Nahal Harduf

Nahal Harduf starts at the edge of the Hebron anticline, crosses the Judean Desert plateau and joins the lower part of Nahal Tze'elim, and its canyon is only in its lower part. The route is a loop of about twenty kilometres that starts and ends at the night campsite at the mouth of Nahal Tze'elim. The book counts nine drops on it, the highest about forty-one metres, and there are further low steps along the way. Many pools along the stream hold water all year.

From the campsite climb the blue Ma'ale Tze'elim trail to the top of the escarpment and continue on the blue trail north-west along the south bank of Nahal Miflat, about one point six kilometres, to the junction with the green trail. The green trail leads west along the cliff above Tze'elim to the Nahal Tzaftzafa gully, and about a kilometre west of it drops steeply into the deep Harduf bed, right next to a pair of low drops with a bypass along the left wall.

Further on the canyon is closed and deep for long stretches, and its drops include a drop that is a smooth vertical wall with three pools below it, a short overhanging drop, a drop landing in a large pool, and a drop of about thirty metres in two steps with a smooth ledge between them, followed at once by another overhanging drop. After Nahal Tzaftzafa joins and after a few low steps comes a drop of about thirty metres with a bypass on the left, and at its foot is Ein Tzaftzafa, a brackish spring that is not good to drink.

About two hundred metres past the spring comes the highest drop, with water dripping down its middle and dense vegetation at its foot. From its head a narrow track runs down to the lower part of the green Ma'ale Namer, bypassing the lower part of the stream. Below the drop the channel is wide for about six hundred and fifty metres to the last narrows, Gey Harduf-Bahak, with a few low drops, large pools and a bypass on the west. The narrows end at the junction with Nahal Tze'elim, and from there you return down Tze'elim to the campsite at the mouth. The book describes that return in the Nahal Tze'elim chapter.

From the night campsite at the Nahal Tze'elim mouth climb the blue Ma'ale Tze'elim trail to the top of the escarpment and continue on the blue trail north-west for about one point six kilometres to the junction with the green trail. Follow the green trail west above the Tze'elim cliffs, cross Nahal Tzaftzafa, and about a kilometre further drop steeply into the Harduf bed. From the end of the canyon, at the Nahal Tze'elim junction, return down Tze'elim to the campsite.

The night campsite at the mouth of Nahal Tze'elim, on the Dead Sea shore. The loop starts and ends there.

Many pools hold water all year. Some drops overhang, and the canyon is deep and closed for long stretches. Ein Tzaftzafa is brackish and not fit to drink. No entry when there is flash flood risk. From the head of the highest drop a narrow track runs down to the lower part of Ma'ale Namer, and the last narrows can be bypassed on the west.

A long day for experienced teams. Start early, and expect the pools to hold water at any time of year.

Full rappelling gear, a helmet, plenty of water, a rope long enough for the highest drop, and dry bags for the pools.