Nahal Hatzatzon

Nahal Hatzatzon drops to the Dead Sea near Mitzpe Shalem, inside a nature reserve where rappelling is permitted. It is known for its second drop, one of the tallest in Israel open to rappelling, and is counted among the hardest routes in the country.

The route starts with a long, sustained climb on the blue trail, the most tiring part of the day, to the Mikhvar lookout, followed by a flat walk on a jeep track to an acacia tree that marks the way down into the canyon. Then come the drops, all with Israel Nature and Parks Authority chemical bolts: a short opener, the giant drop, mostly slab with an overhanging finish, another long drop, the drop known as 'the land of the dwarfs' or 'the bunk-bed fall' for its unusual shape, and a final drop.

The giant drop can be bypassed by rappelling a shorter drop to its west, reached by a cairn-marked goat path from the top of the big drop. After the last drop the trail is marked green, and you follow the stream mouth until a path climbs to the Mitzpe Shalem road. The whole day is in the sun with no cell coverage.

כדי להגיע לנחל חצצון מכוונים בוויז למפעל אהבה (צמוד למצפה שלם) שם חונים ומתחילים את המסלול. (המפעל שווה כניסה בסוף המסלול, מפורט בהמשך הפוסט)

Set Waze to the Ahava factory near Mitzpe Shalem and park there. Walk along the road to the blue-marked trail and climb it to the Mikhvar lookout. Continue on the jeep track, still blue, to the acacia tree in the bed, then take the southern path down into the canyon and to the first drop. The exit after the last drop follows the green trail along the stream mouth to a path that climbs to the Mitzpe Shalem road, and from there to the Ahava factory or Route 90.

Parking at the Ahava factory at the entrance to Kibbutz Mitzpe Shalem. It is both the start and the end of the route.

Rappelling is forbidden during the vulture nesting season, in winter and spring. Do not go in extreme weather: flood warnings in winter, heat stress in summer. There is no cell coverage along the whole route. The giant drop has an overhanging section at the end, so plan the direction of the rope pull, and watch for falling stones while rappelling. Never set out with ropes shorter than the tall drop requires; it is life-threatening.

סתיו ואביב עדיפים - לצאת בשעות הבוקר המוקדמות. בקיץ חום קיצוני מאוד. אסור לצאת בהתראות שיטפון.

For very experienced rappellers in excellent shape only. The open season is late spring and autumn, and even then start before sunrise to do the climb in the pleasant hours. The pace depends on the number of rappellers and their experience, so plan a full day. At the end, the Ahava factory visitor center is worth a stop if it is still open.

Two long ropes that cover the giant drop, which will also do for every other drop. Shorter ropes for the other drops are an option, at the cost of extra weight. A helmet, harness and descender for each rappeller, a headlamp, a hat and plenty of water.