided into before ECP camp and after ECP camp ; a turning point in the life of the whole family. She talks about it with enthusiasm and proudly shows her ECP booklet to all her friends. Thank you very much for a wonderful experience! She would have liked it to last longer though. Lena Bonja [52] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

28 EDUCATION WHY DON T WE VIRTUALLY EXPLORE OUR MOUNTAINS? The main mountain resources will be presented along with the major current environmental problems and social issues that we are facing. The platform s main purpose is to allow the class sessions to become more interactive when spreading awareness about the importance of mountains and at the same time challenge the students in a different concept of problem solving using more interactive tools such as dragging and dropping or following a map as part of a treasure hunt. But the game does not end on a screen! Mountain Explorers is the title of the interactive educational platform created by the LMTA s education team in collaboration with the Swiss FDDM (Fondation du Développement Durable des Régions de Montagne), working with Cre8mania as the game developers. This project is mainly funded by the Swiss Embassy in Lebanon. Jad and Yasmine, the main characters of the virtual game, will explore the mountains of Lebanon and their precious resources, by following a journey that will take them back to the roots and allow them to understand the interactions of human beings with their natural environment and their impact on it. Additionally, Nahla the bee will act as the cool mascot of the platform and will help the students find solutions to the problems when discovering each of the seven mountain themes: Forests Biodiversity Water conservation & Pollution Agriculture Cultural and Natural Heritage Air Pollution Our aim is to let students explore more of nature using their hands, going on the field, playing outside and around their school yard and most importantly enjoying many practical hands-on activities that include hiking in a forest, planting trees and vegetables, understanding water pollution through water filtering in a glass jar and even going to their local bakery to research the life cycle of a man oucheh! Every completed virtual game and every implemented activity will earn a stamp on a virtual passport that will allow each class or individual kid to track their evolution throughout the game and eventually become a Mountain Explorer. The Mountain Explorers platform is to be accessed as part of extra-curricular activities in classes for kids, 8 to 12 years old, and the main disciplines covered by the various games & activities include Health & Environmental Education, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Geography, Civic Education, Sociology and Drawings/Arts. The launching of the platform is planned on November 7th, 2017 with the full support of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, who will help the LMTA coordinate the deployment of the platform in 5 pilot public schools as a first step, and as a second step in the remaining public schools. The beta version of the platform has been tested in two Abtal el Bi a sessions in May, July and August 2017 and the kids loved it! We feel that the future of education lies in interactive and involving media; thus it can be explored in an innovative way; more knowledge is transmitted while the kids attention is captured. Stephanie Audi Environmental Education Officer [54] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

29 EDUCATION LES PETITS EXPLORATEURS DE NOS MONTAGNES Le Liban, pays montagneux, est confronté à de nombreux défis pour que ses habitants puissent y vivre dans un environnement sain et harmonieux. Chacune de nos pratiques (actions, habitudes, comportements) a un effet immédiat sur la préservation de notre environnement et sur le développement durable de notre société. L éducation est un outil puissant pour faire évoluer ces pratiques. Un jeune devrait aujourd hui avoir l opportunité de comprendre qu il a un rôle à jouer pour contribuer à un futur durable. C est pourquoi le ministère de l éducation libanais est venu à nous avec la demande de créer un outil qui permette la sensibilisation et l éducation des jeunes citoyens libanais au développement durable de leur territoire. «Les explorateurs de nos montagnes» consiste en un module interactif pédagogique et ludique pour les jeunes de 8 à 12 ans. Il s agit de dépasser les barrières disciplinaires pour intégrer la notion de développement durable de façon transversale dans les matières enseignées à l école. Concrètement, nous développons une plateforme web dans laquelle se trouveront des défis, des vidéos éducatives, des petits jeux vidéo, des quizz et une boîte à outils d activités manuelles et expérimentales, permettant de comprendre les enjeux autour des ressources des montagnes libanaises : l eau, l air, le sol, l héritage culturel, la forêt et la biodiversité. Avec l aide d experts, nous créons également un guide pédagogique permettant aux enseignants et parents d approfondir leur connaissance des valeurs du développement durable, de notre écosystème et des enjeux de développement du Liban. Des enseignants sont ensuite formés à l utilisation de cet outil. La LMTA est un précieux allié pour le développement et la mise en œuvre de ce projet. Association composée de personnes engagées et très compétentes dans le développement durable, une grande confiance est née de la collaboration entre nos deux organisations. C est une grande chance pour nous de pouvoir travailler avec un partenaire local de cette qualité. Eric Nanchen et Marie Du-Pontavice Fondation pour le Développement Durable des Régions de Montagnes (FDDM) [56] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

30 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS Carlos Bou Nafeh [58] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

31 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS THE BANQUET UNDER THE PINES FALL-TREK 2016 WALKING FOR FOOD HERITAGE A rural, culinary journey at the LMTA fundraising dinner The Lebanon Mountain Trail Association (LMTA) held its annual fundraising dinner Banquet under the Pines at the Hippodrome du Parc in Beirut, on Friday October 14, 2016, with H.E. Ex-Minister of Tourism, Mr. Michel Pharaon, as the guest speaker. It was a gathering of LMTA friends and volunteers, enthusiasts and advocates, partners and sponsors from the public, private and non-profit sectors. Each, in their own way, makes a heartfelt contribution to the preservation of our mountain heritage. Food Heritage was the theme chosen by the LMTA for It was a celebration of the culinary traditions of the mountains of Lebanon, and a toast to the wonderful and hospitable people on the trail. These are the owners of guesthouses and small eateries, cooks, women s cooperatives and farmers. And they all have one thing in common; they take pride in preserving their farms, foods, recipes and cooking methods which are characteristic of their villages. The dinner featured cooks from villages on the LMT who prepared savory and sweet specialties making the occasion a remarkable culinary experience for all the guests. The Association organizes this event every year to raise the funds that are needed to finance its operations for trail conservation and community development, and to ensure the sustainability of the trail as a rural tourism destination. For the 4th consecutive year, the annual Fall-Trek was held in October 2016 when 90 hikers of different nationalities participated in the 9-day event with the participation of local guides on the LMT. They lodged in the local accommodation along the trail. The two teams hiked respectively from north to south and vice versa, the first from El Barouk in the Chouf and the second from Qemmamine in northern Lebanon, both ending the trek in El Aaqoura. The municipality of El Aaqoura held a festive gathering for the hikers with members of the LMTA board and the local municipal council present too. Lebanese heritage dishes were served to the guests in order to celebrate last year s Food Heritage theme, highlighting the cultural, touristic and economic importance of our rural communities. In her speech, the Vice-President back then Ms. Martine Btaich stressed the importance of cooperation with local people and the local authorities to develop and protect the path. It supports many families and helps them to remain on their land and plays an important role in preventing the condition of our mountains from deteriorating. About $25,000 were spent amongst local communities during the trek, principally on accommodation, restaurants and local purchases. Every trip has a motto to remind us of the importance of protecting the path as well as preserving the local heritage and its diversity. The promotion of sustainable tourism also helps to support of the village economies. Carlos Bou Nafeh [60] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

32 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS THRU-WALK 2017 TOGETHER WE WALK TO PROTECT OUR MOUNTAINS It was yet another great Thru-Walk on the Lebanon Mountain Trail! Here are few highlights: 27 DAYS hiking north to south and 27 days south to north concurrently. 8 THRU-HIKERS hiking from end to end MORE THAN $60,000 injected directly into the trailside communities in one month 2 SUPER THRU-HIKERS walked the trail in both directions and in one month for the first time! 230 PARTICIPANTS 21 NATIONALITIES participating Niels Rasmussen AUSTRALIA IRAN NORWAY CANADA ITALY ROMANIA BELGIUM JORDAN SWEEDEN FINLAND KSA SWITZERLAND Niels Rasmussen FRANCE GERMANY GREECE LEBANON NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND SYRIA UK USA "Together We Walk To Protect Our Mountains" was the theme adopted for this year by the LMT Association. The theme is to highlight the importance of preserving the mountains of Lebanon, and their rich and diverse natural, human and cultural heritage. The aim is also to raise awareness about the pressing challenges and violations eating up progressively the mountain landscape: > Illegal waste dumping > Unplanned quarries > Unplanned constructions and opening of roads > Illegal tree cutting > Unregulated hunting > Pollution through wastewater [62] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

33 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS ENCOUNTER WITH A THRU-WALKER: PETER HITTI Niels Rasmussen OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE THRU-WALK The overall objective of the event was to promote the Lebanon Mountain Trail and Lebanon as a sustainable travel destination. It was also to strengthen our support for the path long-term sustainability, and a reminder of the need to protect our heritage in all its forms, and support our rural communities and their economies through responsible tourism. An online fundraiser was held by a few hikers during the Thru-Walk. They helped raise $12,000 altogether which will go directly into the LMTA efforts and policy work to protect the trail and the trailside heritage. Big thanks go to Salam Khalife, Paul Khawaja, Sami Mitri and Angie Kodeih for their efforts and valuable contributions. Carlos Bou Nafeh THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FOR BELIEVING IN THE CAUSE: THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO HIKED WITH US FROM LEBANON AND ABROAD AND WHO CELEBRATED THE TRAIL AND OUR MOUNTAINS! First time on the LMT, Thru Walk 2017 Connecting with the people I m hiking with allows me to discover myself, my thoughts and my emotions. I was surprised to find so much common ground among us hikers, in terms of mentality and perception of matters. At the outset, I wasn t planning on walking the entire trail. Once it started, I began to feel that walking was getting me into a wonderful rhythm, a beautiful harmony with people and with myself, my thoughts, my body, my feelings, my contemplations and my prayers. And so I didn t want to cut it short. When we sit in one place for a long time, we start taking it for granted. I chose to go on the LMT to get away from the environment I know, even for a short time. This helps one to appreciate the little things back home more. And you can t take them for granted. This is a practice, a sport. You have to build a habit out of it. What fascinates me most about the mountains are the colors! The mountains are perfect. Garbage and quarries can be considered negative, but somehow they are an inseparable part of the human activity. [64] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

34 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS The barriers that we face are nothing but manifestations of life, which is totally normal. The mountains are for humans to use. Whether they are used in a good way or a bad way is a debate I m not going into. All I can do is appreciate them. That s when I feel that I act in the right way. My way to contribute to the LMT cause for the protection of the mountains is by participating in the Thru-Walk. I also appreciate interacting with hikers, the people I encounter on the way, and the hospitality of the locals. What they offer is worth more than my money. I m not worried about the mountains. I think the LMTA is doing a great job, and I think a beautiful and pure intention is in line with the natural movement of life; it can never die and it can never hit the wall. When we align ourselves with that movement, things around us flow naturally, without us having any control over their course. There is a way where there is a good intention. What s important is perseverance. Keep on doing what you re doing! Most of us are searching for the same thing. We are searching for the fullness of life. We come to the LMT for that reason. Thank God for this grace! Encounter with Peter Hitti THE LMT TWICE IN ONE MONTH THE SUPER THRU-WALK 2017 This year two long-standing LMTA members, Paul Khawaja and Sami Mitri, undertook an extraordinary feat that until now had never been attempted. To mark the occasion of the LMTA s 10th anniversary, Paul and Sami chose to raise awareness of 2017 s theme Together We Walk To Protect Our Mountains by hiking the entire length of the LMT twice in one month. This huge undertaking, done between the 1st and 30th April, would involve hiking the trail from north-to-south. And then back again. In the time that it would usually take to hike the LMT once, they would attempt to do it twice. > 2 hikers > 940km of trail length > 30 days on the trail > 150 visits to local villages > 45,000m gain in elevation > 2,000,000 steps on LMT s historical footpath [66] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

35 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS I had the idea of doing something special this year to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the LMTA. The thought of doing the Super Thru-Walk came to me one night. I knew that Paul, due to his work commitments, had never had the opportunity to hike the whole Thru Walk end to end. When I suggested the Super Thru Walk to him, he didn t even let me finish my sentence. He was all in, and up for the challenge. Sami Mitri a busy job, family life etc., I think the thrill that comes from taking on something genuinely adventurous becomes more precious the older you get. Everybody around us, those who hike and know the trail, was telling us not to do it and that it was crazy. And for me, that was the motivating force. This wasn t about overcoming the mountains, rather overcoming a challenge set by oneself for oneself, both physically and psychologically. What was particularly enjoyable about the long hikes? Where did your motivation for the Super Thru Hike come from? Paul: I ve always enjoyed the prospect of a new challenge, pushing the boundaries of what s achievable and taking myself to new limits. The thought of doing something unique, and something no one had done before was very appealing. And putting the Lebanese mountains at the heart of this challenge really meant a lot to me. The motivation came not just from the prospect of the physical challenge, but also from the opportunity it gave to raise awareness of something I have been passionately committed to for years, the LMT, and the nature that makes this incredible mountain landscape so special. Sami: What motivates me is to live new experiences, to keep doing things I haven t tried before and getting outside of my comfort zone. I ve been a keen hiker for years, and I ve come to value the feeling of personal discovery it gives you. Hiking gives you an opportunity to find yourself again, almost like a reinvention of yourself. Being in nature for a month, you can almost peel away the layers of what you think you should be, and reconnect with your true self. For me, the prospect of this kind of experience is a motivator, and even more so when it is coupled with a challenge that takes body and spirit to a new level. I love the sense of anticipation, and the feeling of excitement of going into the unknown. It s as if it brings out the kid in you again, this natural desire to never stop playing with life. What with the ebb and flow of the day-to-day routine, Sami: Everything. The nature, the mountains, the fact that you re alone in a beautiful space. And above all, the partnership with Paul. We created a unique kind of bond. We were so in-sync. When you spend so much time together, sometimes inevitably hours would pass in silence. But we always felt a kind of mutual respect and reverence for each other and what we were doing. We are alike in so many ways, so we never stepped on each other s feet. Unconsciously we backed each other up, whether from the morning s first cup of coffee, to the moral support we gave each other during the difficult moments. Paul: For me, this felt like a spiritual journey. The fact that is it was so challenging was what made it so enjoyable. Surrounded by raw nature and the beauty of the mountains, I felt like I became completely tuned to the present, living in the moment, and savoring each second with every step. And as each day passed, the sense of accomplishment became more profound. We really did feel like what we were doing was special, something no-one had ever done. What were the biggest challenges you had to overcome? Sami: The real challenge is in your mind. Sure, there were aches, pains, and some fatigue early on. But the sense of camaraderie, combined with your own spirit, and that little voice in your head it all worked to get us through to the end. Early on, the biggest challenge was coming to terms with the scale of what we were doing. The prospect of walking nearly 1000km is almost too much to process. The first few days were daunting and a shock to the system, so breaking the journey up into milestones was important. Those first 10 days to Falougha were the toughest. I was definitely relieved to get there! Paul: I would describe the difficult moments as painfully joyful! I think that the key ingredients required to take on such a challenge are your personality, your attitude and your discipline. Physical fitness only makes up about 20% of what is needed. You really need to have a positive mindset, where you try to enjoy the whole experience, accepting the tough moments as just part of the adventure. You met the other Thru Walk teams four times on your journey. Did these meetings help motivate you in any way? Paul: Absolutely! We were really excited to meet them, especially as many of the Thru Hikers were good friends. The first 10 days were quite intense, so we were looking forward to the social contact and sharing our experiences! Sami: We met the Hyrax team at the start on the first day, the Stone Marten team in Falougha, the Hyrax team in Falougha as well, and then the Stone Marten team again for the last 3 sections. The support we had from the Thru Walk teams meant a huge amount to us. Of course, it s a great motivator to be cheered on by fellow hikers. Walking from Andqet to Falougha in 10 days, you want to share this with someone. So, meeting them was a big boost, and it continued to be a shot in the arm every time we crossed each other s path. Describe the feeling on the 14th day, the half way point, when you had to do it all over again. Did you have any doubts? Paul: Getting through those first 14 days felt like a real achievement. There was definitely a sense of satisfaction! Knowing that we had completed the first half on schedule made the second half much more relaxed. Plus, we were getting stronger the further we went, and more confident with every passing day. Sami: Yes, the half way point was a big relief, though maybe we didn t consciously realize it on that day. [68] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

36 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS But walking on the way back did feel more relaxed. Once the big midway milestone had been reached, I don t think we really had any doubts about completing the second half. Knowing we were on our way back almost had a magnetic pull to it! We ve been told, you could have done it in fewer days! How was this possible, and how did you manage your pace throughout the hike? Sami: Our plan was to walk the last two days with the Thru Walk team. When we planned our hike, we purposely didn t include any rest days. So these last two days, walked at a slower pace, could serve as a buffer for us if we had needed more time. How did you manage the logistical side of things? Sami: We had organized our own custom-made logistics. A car was always following us, communication was available whenever we needed it, and our food, medication and other equipment was always to hand. When you start hiking at 5am each day for hours, you really need your logistics to align perfectly with your daily schedule. Paul: At the end of each stage we were picked up by our vehicle and taken to our guesthouse. We departed very early the following morning and were driven back to where we had finished the day before. Regarding guesthouses, all we needed was a place to crash, hot water and basic food. And every time, that s what we got. No complaints at all! Were you on a strict diet? What was the physical impact of doing such a demanding hike? Sami: We knew it was essential to maintain an optimal diet, so preparation was key. We met with our dietician, Monique Bassila Zaarour (another LMT Veteran!) who estimated our daily calorie burn. She then met with us individually, asked us the right questions, and advised us on the right diet so that by the end we would only lose 4 to 5 kilograms. We followed it to the letter: olives, olive oil, jam, eggs, qawarma, peanut butter and jelly. We saw food only as fuel and didn t consider it for its tasty properties! Discipline had its say too! We became troopers for the month, and our routines became sacred! being channeled directly to where it was needed in the body. We did have a few luxuries though. We were eating chocolate like there was no tomorrow. And each evening we always made time for a nice scotch. Ice, or no ice! What was the reaction of local communities you met along the way, especially when you told them about the cause that you were walking for? Sami: Most of them said we were crazy and didn t believe us! A guy once almost fell off his chair in Kfardebiane! It s understandable given what we were doing, and I suppose people reacting this way gives you extra motivation. Plus, it reminds you you re doing something extraordinary. In Hasbaiya, we were having falafel in a shop while telling our story to the shopkeeper; a customer was so amazed that he paid for our sandwiches! Paul: Everyone we met was so supportive, it was always uplifting. We experienced a moment in the Druze area, where the Cheikh welcomed us with arms wide open, saying that Lebanon is an open space for everybody. When you are walking across the whole country, you are always conscious of the legacy of Lebanon s complicated past. But everyone was so generous to us, and I think because it was just the two of us, it gave us more opportunity for interaction than if we had been a bigger group. Seeing such warmth and hospitality from so many different social groups was truly humbling. Did you see any degradation on the LMT, and how did it make you feel? Paul: As members of the LMTA Committee, sadly, trail degradation is something we are both familiar with. Unfortunately, we did see damage to parts of the trail, and in some instances this forced us take detours. But hopefully, the publicity we generated through the hike will raise awareness and help preserving the trail and the mountain environment for future generations. Sami: It s sad, and seeing the trail being compromised in so many places was disappointing. But on a positive note, we saw communities being prepared to take positive action. On one stretch between Niha and Jezzine, we came across some waste dumped on the trail. When we alerted the local municipality to what we had found, they responded immediately, and it was cleared within a few days. Paul: As difficult as the first 14 days were, getting through them on target did put a spring in our step for the second half of the hike. We were gradually getting faster and on some days, we even managed to complete our planned daily distance ahead of time. We d continue walking for a little bit more, reducing the number of kilometers for the next day. Being ahead of the curve was always a good feeling! And it gave us the opportunity to enjoy completing the final few days alongside the Thru Walk team. Paul: We needed to take in 6,000 to 7,000 calories per day! We ate so much, but never felt the weight of it. I think that psychologically, it felt like it was [70] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

37 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS What was it like passing through the trail during early Spring? Paul: This was one of the best aspects of the whole journey. We experienced all four seasons in the space of a month, and I think most people would agree the trail is at its most picturesque in the spring. Being able to see the whole landscape transition into spring is truly beautiful, and because it was just the two of us hiking, we could pass through places quietly. Rabbits and foxes in abundance too! Sami: The trail was stunning in spring, but the best thing was passing through the same places twice gave us a unique opportunity to compare the end of one season with the beginning of the next. Seeing the transformation in the early spring flora over the space of a few weeks was amazing. You were also able to raise some valuable funds for the LMTA. How were you able to do this? Sami: While the hike was first and foremost a personal endeavor, we chose to dedicate it to the cause of the LMTA, specifically raising awareness around the protection of the mountains. We re very grateful to our sponsors for the financial support that enabled us to undertake the hike and support our logistics. But once we were underway, and once people started to hear what we were doing, it was the influx of private donations that allowed us to raise some money for the LMTA. Paul: We were taken aback by the amount of publicity the hike started to generate, and within a few days it seemed like a whole PR machine was behind us. Soon, we were doing daily interviews, meeting press, news and TV, keeping a video diary... with all of this being promoted on social media. It was the thousands of people that were following us, watching our interviews, that first generated a buzz and then a genuine interest in the LMT. As soon as we started receiving the first few donations, we set up a fund page and then the rest just followed. Needless to say, we are truly appreciative of people s generosity in supporting such a worthy cause. Thank you so much! Would you recommend the Super Thru Walk to others? Paul: I suppose the bar has been raised now and of course we encourage others to take on the challenge, and maybe even exceed it. But truly, it s a tough experience, and won t suit everyone. I remember one day, Sami had a badly swollen foot. He showed it to the doctor, who recommended he stop walking immediately. Dismayed, it felt like the whole plan was going to fall apart. But luckily Sami is as stubborn as he is tough, he kept going and walked through it. So be prepared for some aches and pains, but it will be worth it! Sami: There is no time for the body to recover. We spent half an hour every night mending our blisters. But by the last 10-day run, our bodies had toughened up, and we had got used to the wear & tear. The real challenge is in the head. I would definitely recommend it to those who have it in their minds and in their feet. You ll come back exhilarated! Is there anyone who contributed to the Super Thru Hike that you would like to thank? Paul: Of course, Sami, for being such a great team mate! The Super Thru Hike was successful because of the team work that went into it, especially what went on behind the scenes. We must thank Christian Akhrass for backing us up. He helped us put together a strategy for the walk, and this was invaluable! We called him a few times for directions, and knowing that somebody with his knowledge was there when we needed him was reassuring. But it was the incredible beauty and diversity of the LMT that we must thank the most. We did this hike because we are forever indebted to the nature that surrounds us. If the Super Thru Hike has helped to raise awareness about protecting our treasured Lebanese mountains, then all our efforts have been dedicated to a most worthy cause! Sami: I d like to thank Paul for his companionship! One of the reasons for our success is that we were so in-sync with one another. Decision making was easy, and it was truly a pleasure walking with him. The support we had from our families and our friends was unforgettable, but it was all the teamwork that made the difference. Christian s guidance was priceless, along with our sponsors support, and all the other people who contributed along the way. And finally, the LMTA, whose tireless work with local communities ensures we have a trail in the first place. Thank you all! How did completing the hike make you feel, and how do you feel now 5 months later? Paul: It was an experience I will never forget! Of course, there s a sense of achievement and real pride in what we did together. But I think it proves that no matter how great the challenge, no matter who you are, or how old you are, if your head and heart is committed, you can achieve almost anything. This experience has inspired me, and I hope others too, to be more fearless in fulfilling life s goals, whatever they may be. Sami: The super hike meant so much to me in so many ways, but above all it has given me a lesson in life s potential. Never be afraid of taking on a challenge, no matter how big or how daunting it might appear. Life is here to test us, to give us opportunities to challenge ourselves to grow and achieve what often seems unachievable. Whether this is through recreation, hiking, sport, or any other life pursuit, it doesn t matter. I hope our experience inspires others to embrace a challenge of their own. And no matter how hard it might seem, or how tough it gets, if you go one step at a time, you will get there! [72] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

38 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS RUNNING THE LMT LMT RUN #2, CHECK. Encounter with Avedis Kalpaklian, after running the entire LMT for the second time. Stephanie Audi You ran the entire LMT twice already, when is the third time? I ll be running it hopefully next May Though Every time I run the LMT I say it s the last time! Why!? It s too hard on the body. The first time I ran it, it took me two months and a half for recovery, to get back in full shape. The second time, a bit less. Our LMT is very demanding, it s very technical. It s not an easy run, with all the up hills and down hills. For example, going up towards Ehden, the trail is very rocky, and requires a certain kind of effort that not every trail runner is up for. There are many trails like that around the world; I once took part in a race in Dalias in Andalusia where I encountered a steep rocky downhill. Having had enough experience by now, which is the best season to run the LMT? Now that Patrick Vaughan did the third run faster than I have, I will surely run it again next May. I think that I can really take advantage of more light during the days to run more, even if it s a bit hot at that time of the year. Plus you get to see the green Lebanon, and you take advantage of the Spring season and its energy. Last time you were able to make it in fewer days, 9 days instead of 10 in What was different? TThe first run was in early December; it was very cold.i ran it for the second time with more experience; I definitely knew the trail better. Plus I ran it by the end of October; the weather was better than December. So technically I ran it in 8 days and 10 hours. Obviously you have encountered difficulties in this run as well. Were there new challenges? Or were they the same ones as the previous year? The new challenge was mainly the weather; we faced tough winds and a hard rain shower on the last day, me and my friend Lindos Daou. People who saw us running thought we were crazy. But having a friend by your side is a big boost to complete the run. Plus we had faced worse weather than that! Who ran with you? A couple of friends from Polyliban joined me on few sections; Naoum El Sayegh and Maya Bou Nassar ran with me on day 6. They gave me a great push for my morale. And as mentioned before, Lindos Daou - my mountaineer and ski touring partner - ran with me on the last day from Rachaiya to Marjaayoun in heavy rain and strong winds. What was the cause that you were running for? I ran the entire Lebanon Mountain Trail to promote healthy lifestyle and spread awareness about diabetes; while achieving the challenge of the run, I wanted to raise awareness around the role of Dialeb and also to raise funds in support its activities. I myself didn t know much about diabetes, and getting in touch with Dialeb helped me to be familiar with it, along with some of its special cases; diabetes in children is one example. Dialeb is a non-profit organization that focuses on diabetes awareness, with the aim of empowering patients, spreading knowledge among the public and providing support to those who are living with the disease. What do you think of the support you re getting from people, do they show any? Or are they losing interest in supporting causes? People are always supportive for good causes, and when you couple it with an activity, in my case the run, it gets all the more interesting. With all the media exposure that these kinds of runs can get, people get a chance to express their compassion, and they do. Stephanie Audi We made three stops for diabetes exams with Dialeb in El Qoubaiyat, Faraya and Marjaayoun. I could clearly see the impact this made on people, and the compassion they showed. On a personal level, when I run for a cause, it gives me a push. Sometimes I feel like I don t want to let them down. When I m faced with a difficult situation, I think about this and that keeps me going! As you know, the LMTA chose a theme for this year: Together We Walk To Protect Our Mountains. Did you notice any differences on the LMT from the previous run to this one? Leaving El Qemmamine, going south, in Ayroun before Talchima, big chunks of the mountains are literally being eaten... the land is literally being devastated! Do you think that together we can run to protect our mountains? All initiatives are useful. Be it running or anything else. If the system is broken, personal initiatives count. The solution doesn t always have to come from the top management. It includes other aspects, apart from taking direct action, like raising awareness. I think if one is motivated enough, one can make even a slight difference. [74] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

39 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS A NEW TRAIL RUNNING RECORD ON THE LMT Interview with Patrick Vaughan, Trail Runner from the USA Phyllis Neriah Tsang The Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), any news on that? The UTMB, is 170 km in one go, with 10,000 meters total in height difference. I m training to get to 100 km in one day. I haven t run above 60 km in one day yet. My other goal is to run 24 hours non-stop. I ve already skied for 33 hours non-stop in Lebanon, from Nabe el Sukkar, passing by Qornet El Sawda, to Warde in Kfardebiane. Running the UTMB won t probably happen any time before the next two years; but I m definitely running it one day! You know that there s a point system in these races, whether with the ITRA (International Trail Running Association) or the UTMB, which has another point system. I would need 15 points from running races of 70 km and 100 km around the world - races that abide by these systems. Lebanon should be included on this map of races. Foreigners and professional runners would come more and more; this is how the level of running would go higher in Lebanon. Let s not forget that the LMT would get more awareness. I am going to be a volunteer paramedic with the UTMB again this year. We d like to hear about more funny incidents that happened to you on the trail! Well once I was waiting for my crew at one spot, and they were supposedly waiting for me at the same spot according to the GPS location we had shared. I couldn t see them, they couldn t see me, but we were both definitely there. There was a big confusion! I was in a hurry to eat some food and leave! Time was passing by... Apparently there was a newly-built agricultural terrace wall with a bend in it and we were each at one end, only a few meters away from each other. Any other kind of interesting encounters you can remember, which you had with the locals? In one of the guesthouses in the north, the father of the owner who had just found out about the details of my trip told me that I m a complete lunatic for running this much. Why would you run all the way to Marjaayoun?! Phyllis Neriah Tsang Patrick! Please introduce yourself. I m Patrick Vaughan from Arlington, Virginia USA, I just turned 40. I have 8-year old twin boys and I m a Trail Runner. How long have you been trail running? Most of my running has been in the US on the East Coast, in Virginia, Shenandoah Mountains... The Appalachian Trail passes about 45 minutes from my house, so I ve been running on the AT quite a bit. I ve run races in Virginia, West Virginia and in the Maryland-DC area. At the end of the year, I wanted to start exploring other places to run. I scheduled a couple of runs in 2017 outside of my region; one was in Moab, Utah; Moab is a big mountain biking and rock climbing and outdoor sports destination in the US. The second was running the LMT, which is sort of my big trip. This is the first time I ve run anywhere outside of the USA. I ve had a connection with Lebanon for 20 years; I was married to a Lebanese woman for most of the last 15 years. I visited Lebanon once a year for 15 [76] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

40 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS years or so. Unfortunately we re no longer married but we get along really well and my kids come and visit here. I told myself if I could go anywhere in the world to run in the mountains, where would I wanna go; of course there are places all over the world that everybody knows; Chamonix is one of the biggest world destination for trail runners. But I knew there were these mountains here in Lebanon. I m very comfortable in Lebanon, probably more comfortable here than in most other countries outside the US. It just made sense to me, all these years I looked at those mountains, being driven here and there. It was a stroke of luck; I sat up in the middle of the night and said I bet there s a trail in Lebanon that I can go run. It was 3 AM in the states, 10 AM in Lebanon. I googled Lebanon Trail and the LMT came up. I contacted Nadine, LMTA s ex-president, and she pointed me to Avedis Kalpaklian. My first thought was that there wouldn t be anybody who d done it before. And so I thought that I could be the first person to run on this trail, and I quickly found out that Avedis had run it, and Ali Kedami was working on his races on the LMT. It started to catch fire with me, that there was a community starting to build here, that there was actually a trail and somebody who d done the run. It made a lot of sense to me. Phyllis Neriah Tsang Especially when I contacted Avedis and he was excited about it, almost immediately started giving me advice on when I should do it. I was really surprised how much he was on board with helping me, not just to try and do it but also to break his time. And primarily to get visibility for the trail; he ran it so that people would become aware that the trail was there. And I got the feeling that he was very supportive; he said: let s push this time thing as an angle to make it more visible and get more people more interested in it. Trail running on the side, what do you do for a living? I m a software IT sales person. I have a small business that I run, with just a few employees. It s a nice lifestyle. I work for myself, but it s very stressful. And when I found trail running, it was a great escape, a stress relief, almost meditative. The time that I spend out on the trail is one of the few times in my life where I m not thinking about anything other than that next step, or that next hill. It s worrying about survival for that amount of time versus career, job, people... The job definitely has a lot to do with why I do this in my spare time. Phyllis Neriah Tsang stuff that I could ever possibly need! But I didn t know what the conditions would be like, if it would be rainy, or cold, I came prepared for anything. But the last thing you want is to get into the middle of something like that and have a problem and not have the right gear and nutritional elements. I m familiar with the food here but I m also a vegan. That was a concern; a big part of trail running is the nutritional aspect and fueling yourself for hours. So I brought a ton of food! I probably should ve been more concerned about how I was going to navigate the trail and things like that. But Avedis was pretty adamant over the last several months that he knew the trail and he d be able to help direct me. Now that you ve done it, can you describe the Lebanese mountains in two words? Steep! And Dramatic! They re diverse and have a lot of different types of terrain. There are not a lot of mountains in the US, especially the western US and the Rocky Mountain range, that look the way the Lebanese mountains do. Or that have the elevation or the short distance that they have. So yeah! Dramatic! Phyllis Neriah Tsang You ve never been on the LMT before. Was it stressful, coming here to run it? It was stressful mostly in that I hadn t done a lot of travelling for races. I brought so much stuff with me! I have way more [78] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

41 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS So what are the numbers? A little under seven days, 452km on the main trail, that makes about 70km a day. How many hours per day? I thought that I would be doing 10 to 12-hour kind of days; it really was more like 14 to 16. And a lot of that was the middle part of the day when it was just so hot and I couldn t do more than a walking pace for some sections. Especially when I was doing steep inclines and it s 2 o clock in the afternoon... How much water were you drinking per day? The crew was amazing; they brought me 6-gallon bottles of water constantly, I would see them every 2 to 6 hours throughout the day, every time I saw them I would reload a 2-liter backpack of water. I would say at least 6 to 8 liters of water per day. The logistics were good? Indeed, though it was a little tough. I don t think it would ve been possible without Avedis and Bashar. Avedis, having done it twice, knew where to tell me to meet. And then the whole system we had set up for sharing locations back and forth... it took a lot of logistics from everybody to make it work. Food! I know you re vegan now! Yeah, I made exceptions this trip, especially staying in the guesthouses! You know I m staying at people s guesthouses, and part of the experience is the local cultural experience... The cheese was hard to avoid... But some foods even had just a little bit of meat in them; the rice a lot of the time had some beef and chicken. It s funny, I didn t eat nearly as much food as I expected because a lot times, especially in the heat when I run, it s hard for me to eat real food. And so I actually brought protein powders and when we got here I went and bought soymilk. Obviously, I love hummus... and honestly, I had a lot of mana ish! It was easy to have a few bites. How was your interaction with the locals? That was by far the best part. Here s the number one encounter. It was the last day, we were crossing the Bekaa before Rashaiya, and I had to go over 50 miles to get to the finish. I didn t want to have to go another day. So I was trying to just keep pushing for the whole day. And the hardest part of the day at 1 or 2 o clock in the afternoon, we were crossing what felt like the middle of the desert; it was dry, dusty, and I had already drunk my two liters of water from the last stop. Then there was a shepherd in the valley before Rashaiya, he had his tents and his setup and his sheep were all there, and I was just going to continue past. But he stopped Avedis and asked him what we were doing and they started talking. He offered us some water. I generally don t want to impose on people, especially that I know they have to carry his water to get there. But he kept insisting and Avedis asked me and Phyllis if we needed water. She admitted that she was out and I said I had got nearly one sip left but we thought we were gonna meet the crew in another 20 or 30 minutes so we weren t really too worried about it. Phyllis Neriah Tsang But this man was so kind and he insisted that we take some water. He goes back into his tent and comes back out and he s got this chilled metal cup with ice cold water that, honestly, I hadn t had other than from streams where I was dunking my head... that was the coldest most refreshing cup of water that I think I had in the entire trip! Then we took a picture with him and his four little kids. That was just amazing. That was one of highlights of the whole trip for me. That happened several times but that one just stood out for me. It helped me finish the entire thing. The people we came across were the best part of the whole trail. How do you feel about trail degradation? That was one of the tough parts for me. There were just places where either because it s not used all the time, it s really overgrown with lot of thorny bushes. My legs look like they were shredded. There were places where the trail markings had changed, or you could see there had been some construction and clearly the markers were gone because there s a big side of the mountain that s not there anymore. It s too bad to see that. One of the reasons that I tried to do the fundraiser with the American Friends of the LMT in the US was because I know that it s not a protected trail. In the US, trails like that, you can t touch them, they re permanent basically. I know it s not the case here and I guess it was not to be unexpected but it definitely created challenges for the run. I spent a lot time getting lost or off trail, not because of anybody s fault, but I just couldn t find the next marker for one reason or another. So that was definitely a challenge of the run. Are you going to run it again? I am! I think Avedis wants to go for the new record first and I will absolutely come and crew and support and do whatever I can to help him because that s the whole point, to get visibility for it. I would love to do it again and bring friends back to run on it. I tried to this year, but as we said, not everybody feels safe coming to Lebanon unfortunately. But I would love to work with the LMTA and Ali Kedami, who wants to coordinate these races here. Whether it s running the whole trail or putting together a 3 or 5-day kind of stage race... there are some amazingly beautiful spots here that people should see and trail runners love those kind of trails. It s a great trail runner destination. I could see it being a place where they would hold some of the UT (Ultra Trail) Trail series races and you could get some European interest for coming here and doing the races. I m all for running it again, supporting and building a running community around it, because in my experience people that do trail running love the [80] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

42 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS PREMIÈRE COURSE À PIED SUR LE LMT Entretien avec Ali Kedami Carlos Bou Nafeh woods and the mountains and they re willing to make sacrifices to help protect these kind of areas. outdoor community who were enthusiastic and excited about all the different activities here. What about your next step regarding Trail Running? I have a 100-mile race coming up in August; then I ll start working on my next adventure run like this. I m definitely planning to move more towards adventure tourism running versus races. Racing is fun but it s a staged, controlled environment. This is more exciting, it s more interesting; the cultural aspect of it to me is a great component of it and I love having an excuse to go to an area that I don t know and get lost in the mountains. If it includes some component of meeting new and different types of people, then all the better. Anything you d like to add? It was amazing, I m so thrilled that the trail exists now and this whole experience, not just running the trail, but the night I got here we got to go to the Banff Film Festival in Beirut. The theatre was full; I got to see the number of people from the Lebanese Lebanon has a great diversity offerings, from rock climbing to trail running, mountain biking, paragliding, you guys have everything. The day after the run, I went to the opening of a trail in Jabal Moussa... I got to do outdoor related activities every single day that I was here. 15 years of coming here and up till now that s never been the case. This showed a whole new part of Lebanon that I didn t know existed before. I m excited about promoting that and showing it to other people. Ali Kedami est membre du "4 Deserts Members Club". A ce titre, il a déjà participé à quatre courses de 250 km divisées en 6 étapes, en autosuffisance dans les déserts de quatre continents: > The Last Desert (Antarctique, Pôle Sud ) > Atacama Crossing (Chili ) > Gobi March (Chine ) > Sahara Race (Egypte ) La LMTA remercie vivement Ali Kedami pour avoir initié la course en sentier ou "Trail Running" sur le LMT et au Liban. Ali Kedami Il a également participé au marathon de Paris à trois reprises ainsi qu'au marathon de Beyrouth annuellement depuis 2005 jusqu en [82] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

43 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS Pour toi Ali, que représente le "Trail Running"? Le "Trail Running", c'est pour moi la liberté de courir dans une belle nature et dans un environnement sain. Résumé en trois mots: liberté, nature et santé! D'abord une passion, les compétitions et puis la naissance d'une association "4 Seasons Mountain Trails". Qu'est ce qui fait courir Ali Kedami? L'enthousiasme nait du plaisir de faire quelque chose. Je suis guidé par le plaisir. Le plaisir de partager une passion, mon expérience et surtout la fierté de faire découvrir aux autres les paysages somptueux de la montagne libanaise. Pourquoi avoir choisi le LMT? Le LMT est une évidence! Une fois sur le LMT, on se sent aspiré par la beauté et la diversité du paysage. La technicité de certaines sections aussi qui transforme la traversée en une véritable une aventure. Comment pourriez-vous décrire l enthousiasme des coureurs libanais et arabes pour ce genre d évènements ou de compétitions? Le "Trail Running" n'est pas bien ancré encore dans la mentalité libanaise (ni arabe en général). A ce jour, il faut reconnaitre que le nombre de libanais qui aiment courir en montagne est assez faible. La plupart des coureurs choisissent la facilité: chausser ses baskets et aller courir en ville est beaucoup plus simple que prendre sa voiture pour plus d'une heure de route et courir en nature. Pour un amoureux du "Trail Running", le plaisir passe par ce type de sacrifice. Et rien ne pourrait l arrêter! Comment les coureurs étrangers nonarabes perçoivent un évènement de "Trail Running" au Liban? La plupart des étrangers que j'ai rencontrés (ici ou lors de mes voyages), ont une pensée positive du Liban: sa cuisine, sa joie de vivre, etc. L'idée de courir en montagne dans notre pays est un plus qu'ils trouvent très attrayant. Sur les deux courses déjà réalisées au Liban, le seul fait que les coureurs veulent y retourner est un signe qu'ils ont apprécié. Et le "bouche à oreille" dans ce cas là fonctionne à merveille. Je reçois beaucoup de messages pour me demander des détails sur les courses à venir. "4 Seasons Mountain Trails" organise plusieurs événements de "Trail Running" par an sur le LMT. Quels sont les obstacles que vous rencontrez pour l organisation de tels évènements du point de vue des coureurs, des communautés locales et des sponsors? Le seul problème majeur que nous rencontrons, c'est de trouver des sponsors. Pour obtenir un résultat satisfaisant, nous sommes obligés de mettre la main dans nos poches. Alors que l'environnement et la nature devraient attirer les sponsors et les volontaires, au Liban c'est encore loin d'être le cas. Le "Trail Running" est un sport qui se développe mondialement. Quel plan de développement du "Trail Running" envisagerais-tu au Liban? A l'échelle mondiale, le "Trail Running" atteint actuellement des proportions phénoménales. Mais dans la plupart des pays, l'organisation des courses est beaucoup plus facile qu'ici. Au Liban, il faut tracer un chemin, trouver des volontaires, des partenaires et des passionnés de nature. Malheureusement, sans sponsor, il est difficile de récolter des fonds. Et sans argent, on ne peut rien faire! Ce que j'envisage, c'est de trouver des moyens de motiver les libanais à aimer davantage la nature et l'environnement; aimer la montagne et la respecter; aimer le sport et la course à pieds en particulier, ou même la randonnée. Pour cela, j'invite très souvent des personnes à venir courir avec moi en montagne. J'organise des sorties sur des portions du LMT. Cela se termine dans un village chez un boulanger local à manger des "manaqish". Ensuite, il faudra trouver des sponsors qui accepteront de financer l'organisation de courses. Le "4 Seasons Mountain Trails" est une idée géniale: quatre courses dans les quatre saisons dans des endroits différents du nord au sud devraient être une attraction sportive, culturelle et touristique. J'ai foi en l'avenir de ce sport au Liban! Il y va de la survie de notre belle montagne et notre nature. Est-ce que tu pourrais nous raconter une anecdote lors de tes courses? J'ai eu un échange avec un hollandais quand j'allais participer à une course en Antarctique. Il était surpris de rencontrer un libanais qui courait 250km et en plus dans la neige au Pôle Sud. L'idée qu'il se faisait des Libanais était que nous n'étions intéressés que par la guerre! Bien sur à la fin de la course il s'est excusé d'avoir eu de telles pensées et a complètement changé d'avis sur nous. Je suis donc très heureux d'avoir contribué à améliorer la réputation des libanais à travers ce sport. Est-ce que tu voudrais remercier quelqu'un en particulier? Mes premiers remerciements vont pour ma famille qui me soutient dans ma passion. Aussi des remerciements à la LMTA pour les efforts qu'ils font pour le maintien de ce sentier magnifique de 470km. Un appel à quelqu un? Un appel aux libanais: venez découvrir votre pays! Le Liban ce n'est pas seulement le béton des villes, c'est aussi la nature et la montagne qu'il faudrait préserver. Pour plus d'informations sur la "4 Seasons Mountain Trails" et ses compétitions, prière de contacter: ALI KEDAMI au Ou par akedami@hotmail.fr Ali Kedami - 4 Seasons Mountain Trails Page Facebook: [84] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

44 THIS YEAR'S HAPPENINGS FFA WALKS LEBANON: MAKING THE CONNECTION "Team members have discovered a new-found appreciation for nature, life and one another through the FFA Walks Lebanon initiative". There were challenging moments too in every trip, when courage, endurance and team work came to the fore. Come rain or shine, in snow, fog and blazing sun, the team has not only hiked mountains but also traversed rivers, skied down the longest slope in Lebanon and abseiled down a waterfall in Jezzine. One of the most memorable trips coincided with the end of the LMT Spring Trail which culminated in Marjayoun. There, together with the LMT team, FFA Walks Lebanon members enjoyed a feast of southern delicacies that prompted rave reviews. And it was during this trip that the FFA Walks team got to meet and hike with Adam Bennington, a British citizen who had been inspired to complete the LMT in one stretch and to blog about his experiences. Like Bennington, FFA Private Bank Group is keen and proud to share its experiences with the world. FFA Private Bank Team Photo Courtesy of FFA Private Bank Diversity has always been a source of pride at FFA Private Bank Group, comprising FFA Private Bank and FFA Real Estate, whose 120 team members hailing from all corners of Lebanon. Getting to know one another inside the confines of an office is never the easiest of tasks but what if these colleagues went beyond the office not only to discover each other but their home towns and villages too? This is how the idea for FFA Walks Lebanon first arose, an initiative that took shape with the close cooperation of the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association (LMT). Starting in February this year, FFA team members began sacrificing their weekends off and heading out together to discover places to which many of them had never been. It was clear from the very beginning that something special was happening on these trips outside the capital. Participants found themselves rediscovering nature, their shared heritage and their country while at the same time deepening their connections with one another, an experience described by one team member as an accelerated bonding exercise. Each journey became a learning experience about nature, local food specialties and the cultural wealth of the country as well as that of humanity itself. Local people would often share their insights and experiences, something that served as a reminder of the value of the simple things in life. One goat herder in Akkar recounted the story of how his father used to split an olive into four to feed him and his brothers; the son of a family in the Qadisha Valley told of having to carry his mother on his shoulders while he hiked for an hour to reach the nearest road when she needed medical attention. The series of trips began in Ain Zhalta, in the Shouf mountains, when snow was still covering the higher altitudes of the Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve. Here the team learned more about Lebanon s iconic species of tree, and how to distinguish wild animal footprints as they passed through the reserve. A hike to the top rewarded them with a stunning panoramic view over the Bekaa Valley, a moment in which Lebanon s diverse scenery came into full focus. Photo Courtesy of FFA Private Bank Photo Courtesy of FFA Private Bank [86] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

45 THIS YEAR S HAPPENINGS WHEN OUR FRIENDS FROM THE BRUCE TRAIL CONSERVANCY VISIT US preserve and protect this natural area and its lovely forests, and helped us plant a seedling cedar tree in honour of our visit. We felt the true spirit of the friendship trail on our hike when we noticed the maple trees which are rare in Lebanon (but very plentiful in Canada), and felt a piece of home in this beautiful land. Lebanon? Why do you want to go there? Isn t it dangerous? people would ask, when I said we re planning a trip there, and might they want to join us? No, I would say. We know people from Lebanon, like Wafa, and Bechara, and Dunia. They come up from Toronto with their friends to hike on our Friendship Trail and we have a great time together. And they know people in Lebanon, like Salam, and Martine, and Gilbert. And they ll help us plan our trip, and enjoy seeing their beautiful country! That was how a small group of six Canadians, representing the Bruce Trail in Canada, travelled to Lebanon in April to hike on the Lebanon Mountain Trail and tour the country. The Bruce Trail has had a Friendship Trail with the LMT since 2012, at the Bayview Escarpment Nature Reserve in the Sydenham Club (1 of the 9 sections of the Bruce Trail). Friendship trails have been established by the World Trails Network for some time and bring together groups of enthusiasts from around the world to share their knowledge of trails as a form of sustainable development. The first international visit of this particular friendship trail (Lebanese/Canadian) was made by Salam Khalife, who came from Lebanon to Canada in April She brought with her several friends from Montreal and Toronto up to the Sydenham Club (near Owen Sound) for a celebration and hike. And we ve had several more groups of Lebanese- Canadians living in Toronto come back to the Friendship Trail section for more hikes. Having previously arranged an itinerary with Gilbert Moukheiber, from 33-North Adventure Tour Company in Lebanon, the six of us formed the second international visit and flew to Beirut where we were picked up at the airport and taken to our first guesthouse. We were joining the Thru-Walkers at Bkassine. Frank Schoenhoeffer Everything was new to us: the idea of people spending the whole month of April hiking the entire LMT, staying in a different guesthouse every night, sharing a communal dinner with the whole group of Thru-Walkers and saving the leftovers in our backpacks for lunch the next day. And the food! Ya imme! It was always delicious! The aromas were new to us, the flavourful herbs and spices, particularly za atar. We were constantly treated to long, broad views of beautiful snow-capped peaks and valleys with pretty villages. The trail brought us past terraced hills packed with olives trees, tender fruits, and figs. It led us through pine forests, cedar forests, along hedgerows and flowering fragrant bushes more new and delightful aromas for us. Finally we arrived at our ultimate destination the Bruce Trail section on the LMT the friendship trail we had travelled all this way to see. Sandra, the Manager of Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve, told us about their important work they are doing to On the days off from hiking, Gilbert (and Carol, our driver) took us sight-seeing to the archaeological sites of Aanjar (a unique city from the Umayyad dynasty), wine tasting at Chateau Ksara (and wine shopping too!) and the Roman temple at Baalbek. And then the Qadisha Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site. What a gem! Hundreds of years of history, surrounded by nature, and preserved and protected in a stunningly beautiful valley. And yet it is shared with the local people who live there, and the many pilgrims and tourists who come to visit the ancient monasteries and hermitages inhabited even today by a faithful few. Arriving in Beirut, we visited the LMTA offices. Here we were also warmly welcomed by Martine, Zeinab, Christian, and other members of the association. We discussed several issues of common interest to our respective trail organizations, like trail maintenance, securing permissions to cross private land, educating the general public about trail etiquette, conservation and protection of fragile eco-systems. We also discussed how to seek more funding to help us do our good work. I m sure our trail organizations can work together in the future and continue sharing experiences and ideas in these areas. And finally, our thanks also go out to Salam Khalife for hosting us at her lovely home, and taking us to see Sidon, as well as the Maasser Al-Shouf Cedar Reserve, and to Alia who took us for a history tour of Downtown Beirut. To these and all our other Lebanese friends mentioned in this story, a big Thank You! from the bottom of our Canadian hearts for showing us how warm and welcoming Lebanon is. We have shared our stories and photos with families and friends back in Canada, and are encouraging them to also visit friendly, safe and beautiful Lebanon! Frank Schoenhoeffer the Bruce Trail Conservancy Frank Schoenhoeffer [88] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

46 THIS YEAR S HAPPENINGS SEUL SUR LE LMT, DE BOUT EN BOUT aux rencontres que l'on y fait. La randonnée peut effectivement comprendre une dimension humaine et un enrichissement culturel. Pourquoi avoir choisi le Liban? Je suis particulièrement attaché au Liban depuis mon enfance, et ce en grande partie en raison de la couverture médiatique de la guerre à compter de Plusieurs fois par semaine, je suivais le journal télévisé qui ouvrait souvent sur le Liban. J étais très jeune à l'époque et j étais en quelque sorte un peu "bercé" par ces évènements tragiques. Mais déjà ce pays me fascinait. Le choix du LMT n est donc pas du tout de circonstance! Je suis d ailleurs venu une première fois au Liban avec un ami français journaliste durant l été Depuis cette date, j ai toujours voulu revenir. J ai beaucoup d amis libanais à Paris et c'est grâce à eux que j ai appris l existence du LMT. Jean Rochet - Dans la re serve de Tannourine En juillet-aout 2017, Jean Rochet a marché seul sur l intégralité du parcours du LMT. Lors d'un entretien, il nous a raconté avec passion son expérience. Jean, pourriez-vous vous présenter aux lecteurs? J ai 47 ans. Je suis juriste de formation et actuellement chef d'une entreprise de conseil et de formation à Paris. Originaire de Bordeaux, le Massif des Pyrénées a toujours eu ma prédilection du fait de la grande richesse floristique et faunistique qu il présente. C est le premier massif que j ai traversé. C était durant l été Depuis, j ai fait plusieurs grandes randonnées. J ai ainsi arpenté les Alpes par différentes «Via Alpina». Mais j ai aussi parcouru des itinéraires dans les Dolomites ou encore dans l Himalaya. Je suis un passionné de montagne en général et d alpinisme et de randonnée en particulier. Je pratique toutefois de plus en plus la randonnée car je trouve qu'elle apporte un plaisir plus contemplatif et que l on peut y trouver des intérêts supplémentaires grâce Marcher seul, qu est-ce que ça vous rapporte? Marcher seul, c est une démarche intéressante, très personnelle. C est peut-être avant tout se lancer un défi à soi-même. C'est aussi profiter des rencontres. Marcher seul pourrait signifier «penser tout le temps». Mais en réalité, je pense dans l ensemble à peu de choses et toujours de façon ponctuelle et brève. En fait, ma principale préoccupation, c est simplement de mettre un pied devant l autre, de trouver le bon itinéraire et de ne pas me blesser. Mon métier, c est aussi de m adresser toute l année à des publics constitués par des groupes de 15 à 300 personnes. Là, ça change... je suis seul et j ai la montagne avec moi! Vous vous êtes fait des amis? Oui. J ai rencontré des gens avec lesquels je serai certainement encore en contact. Une de ces personnes est le patron d'un bar-restaurant situé à proximité du monastère d'el Qoubaiyat. C'est un fan de montagne et nous envisageons de parcourir la haute route Chamonix-Zermatt en ski de randonnée. J ai également rencontré des Libanais qui vivent ou qui ont des attaches en France. Ils semblaient tous très enthousiastes à l idée de me faire découvrir leur pays. Venir seul, au Liban, en milieu montagnard peu connu, il vous a fallu du courage, non? Pourquoi? Il existe certes toujours un peu d appréhension par rapport à l inconnu. Je ne connaissais pas l itinéraire. Mais l appréhension n était pas plus importante que celle que j ai eue au départ d'autres randonnées. Lorsque l'on est motivé, que l'on a l envie et que l'on aime la montagne, le reste suit et alors la volonté, couplée à un peu d expérience, peut suffire. Le Liban, c est pour moi avant tout le «Proche»- Orient. Je dis délibérément "Proche" et non Moyen- Orient comme les anglo-saxons car ce qualificatif met bien en exergue la proximité humaine, culturelle, politique et bien sûr historique qui lie la France et le Liban. En dépit de certains clichés et de lieux communs qui peuvent malheureusement parfois subsister, il semble utile et opportun de rappeler que l essentiel du territoire libanais demeure parfaitement fiable et sûr. Mon expérience me permet même d affirmer [90] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

47 THIS YEAR S HAPPENINGS que le LMT est totalement "safe". J y ai ressenti énormément de quiétude et de calme. Est-il au demeurant utile de rappeler que les Libanais font toujours preuve d une très grande bienveillance pour les étrangers et qu ils sont extrêmement chaleureux et accueillants. L hospitalité des Libanais n'est plus à prouver. Est-ce qu'on vous a découragé de venir? Personne ne m'a découragé de manière explicite. Mais j ai senti des réserves de certaines personnes qui ne raisonnent que par rapport à des représentations, des assimilations et des raccourcis imputables à certains media. Le LMT est intéressant. C'est fabuleux et enrichissant tant d'un point de vue humain que culturel et cultuel. C'est un itinéraire de montagne qui sort vraiment des sentiers battus et qui est susceptible de plaire à beaucoup d Occidentaux et en particulier à bon nombre d Européens dont les Français bien entendu. Il est exigeant et demeure assez sauvage, préservé et n est pas trop fréquenté comme c'est le cas de certains GR européens à l instar du GR 20 en Corse. Vous reviendrez pour visiter davantage? Oui. Je reviendrai notamment pour arpenter de nouveau certaines étapes dans le nord mais aussi pour gravir le point culminant du Liban. Je désire aussi approfondir mes connaissances sur le pays et, entre autres, visiter des sites archéologiques à Tyr et des musées à Beyrouth. En bref, comment était votre expérience dans les auberges? Je suis originaire de Bordeaux et donc du Sud-Ouest de la France. Autrement dit, je suis un gascon et un bon vivant! La gastronomie libanaise était au rendez-vous, et ça compte. Je l ai appréciée à sa juste valeur. En plus, le confort et le prix des guesthouses sont franchement compétitifs par rapport à l offre constituée par la plupart des refuges de montagne en Europe. Que pensez-vous de la difficulté des étapes, par rapport aux GR européens? La difficulté du LMT n est pas constante. Certaines étapes sont courtes avec un faible dénivelé. D'autres sont plus longues avec un dénivelé de plus de mille mètres. Le type de terrain est aussi très variable. Jean Rochet - Entre Maaser ech-chouf et Niha Jean Rochet - Entre El Mtain et Falougha Mais en comparaison aux autres GR que j'ai faits, où on trouve tous les jours plus de 1000 mètres de dénivelé, je dirais que c est une difficulté moyenne. Comment vous vous êtes guidé pendant la randonnée: balisage? Carte? GPS? Guides locaux? J avais un GPS que j ai utilisé tous les jours. Mais je me suis aussi orienté grâce aux balises qui jalonnent presque tout le parcours. Si cette signalisation doit encore être complétée et développée sur quelques secteurs, il convient Jean Rochet Nour, jeune francophone de Rachaiya pre parant le mate toutefois de mettre en exergue sa pertinence et sa fiabilité. La possibilité d engager un guide sur ces sections peut, au demeurant, permettre de résoudre les éventuels problèmes d orientation. Comment vous vous êtes organisé pour la réservation des maisons d hôtes et les préparatifs? La tenue d une liste exhaustive des guesthouses par la LMTA rend les choses très simples. Un simple coup de téléphone quelques jours avant son arrivée permet de prévenir de sa venue et d effectuer une réservation. Je me permets de préciser que plusieurs personnes de la LMTA ont fait preuve d une constante disponibilité. Je pense notamment à Joseph, à Sawsan et bien entendu à Christian dont je voudrais souligner la bienveillance permanente et le très grand professionnalisme. Est-ce que vous auriez une anecdote à nous raconter durant votre randonnée sur le LMT? J ai rencontré à plusieurs reprises de jeunes enfants qui m accueillaient avec leurs parents dans les maisons d'hôtes. Certains sont venus, parfois en dépit de leur timidité, me parler en français avec beaucoup de fierté et d enthousiasme. J'ai ressenti un vrai bonheur pour eux car ils pouvaient parler en français à un Français. Je voyage assez souvent - un peu sur tous les continents et je n ai vraiment ressenti cela qu au Liban. En 1998 et cette année. Cette francophonie mêlée à cette francophilie, quand on voit ça dans les yeux d'un enfant de 7 ou 8 ans, c est extrêmement touchant. Quel est votre paysage favori sur le LMT? Dans la réserve du Chouf, j ai pris le parcours en altitude sur la crête. C est un des plus beaux points de vue de toute la traversée. On voit la plaine de la Bekaa à gauche et on devine la Méditerranée à droite, c est magnifique. Vous partez du Liban avec quelle impression? Il faudra que je revienne impérativement! J ai beaucoup appris, mais comme je le signale parfois à Paris, il existe une sentence qui dit que c est quand tu commences à croire que tu comprends le Liban que tu réalises que tu n as rien compris. Je pense que cet adage est particulièrement pertinent. J y pense tous les jours! Il illustre le caractère exceptionnel et complexe de ce pays ; c est extrêmement diversifié, très riche, toutes ces communautés qui, quoique l on en dise, coexistent quand même bien. Je fais partie des Français qui considèrent que le Liban n a jamais été un pays comme un autre. Il occupe même, à juste titre, une place très particulière dans l esprit et le cœur de bon nombre de mes compatriotes. Cet état de fait doit perdurer! Auriez-vous quelque chose à ajouter? J ai croisé quelques guides locaux comme Nizar et Habib. Ce sont des gens remarquables, extrêmement dévoués, très professionnels et qui aiment leur métier. J espère sincèrement que tout le travail remarquable qui a été fait par les gens de la LMTA sera mis à profit. Le LMT mérite d être encore développé parce qu'il mérite d'être mieux connu. En termes de sécurité, comme je l ai déjà dit, je n ai rencontré aucun problème. C'est aussi sensiblement moins cher qu en Europe. C est un itinéraire qui sort des sentiers battus. On y fait des rencontres intéressantes et on y croise toute la diversité du Liban. Je crois qu il peut vraiment exister une clientèle pour cela partout dans le monde. [92] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

48 THIS YEAR S HAPPENINGS MOUNTAIN BIKING THE LMT It started, as it often does, with a photo. This one, hanging in a Lebanese restaurant in Annemasse, France, showed a beautiful cedar tree standing in front of a snowy mountain. Instantly I was hooked. If there are mountains, then surely there are trails through them. As a professional adventure photographer, I m always looking for new and original editorials to go and shoot, and that one photo was the spark that made me begin an 18-month journey to mountain bike the LMT. I hadn t seen a mountain bike story from Lebanon before, nor had any of the editors of the magazines with which I work, so at least the originality box was ticked! All I needed to do was find a suitable trail to ride. Long distance hiking trails in is probably my most commonly used search engine phrase. It lets me find destinations that might offer multi-day mountain bike rides, that themselves deliver the kind of adventure story that is in vogue today. I added Lebanon and Google bounced back with the LMT. It was just one result, but enter mountain biking in Lebanon and you ll get fewer. I couldn t believe what I was seeing: I d hoped to maybe find one or two short trails, but a 470km long trail running the whole length of the country was unimaginable. Over the next 18 months in between other assignments, I dipped into the LMT s website, trying to determine from its descriptions of the trail exactly which sections might make good mountain biking. At least to us riders that look for single track paths rather than 4x4 roads to ride on. I read and re-read notes about the various LMT sections and plotted the trail on Google Earth to try to get an idea of the elevation gains, the steepness of climbs and the photo-potential of the surrounding terrain. The trip was coming together. Dan Milner I m old enough to remember British TV reports of a Lebanon at war and Beirut in ruins. The war has left Lebanon with an image that, however out of date, is unfortunately hard to shake off. And that made finding two fellow riders to come with me a challenge, as the first handful of professional mountain bikers I approached, said no. Who can blame them in a world where the seemingly complicated politics of the Middle East means the whole region is seen, naively by most, as almost one country? But I knew that the image would not be the same as truth and finally two other riders, who had accompanied me on previous trips to Argentina and Ethiopia, accepted my invitation. We booked tickets. Despite having chatted to a couple of British friends Dan Milner [94] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

49 THIS YEAR S HAPPENINGS who had climbed and ski-toured in Lebanon, neither I nor my two fellow mountain bikers really knew what to expect there. But what we found was nothing but warmth. Our ride began in Ehden, and that proved a rude awakening to the challenging rocky trails that would flavour our six days of riding along the LMT. We ed Raja Saade, whose contact I d been given from my ski-touring friend, and asked if he d help with support. His friend Ziad Abajy drove his old Land Rover to transport our overnight bags between the end points of the sections we rode, something that made our experience a lot easier when it came to the steep rocky climbs. We rode incredible, worldclass singletrack on some days and carried our bikes for hours on others the price you pay for riding bikes where few, if any, have ridden before. But this was something we d all done while exploring trails in many parts of the world. Dan Milner Our ride took us through beautiful villages and stunning scenery. We rode between incredible cedar trees, past ancient Roman ruins and over the mighty arch at Faqra. Route finding was impressively easy for the most part and we only got lost only twice, the first time while leaving Ehden! We rode into villages and were offered tea and beer by passers by, and each drive in the Land Rover to the next section of trail was accompanied by another Lebanese history lesson from Ziad. And we ate amazing, tasty food every day. And now the story from our ride has been published in seven countries, amassing over 70 pages in print. It s something I hope will encourage others to come and ride in this special place. Certainly, Lebanon has its own mountain bike scene - we met and rode with two Beirut locals on our last day - but Lebanon has still to appear on the international mountain bikers map. When it does, the LMT with its many sections of great singletrack will have its role to play in spreading the word. Note: We found great singletrack mountain biking on sections 6, 7, 9, 19 and 20 and learnt that you should definitely avoid the long, boulder-covered trail that is section 19 heading south out of Tannourine! Dan Milner Dan Milner [96] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

50 LMTA OVERSEAS Dany Njeim - Refuge des Cosmiques, Mont Blanc [98] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

51 LMTA OVERSEAS WHEN YOU RE AN LMT AMBASSADOR WAFA EL-OSTA LMT AMBASSADOR TO CANADA DESMOND ASTLEY COOPER LMT AMBASSADOR TO THE UK WIM BALVERT LMT AMBASSADOR TO THE NETHERLANDS In Canada-Ontario, the LMTA has a friendship with the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) which began in While this friendship is still shaping up, we here in Canada are evolving as an engaged friendship group and community, the Canadian Friends of the LMT. We got to make genuine connections through events in Toronto which I m pleased to say extended to Lebanon this year. In April, a group of six Canadians including BTC staff, volunteers and friends visited Lebanon for the first time and joined the LMT Thru Hikers. Their friendship extended to the LMT team, the local guesthouses and tour operators. Personally, I consider these connections very valuable to the vital role of the LMT as a corridor for development, community well-being and for making global connections. After their return to Canada, the travelers shared their experience and their love for Lebanon. They said they would repeat their visit and make plans for a longer stay. Our group was invited to take part in the annual social gathering of the Sydenham Club In May. We had our second food sharing and tasting event and then a group of Canadian Lebanese, mainly from Toronto, joined the Sydenham Club members and friends on a hike about a 2.5-hour drive from Toronto. In June we had an early evening hike in Kitchener with the Honorable Member of Parliament for Kitchener South Hespeler, Marwan Tabbara, who is a first-generation immigrant from Lebanon himself. Better still, he supports the Lebanese- Canadian Trails friendship. The LMTA was also featured in a presentation and talk by Weam Charafeddine at the Druze International Convention in Toronto. Weam is the co-founder of Let s Go Hiking activities as part of the Beyond Toronto group, inspired by the LMTA and BTC hikes. It s a call to all of you readers to connect with your families and friends in Canada and inform them about the LMT section of the BTC in Ontario. And it s a call for all of you Canadian- Lebanese to get in touch with us in Canada. I ve been busy promoting my book - In the Time of the Mulberry a story set in Mount Lebanon in the 1860 s and subsequent decades when silk was the main industry. The LMT is mentioned like this in the acknowledgements at the beginning: And many thanks to the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association for taking me to some of the remoter and wilder parts of the country. I started with a launch at the Falamanki Café in Beirut just before the Fall Trek which I then went on, and have continued with launches and talks in London, Bury St Edmunds and Washington DC. I attended the Cycling & Hiking Fair in Amsterdam for two days, each day with one of my daughters who have both hiked the LMT. A lot of people in Amsterdam recognized Anthon s article which I put up, prominently displayed, on the stand. The Amsterdam fair drew 16,924 visitors. The weekend after, Rend (The Belgian Ambassador) was at a similar fair in Gent on Saturday and I was there on the Sunday. Dear Canadian Friends of the LMT, thank you for creating such a genuine and growing relationship, one which will be surely be positive and impactful in the years to come. [100] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

52 LMTA OVERSEAS THE LMT, CONNECTING THE LEBANESE DIASPORA WITH LEBANON With two generations between us in Canada and our great-grandparents' lives in Lebanon, my brother Mike and I felt distant from the old country. None of our parents' generation nor anyone of ours had ever travelled to Lebanon, and our knowledge of Arabic goes only as far as naming the food we grew up eating. REND HAFFAR LMT AMBASSADOR TO BELGIUM The year began with my attendance at the "Fiets en Wandelbeurs" (Cycling and Hiking Fair) in Gent on 18 & 19th February. Wim Balvert, the LMT ambassador to the Netherlands, arranged for an LMT stand at the fair, and then we shared the attendance. Apparently, some 15,000 visitors attended it this year. At the LMT stand, we had about a dozen visitors who were interested in hiking in Lebanon. Unfortunately, there doesn t appear to be such a fair in the French-speaking part of Belgium. Ten hikers from Belgium joined me for the April Thru-Walk for periods ranging from one to 17 days. A group of four came after one participant read an article I wrote in the Belgian Revue des Grands Sentiers in Another group of three came following a previous contact I had with one of them during a trip to Africa, and the remainder came through personal relationships. They were all very pleased with the beautiful scenery, the general ambiance and the friendliness of the group as well as the high level of safety and the professionalism of the organization. I hope that this first experience with LMT and Lebanon, for most of them at least, will act as a trigger and that they will be back very soon on the trail. In the future, I hope to publish some articles on the LMT and the LMTA in the Belgian press. And finally I keep on carrying LMT leaflets and visiting cards with me just in case... and I also give them out at some of the social events I attend. JEAN PIERRE CRESSOT LMT AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE I received some s asking information and details about the trail for which I gave the proper & full information. Jean Rochet is one of them, and I believe there s a full article about his trip in the magazine! I also attended the Salon de la Randonnée in Paris as visitor, looking at the potential participation of the LMTA in next year s show. Steve Izma So when our friends Frank and Antoin from Canada's Bruce Trail Association proposed that we hike the Lebanon Mountain Trail with them, it felt like the time had come to make a leap back to the Middle East. Mike's wife Marian and my daughter Amelia joined us, and we arrived in Lebanon in late April for a nine-day trip, mostly spent in the mountains. Fortunately for us, our unfamiliarity with the country didn't pose a barrier. We contacted Gilbert Moukheiber of 33 North, who arranged all our accommodations, meals and travel within Lebanon. He laid out a route that included hikes on various parts of the Lebanon Mountain Trail, such as where it traversed the Shouf Cedars Biosphere Reserve, the Qadisha Valley, and the Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve. In the areas around Bkassine and the section between Jezzine and Aitanit, we joined up with the LMTA north-to-south thru-hikers for two of their last few days on the trail during the April 2017 Thru-Walk. Our travels in Canada had familiarized us with the wide variety of vegetation across the country's 5,000 kilometers. But the sheer diversity of trees and other vegetation and the sight of flowers in bloom everywhere in such a compressed geographical space made Lebanon a truly unique ecological experience. Up and down the terraced valleys, we were never far from a tree in blossom, and the different levels of altitude meant different stages of tree growth and fruit development. Along our way, we visited many of Lebanon's historic sites, including Deir El-Qamar, Beiteddine, Aanjar, Byblos, numerous churches and monasteries, the National Museum of Lebanon, the Khalil Gibran museum, and, not to be missed by any visitor to Lebanon, the Roman temples in Baalbek. [102] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

53 LMTA OVERSEAS LMT, HERE AND THERE Steve Izma In the Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve we joined members of the LMTA to celebrate its relationship with the Bruce Trail Association by planting a cedar tree and hiking along the Bruce Trail friendship section of the Lebanon Mountain Trail. On our last day in the mountains we reached Bziza, the village from which my father's parents had emigrated to North America. As we began a conversation with Bziza's mayor beside the ruins of the Roman temple in the village, another man walked up to us. No sooner had I seen his face than I recognized the family genes. Enthusiastically extending my hand to him, I said: Hi, we're related! Nearly in a state of shock, we returned to his home and pieced together the story. Our newly discovered cousin, Peter, is the grandson of Butrus Andari, a brother of my grandmother's whom we had known nothing about. In 1962, our grandfather returned to Lebanon from Canada for medical treatment and unexpectedly died in Bziza in the Andari family house. Peter remembered my grandfather well, and showed us the church where the funeral Mass was held as well as the crypt in which he was buried. Relatives long lost to us welcomed us warmly, but so did the many people we met in the guesthouses and residences we ate and slept in along the trail. I can't believe our luck at connecting with the LMTA, whose environmental mandate and commitment to a balanced, sustainable natural economy provided us with an opportunity to overcome decades of distance from our family heritage without us feeling like pampered tourists or disconnected spectators of an exotic culture. The trip was a revelation to us and we're all eager for a return visit. Steve Izma Steve Izma JORDAN/DEAD SEA ADVENTURE TRAVEL NEXT UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE MAY 2017 COP22 NOVEMBER 2016 The LMTA participated in the first Adventure Travel Next Near East held in Jordan between 15-17th May. We went there to network, learn and promote the LMT to interested travel buyers and media from the international markets. The LMTA was also featured at the Immersive Storytelling interactive session. After a presentation given by LMTA President Martine Btaich, participants used the LMT conservation cause as a case study to develop a creative way to promote the LMT story and to take action for the conservation of the trail. MOROCCO/MARRAKECH A unique experience for the LMTA s Education team. Participants from Morocco, India, Chad and Ivory Coast as well as Lebanon met together and held discussions about the different challenges we face in environmental education and sustainability. Of particular note was when the LMTA board member Maya Karkour and LMTA Environmental Education Officer Stephanie Audi of the education committee participated in an interactive workshop entitled "Training, Education and Awareness" at the Green Zone of the COP22 in the Youth Space provided by the Swiss Development Cooperative and coorganized by UNITAR. The Lebanon Mountain Trail Association representatives gave the example of the new education tool being developed which is called Mountain Explorers, for kids between 8 and 12 years old which has been designed to teach children about sustainable mountains and their important resources. It has been developed with the help of the FDDM (Fondation pour le Development Durable des Montagnes) as international partner and implemented with the support of the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE). The LMTA s anti-littering animation Ana Ra7 Balesh was also shown, and there were discussions with all the delegations on the importance of spreading awareness in joint collaborations with local schools and institutions. [104] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

54 LMTA OVERSEAS LMT IN FOREIGN PRESS Just like every year, LMTA representatives went out and secured interviews with foreign reporters in order to publicize the LMT in articles for magazines abroad. AUSTRIA/VIENNA FOODSERVICE CONSULTANTS SOCIETY OF EUROPE-AFRICA-MIDDLE EAST APRIL 2017 USA/OHIO WORLD TRAILS SYMPOSIUM MAY 2017 Here are two instances of where it was featured in German and Italian magazines. FREEMEN'S WORLD GERMANY INTERNAZIONALE ITALY While the Thru Walk was well underway, hundreds of food experts were discovering the LMT in Austria, not literally but through their senses. LMTA Program Manager Zeinab Jeambey presented the LMT and especially the importance of food heritage and hospitality in guesthouses along the trail. This was to the Food Services Consultants biannual conference which is held in Vienna. The get-together is organized by the FCSI EAME (Foodservice Consultants Society of Europe-Africa- Middle East). Wafa El-Osta and Marielle Fares participated in the American Trail Conference in Dayton, Ohio, USA. Wafa participated in the panel Trail Communities take Flight: Lessons learned from Successful Trail Towns and Marielle beguiled and amazed the audience with the story of the Lebanon Mountain Trail. She also told them how it connects to the local communities as well as Lebanon s cultural and natural heritage. The Trail Town Program gives community-based service providers information on trail user needs and behaviors: purchasers habits, accommodation preferences, bike lanes and racks, signs, maps and so on. Once the Trail Town Program was established and demonstrated that it had a positive impact, other trail organizations elsewhere in the Unites States began creating their own "Trail Town" and "Trail Community" programs. This is how Wafa and Marielle presented the LMT, taking care to highlight the LMTA motto: Our Trail Connects Us. They also mentioned one of the LMT s unique features, namely that it is located in the Old World where people have used trails to travel and move goods since biblical times. [106] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

55 THE LMT PARTNERS HAVE NEWS Carlos Bou Nafeh [108] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

56 THE LMT PARTNERS HAVE NEWS DÉCOUVRIR LE LMT EN TANT QUE PARTENAIRE Fondée en 1997 par deux passionnés de la nature, la "Lebanese Adventure" s'est toujours engagée dans la protection de l'environnement. Serge Soued de "Lebanese Adventure" nous relate ici son expérience avec la LMTA. Serge Soued Mes plus anciens souvenirs du LMT remontent au temps où l on testait le parcours. Le sentier n était pas encore balisé et certaines maisons d'hôtes étaient encore assez rudimentaires. Depuis, le LMT a beaucoup évolué jusqu à être actuellement reconnu sur la scène internationale. Afin d'assurer la sécurité et faire vivre aux randonneurs l'expérience la plus riche, le rôle des guides locaux est capital. C'est pourquoi la LMTA a décidé d'organiser un programme de formation des guides locaux tout le long du LMT. C'est dans ce créneau et en tant que partenaire de la LMTA que je me retrouve membre du comité de formation des guides locaux. Durant cette formation de plus de quatre mois, les guides ont eu l'occasion de bénéficier de l'expertise de plusieurs spécialistes. Ils ont ensuite été évalués par un test écrit et un test pratique. En tant que partenaire de la LMTA, Lebanese Adventure a dédié les six premiers mois de 2017 au LMT en organisant toutes ses randonnées sur le sentier. Ceci nous a permis d'évaluer les guides sur le terrain, en prenant en compte également l'avis des randonneurs. L expérience a été concluante et bénéfique à tous les niveaux. C'est pourquoi, nous nous attelons déjà à préparer une seconde version. Cette expérience a aussi été bénéfique pour moi car elle m'a permis de découvrir des guides authentiques, véritables ambassadeurs de leur village et de leur région. L'expérience a aussi été pour moi une aventure humaine à travers ces personnes si passionnées et si dédiées aux différents acteurs autour du sentier qu'elles s'oublient complètement. J ai grand espoir qu à travers cette famille qu est la LMTA nous donnerons au tourisme Libanais la place qui lui est due. Serge Soued [110] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

57 SECTION NAME THE AFLMT FUNDRAISING DINNER Kellye Steindel - ECODIT USA Protecting the Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT), and indeed the mountains of Lebanon, has become a cause for the LMT fans and the Lebanese people. Joseph Karam, President, AFLMT On June 13th, 2017, Patrick Vaughan, a U.S. ultra-trail runner from Virginia, completed his run of the entire 470km long Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT), breaking the previous record of nine days, and setting a new Fastest Known time (FKT) record of six days and 17 hours. In celebration of Patrick s run, on September 20th, 2017, the American Friends of the Lebanon Mountain Trail (AFLMT) - a tax-exempt organization established in Washington, DC in 2009 to promote the LMT among the Lebanese diaspora and all nature lovers - held a fundraising dinner and invited Patrick to share his experience and story. AFLMT president Joseph Karam welcomed the 60+ guests and captured the audience as he told the story of the LMT from its inception in 2007, stressing the important role that the LMT Association (LMTA) in Lebanon now plays in maintaining and promoting the trail and the natural and cultural heritage around it, and in developing new sustainable economic opportunities along the trail s gateway communities. Joseph encouraged everyone to continue to support the LMTA by donating to the AFLMT, so that the LMTA may continue the hard work of protecting the trail. Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Lebanese Taverna restaurant at Tysons II in McLean, VA, while Patrick joyfully counted his adventures and memories of running the LMT, and answered questions from the audience. Patrick spoke of the generous support received from the LMTA, of the warm welcome of the local sports groups and associations, of the runners that shared the trail with him, of the unrivalled hospitality of the villagers and the guesthouse owners - and the excellent food he tasted there - and of the unbelievable kindness of every shepherd he met on his mountain route. Patrick also shared a movie series he and colleagues had filmed on the trail for every day of his seven-day LMT Run, with the support of local producers. Throughout the evening, magnificent Lebanese mountain sceneries projected on a screen, as a nostalgic audience held their breath in awe and cheered at the appearance of familiar sights that have been sorely missed. The event proved to be a memorable gathering that left guests in a joyful spirit, eager to discover and perhaps set new records of their own on the LMT. Marielle Fares AFLMT Communications Volunteer Carlos Bou Nafeh - Shouf Nature Reserve [112] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

58 FINANCIALS Carlos Bou Nafeh - El Barouk [114] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

59 FINANCIALS FINANCIALS THANK YOU TO ALL OUR DONORS AND PARTNERS who contributed to the LMTA between October 2016 and August 2017 CASH DONATIONS $20,000 - $29,999 American Friends of the LMT (AFLMT) BankMed Cargill $10,000 - $19,999 ABC Credit Bank ECODIT Geneva/ Elie Ghazal Liban Cables Karim Fakhry $5,000 - $9,999 Eco Consulting FFA Private Bank Gazzaoui Group Holding Holdal Group (Abou Adal) Khalil Fattal et Fils $1,000 - $4,999 Arab Bank Arina Energy sal Bank Audi BLC Bank Byblos Bank Cimenterie Nationale Kafalat Khatib & Alami Krikita Nuts La Libanaise des Jeux LLWB Loft Investments Matelec Group Tannourine Water Haytham el Jammal Nidal & Nazha Khoury Patrick Abi Nader Ramzi Omais Salam Khalife Sami Mitri and Paul Khawaja Souad Khalil Zannouba Omais $500 - $ North Amin Abou Matar Assaad Najm Claudine Abdel Massih Edward el Rassi Imad Fakhry Saad Khalife Darnell Bass $100 - $499 Lebanese Adventure Alex Auf der Mauer Carla Tadross Carole Mansour Christian Akhrass Dory Daccache Dr. Hilda Sarkis Eduardo Esparza Elias Sejaan Etienne Debbane Fadi Yarak Hilda Omais Latif Samia Lena Bounja Lina Abou Salman Majdi Attieh Marwan Kai Nadine Chehade Omar Sakr Rania Zaatari Rindala Taleb Rola Darwiche Sami Baydoun Siham Antoun Shoufani Sleiman Menassa In addition to many generous anonymous contributors of less than $100 IN-KIND DONATIONS Organizations, Individuals and Freelancers Al Arz Printing Press Alice Edde Al-Kazzi Trading Capital Insurance FP7/Bey Maison du Ski Radio One Science & Ink Taqa Balamand University College Melkart Edward Fayad Fadia Mansour Maroun Abi Nakhle Michel Moufarege Latif Samia Sami Mitri Sayed Morkos Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve Shouf Biosphere Reserve Tannourine Cedars Forest Nature Reserve Municipality of Aitanit Municipality of Andqet Municipality of Bazaoun Municipality of Bkassine Municipality of Bsharre Municipality of Falougha Municipality of Jdeidet Marjaayoun Municipality of Kaoukaba Bou Aarab Municipality of Maasser ech-chouf Municipality of el Qoubaiyat Municipality of Tashea Municipality of Zgharta-Ehden Municipalityof el Mtain Union of Municipalities of Danniye Youth Dialogue Association, Danniye FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS $300,000 - $599,999 EU through the Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR) $100,000 - $299,999 USAID - Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development Project LIVCD $20,000 - $49,000 Swiss Embassy / Fondation pour le Développement Durable des Régions de Montagne (FDDM) IN-KIND DONORS OF RAFFLE PRIZES LMTA DINNER 2017 ABC Alice Edde Association pour la Protection de Jabal Moussa (APJM) Atelier G Auberge de la Mer Baffa House Bijouterie Antoine Saliba Bsous Silk Museum Christiane Dagher Chukrallah Fattouh Ecole des Arts Ghassan Yammine Em Nazih Hotel Fadia Mansour Ghada Rizk Grand Hotel MeshMosh, Gemmayze Guita Bed&Bloom Guesthouse Houda Kassatly Kalabsha for Clothing- loulwa Abdel Baki Karaz w Laimoon Kayagan Lena & Nawal Lina's Lebanon May Karkour Mohamed Rawass Nada Zeineh Norbert Schiller Nour Kays Obi Sushi Rabih Andraos Semsom Shouf Biosphere Reserve Souk el Tayeb TAQA Villa Paradiso Visique Optometrist, Beirut Waste Studio THRU-WALK, APRIL 2017 WE WALK TO PROTECT OUR MOUNTAINS CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN The LMTA recieved $12,025 in donations during the 2017 Thru-Walk. These donations will contribute to the advocacy efforts of the LMTA to protect the trail. We thank all those hikers who launched these campaigns and all individuals behind these "digits" for their generous support. Sorry we are not able to retreive all your names to thank you personally. We are very grateful! [116] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

60 ۲٦۰ W ۰ ۱۸۰ ۲۰ ٤۰ E ٦۰ ۸۰ Volume No.6 / SEPT 2017 FINANCIALS A REVISED STRATEGY FOR THE LMTA THANKS TO STRATEGY& CEDAR THE LMTA WISHES TO THANK OUR SPONSORS AT THE ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER SEPTEMBER 29, 2017 OAK Event Sound Systems PINE ۳٤۰ ۳۲۰ N Jad Moussali from Strategy& with the LMTA team Les Genévriers MELK ART de ۲۸۰ NW SW S NE SE CONTRIBUTORS ۳۰۰ ۲٤۰ ۲۲۰ ۲۰۰ ۱٦۰ ۱٤۰ ۱۲۰ ۱۰۰ Our project with Strategy& (formerly Booz & Co) has focused on three main areas that we have identified with the help of their team. First, they optimized the LMTA strategic roadmap and objectives against benchmarked international trail organizations, thereby allowing us to identify gaps and potential improvements. Then they reviewed the current operating model and recommended changes to its organizational structure in-line with the revised strategic objectives. Finally, they developed a detailed fundraising strategy, suggesting that we focus on five key success factors that would streamline our funding efforts. Official Water Hosts & Hostesses [118] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

61 FINANCIALS FINANCIAL STATEMENT The LMTA has an Accounting & Procurement reference manual which was developed in The LMTA is using the Visual Dolphin accounting software. Our accounts follow the cash-basis of accounting in accordance with International Reporting Standards, and are audited by BERCER. The LMTA combined schedule of revenues and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2016: REVENUES (in Lebanese Pounds LL) ايرادات (ليرة لبنانية) ايرادات البيع Sales 13,894,205 اشتراكات المنتسبين Membership 6,545,875 الهبات والتبرعات Donations and grants 117,071,386 نشاطات ممو لة Funded projects 113,478,380 ايرادات نشاطات Events 294,874,488 ايرادات أخرى Other revenues 3,541,714 مجموع االيرادات Total revenues 549,406,048 EXPENSES (in Lebanese Pounds LL) مصاريف (ليرة لبنانية) الموجودات الثابتة Fixed assets 11,265,548 تنقالت Transportation 16,833,984 اتصاالت Communication 5,531,463 صيانة Maintenance and repairs 13,398,660 ايجارات OFFICE EXPENSES Rent and building expenses 11,396,700 PAYROLL PROJECTS OTHER EXPENSES مصاريف النظافة Cleaning Expenses 680,750 قرطاسية ومطبوعات Stationary 5,494,415 مصاريف اخرى Other Expenses 2,469,122 رواتب Salaries 53,017,140 الضمان االجتماعي (NSSF) 11,710,780 Social Insurance Consultancy (project-based) مصاريف مكتب أجور نشاطات ممو لة خبراء ومستشارون 100,570,870 اشغال النشاطات الممو لة Activities 326,905,786 ضرائب ورسوم ضرائب ورسوم Taxes 744,668 اجمالي المصاريف Total Expenses 560,019,886 رصيد في الصندوق Cash and cash equivalent on ,768, صافي Cash and cash equivalent on ,154, The complete financial statements, including all related notes, may be consulted in our office. BECOME AN ADRIAN LIFE MEMBER WHAT IS AN ADRIAN LIFE MEMBER? The Adrian Life Membership is an honorary form of membership into the LMTA. Membership is named after an inspirational British hiker, Adrian Cazalet, who hiked the entire LMT in 2010 and twice- at the age of 75. It is also a hint to the Roman Emperor Hadrian Augustus ( AD) who had put up around 187 boundary inscriptions in the mountains of Lebanon banning the felling of four species of trees. These four trees are believed to include the Lebanese cedar, the juniper and the Sicilian fir. All revenues from membership subscriptions are kept in an account dedicated to long-term conservation goals (analogy with the Land Trust in the UK and the Conservatoire in France). For example, we hope to use this funding to buy lands near the LMT and ear mark it for long term conservation goals. HOW TO BECOME AN ADRIAN LIFE MEMBER? Anybody can become an Adrian Life Member provided you endorse the goals of the LMT Association and pledge to protect and promote the LMT for generations to come. The one-time cost for joining the society of Adrian Life Members is now $750. It started at $500 for the first 50 members, then $750 for the next 50 members, then $1,000 for all members beyond. BENEFITS AND LIFETIME PRIVILEGES As an Adrian Life Member, you will join an inner circle of LMT friends from around the World. You will receive priority booking on LMT events including the yearly Thru-Walk and Fall Trek, you will receive a copy of our annual LMT Society magazine, and your name will be printed on the LMT s wall of goodwill hikers. You will also receive a Life Membership Card and you will benefit from discounts at the LMTA partner suppliers. ADRIAN LIFE MEMBERS - UNTIL SEPTEMBER Adrian Cazalet 2. Ina Rihani 3. Lina Fakhry 4. Nadim Saad 5. Nadine Weber 6. Rania Abou Mosleh 7. Alfred Farwaji 8. Salam Khalife 9. Caroll Feghali 10. Wim Balvert 11. Walid Abou Habib 12. Tariq Al-Ahmadi 13. Paul Khawaja 14. Namir Kanaan 15. Rend Haffar 16. Rola Chamas 17. Roger Cazalet 18. Desmond Cooper 19. Saad Khalife 20. Zeynab Khalife 21. Patrick Abi Nader 22. Najwa Fakhry 23. Rindala Taleb 24. Diana Fakhry 25. Fatme Darwih 26. Rudy Farwagi 27. Tamar Hadechian 28. Beatrice Le Bon Chami 29. May Khalife 30. Fawzi Karam 31. Firas Assi 32. Faysal Assi 33. Margaret Novotny 34. Ali Hobbala 35. Bassem El Hibri 36. Hana El Hibri 37. Christian Akhrass 38. Dory Renno 39. Elie Akl 40. Fadia Mansour 41. Fareed Al Fouzan 42. Georgette Abdi 43. Gisele Karam 44. Joseph Karam 45. Irene Bark 46. Jean-Pierre Cressot 47. Jessica Yacoub 48. Jihan Khattar 49. Joseph Lteif 50. Karim el Jisr 51. Layya Fakhry 52. Martin Roos 53. May Nasser Fakhry 54. Michael Papaeraclous 55. Rana Hanna 56. Eric Francke 57. Rindala Taleb 58. Steven Fakhry 59. Dany Njeim 60. Monique Bassila- Zaarour 61. Hani Helou [120] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

62 END TO END LIST VISION, PURPOSE, VALUES OUR VISION The Lebanon Mountain Trail becomes a world-class destination for outdoor and responsible tourism. The trail is protected by the Government of Lebanon, Municipalities, and local communities, and is recognized by international organizations. NOTRE VISION Le sentier du LMT devient une destination mondiale de loisirs en plein air et de tourisme durable. Le sentier est protégé par le gouvernement libanais, les municipalités et les communautés locales, et est reconnu par les organisations internationales. رؤيتنا أن يصبح درب الجبل اللبناني وجهة عالمية للسياحة في الهواء الطلق وللسياحة المسؤولة. أن يتمتع الدرب بالحماية من قبل الدولة اللبنانية والبلديات والمجتمعات المحلية وأن يعترف به من قبل المنظمات الدولية. END TO END LIST UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2017 CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS FOR COMPLETING THEIR END TO END OF THE LMT IN OUR PURPOSE > To maintain, protect and develop the LMT and its side trails > To promote the LMT as a destination for rural tourism and wellness > To conserve natural resources and protect the cultural heritage on the LMT > To advance economic opportunities on the LMT through responsible tourism > To encourage behavior change through targeted education and outreach Commitment Diversity Hospitality Integrity Teamwork Voluntarism > Maintenir, protéger et développer le LMT et ses sentiers parallèles (de branchements) > Promouvoir le LMT comme une destination de tourisme rural et de bien-être > Préserver les ressources naturelles et protéger le patrimoine culturel sur le LMT > Renforcer les opportunités économiques sur le LMT en favorisant un tourisme durable > Inciter à un changement de comportement en développant des programmes d éducation ciblés et de sensibilisation du public قيمنا OUR VALUES NOS VALEURS For more information about the LMT Association and how it operates, please consult the Association s Code of Governance. NOS BUTS Engagement Diversité Hospitalité Intégrité Travail d'équipe Bénévolat Pour plus d'informations sur l'association LMT et son fonctionnement veuillez consulter le code de Gouvernance de l'association. أهدافنا > الحفاظ على درب الجبل اللبناني والدروب المتفرعة وصونها وتطويرها > تعزيز درب الجبل اللبناني كمنتج سياحي ريفي > الحفاظ على الموارد الطبيعية وحماية االرث الثقافي المتاخمة لدرب الجبل اللبناني > تعزيز الفرص اإلقتصادية على درب الجبل اللبناني من خالل السياحة المسؤولة > الحث على تغيير السلوكيات من خالل نشاطات تربوية وتوعوية االلتزام التنوع الضيافة النزاهة العمل الجماعي التطوع لمزيد من المعلومات حول جمعية درب الجبل اللبناني وعملها يرجى الرجوع إلى مبادىء الحكم في الجمعية. Peter Hitti - Christian Akhrass 8 times Adam Bennington - Robin Batah Joseph Lteif 2 times 8 times Rend Haffar - Lily Boukather - Darnell Wade Bass Sami Mitri Paul Khawaja Avedis Klapaklian Patrick Vaughan Omar Sakr - Marjaayoun 3 times 5 times 2 times 2 times (Running) (Running) Phyllis Neriah Tsang Hady Semaan - Andqet [122] LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL SOCIETY lebanontrail.org

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