Flash flood danger
Do not enter the canyon when rain is forecast in the area or upstream, even under clear skies. Check the forecast on the morning of the trip.
Inside a nature reserve
Keep to the reserve rules and stay on the marked trails.
Wadi a-Samra, a long dry canyon in the Judean Desert that descends to Route 90 near Ein Fashkha, with a series of rappels over a full day.
Also known as: Wadi a-Samra
Information as of 2 Oct 2023
At a glance
- Duration
- 6 h
- Trail length
- 7 km
- Total descent
- 320 m
- Tallest waterfall
- 38 m
- Number of waterfalls
- 13
- Rope needed
- 90 m
- Shuttle
- Not needed
- Exit distance:
- 2 km
- Circular route:
- Yes
- Flash flood risk:
- High
- Reserve:
- Yes
Field reports
How much water there was and how it went, from people who were here. Every report is reviewed before it is published.
No reports from this place yet
Were you here lately? Tell us how much water there was and how it went. It helps the next group plan.
Meeting point (parking)
Einot Tzukim reserve junction
The meeting point is the parking spot. You continue on foot from here.
Coordinates: 31.71645, 35.45041
About
Wadi a-Samra drains the eastern slopes of the Ras Mu'akaf ridge and drops through the escarpment to Route 90, opposite the Einot Tzukim reserve. The whole descent is about three hundred and twenty metres over about one and a half kilometres of canyon, with a run of high and low drops.
From the reserve climb the black trail of Ma'ale Pashkha to the plateau by the Rosh Tzukim lookout, then take the blue trail south to the bed. The first part is a series of low drops, some inside small gorges, with bypasses for some. Then comes a run of higher drops: the highest of the stream, one that goes down a crack, and one with a ledge that holds a pool after floods.
The last drop lands right on the edge of Route 90, and you walk back north along the road to the reserve entrance.
Access notes
From the Einot Tzukim reserve junction climb the black trail of Ma'ale Pashkha to the plateau by the Rosh Tzukim lookout. Go a little west on the black dirt road, then take the blue trail south to the bed. From the foot of the last drop walk about two kilometres north along Route 90 back to the junction.
Parking
Parking at the Einot Tzukim reserve junction on Route 90.
Difficulty and suitability
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Typical duration
- 6 h
- Hiking distance
- 9 km
- Water activity
- No
- Route type
- Dry
Descent profile
Scroll sideways for details
Waterfalls(13)
| # | Name | Height | Obstacle | Profile | Landing | Anchor | Bolts and stations | Rope | From previous | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bypass on the right | Height: 7 m | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
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| 2 | א | Height: 8 m | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
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| 3 | – | Height: – | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
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| 4 | ב | Height: 11 mOther source: 12 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2023) | Waterfall / rappel | Slab | – | – | – | 30 m | – | |
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| 5 | ג | Height: 38 mOther source: 38 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2023) | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | 90 m | – | |
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| 6 | ד | Height: 12 mOther source: 18 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2023) | Waterfall / rappel | Slab | – | – | – | 50 m | – | |
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| 7 | ה | Height: 19 mOther source: 23 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2023) | Waterfall / rappel | Slab | – | – | – | 60 m | – | |
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| 8 | ו | Height: 11 mOther source: 6 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2023) | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | 20 m | – | |
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| 9 | Bypass on the right | Height: – | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
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| 10 | Bypass on the right | Height: – | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
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| 11 | ז | Height: 16 mOther source: 18 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2023) | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | 50 m | – | |
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| 12 | ח | Height: 5 mOther source: 5 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2023) | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | 20 m | – | |
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| 13 | ט | Height: 24 mOther source: 23 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2023) | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | 60 m | – | |
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Points on the map
- TrailheadPrimaryEinot Tzukim reserve junction
31.71645, 35.45041
- Route endWadi a-Samra at Route 90
31.69928, 35.44967
Safety
No entry when there is flash flood risk. Some bypasses are awkward and unclear. The last drop lands on the edge of busy Route 90: land carefully and move away from the road straight away.
Recommendations
Suits groups with rappelling experience. In the desert it is worth starting early in the morning.
Equipment
Full rappelling gear, a helmet, plenty of water, and a rope long enough for the highest drop.
Data sources
The information on this page was collected from these sources.
- canaan-canyoning.xyzcanaan-canyoning.xyz
- Based on the Hebrew guidebook "Judean Desert Canyons" by Ronen Kalimi (2023)
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