Exploring Nahal Havarim by moonlight: Summer adventure

It might sound strange to the ears of the average person, but summer is a perfect time for a trip to the Negev. The temperature in the evening and at night requires a light sweater, the stars are revealed at their peak thanks to the excellent sight and the meteor shower (the Perseids) which occurs every year in this season allows quite a few wishes to come true.

The scorpions also come out of their dens at this stage, the breeding season has begun and you can find them with the help of ultraviolet flashlights and be impressed by the power and charisma these ancient creatures have. All of these, plus a fascinating night life that includes foxes, jackals, hyenas and wolves, can be found on one classic route in the Negev Mountains, Nahal Havarim. 

The stream offers a relatively short route of 2.5-3.5 km, but it is usually extended to two or even three hours, because you don't want to browse the beauty of the desert at night quickly. The walk in the full moon is highly recommended, you should schedule your arrival for the middle of a Hebrew month or every At least for the week ahead. On nights like this, our sophisticated flashlight makes a smile in front of the light of the moon that shines on the bright marl rock (from which the stream got its name), which in turn reflects it to our eyes. The feeling is that there is a huge projector above you, although it is at a distance of 380 A thousand kilometers from us, but its light is blinding.

The beginning of the route is at Bor Havarim, a remnant of the ancient settlement in the Negev that was almost completely stopped in the 7th century or so. This pit, along with other similar pits such as a bird pit, were built by the Nebatim, who were weak on the paths of perfumes passing through the Negev region.

Living in the desert is not easy, certainly two thousand years ago, when drippers for agriculture or the deep drilling of groundwater had not yet been invented. Still, the Nabateans who lived here were successful not only in the field of trade, which included the transfer of perfumes to Rome, but also in the field of agriculture. In their fields grew olives, sorghum, grapes and even figs, all this in the desert and in difficult and challenging conditions. One of the secrets of the Nabatim's success was the efficient use of water and the system of pits and terraces they built in the streams. A marl pit is a representative example of a seedling pit, but it is no longer filled at all, not even in a good winter since the canals leading to it are completely destroyed by the ravages of time.   

There are many places to walk in the evening or at night in the Negev region, but the accessibility of the stream and the path marked on it allow for a simple walk and relatively easy to find your way around, as long as you follow the signs carefully of course. The classic route is linear and includes jumping vehicles, but there is also the option of a circular walk or a round trip back to the starting point in Bur Havarim.

How to get there? Write "marl pit" in Waze.

Route length: linear 3.5 km. circular 2.5 km. Between two and three hours. 

What to bring? Water, flashlight, shoes, map or other means of navigation. 

Suitable for families? Definitely! A simple walk but the distance must be taken into account. Also available with a carrier. 

Ofer Levy - road guide, Instagram, phone - 052-2492688