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Community Ropes
עברית
Photo of Zanoah Cliff
Cliff rappelling

Zanoah Cliff

מצוק זנוח

Center, jerusalem hills

Duration: 3 hTallest rappel: 15 m

Note: closures and restrictions

ייתכנו סגירות זמניות של מגזרים מסוימים בתקופת קינון עופות דורסים. יש לבדוק מול התאחדות הטיפוס.

A low, wooded cliff in the Jerusalem hills above Nahal Zanoah, with natural anchors and short access, suitable for beginners and children.

Also known as: זנוח, מצוק נחל זנוח

  • Good for beginners
  • Families
  • Forest
  • israel trail
  • quiet
  • Shaded

Information as of 6 Sept 2025

At a glance

Duration
3 h
Trail length
4 km
Tallest rappel
15 m
Number of rappel routes
1
Rope needed
40 m
Water
Dry
To the first rappel:
100 m

Field reports

How much water there was and how it went, from people who were here. Every report is reviewed before it is published.

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Meeting point (parking)

חניון חורבת חנות, כביש 375 בין צומת האלה לצור הדסה. ניווט ל-'חורבת חנות' בוויז.

The meeting point is the parking spot. You continue on foot from here.

WazeGoogle Maps

Coordinates: 31.71321, 35.04327

About

Metzuk Zanoah (Zanoah Cliff) stands in evergreen forest in the Jerusalem hills, east of Beit Shemesh, above Nahal Zanoah. The cliff itself is wooded and shaded all day, and the Israel National Trail runs along its foot. It suits rappelling and climbing, and is especially good for beginners.

Anchors are natural, on trees and rocks, and some rocks are loose in the ground, so choose anchors carefully. You arrive at the foot of the cliff, and to build stations you walk up to the top on the west side. At the top you feel the sun.

You can park at Horvat Hanot and walk the trail, or drive the dirt road almost to the cliff and walk a minute or two. During the nesting season of falcons and other raptors, parts of the cliff are sometimes closed.

Getting there

איך מגיעים? למגיעים מכיוון ירושלים - מכביש 375 לפנות ימינה לכיוון בית שמש על כביש 3855, להמשיך כ-3 ק"מ ולפנות ימינה על דרך עפר, לא לפנות למחצבה! להמשיך 1300 מטר על דרך עפר. לעצור כ-50 מטר לפני פיצול בכביש.

Access notes

Set Waze to 'חורבת חנות' (Horvat Hanot). One option: park at the organized Horvat Hanot parking and walk the trail to the cliff. The other: drive the dirt road almost to the cliff, park at the fork up to the jeep track, and walk a short way to the base. The road is passable for ordinary cars driven carefully. The top of the cliff is reached from the west side.

Parking

Organized parking at Horvat Hanot, or parking at the fork in the dirt road, close to the cliff.

Difficulty and suitability

Difficulty
Easy
Good for beginners
Yes
Minimum age
From age 6
Recommended group size
Up to 25 people
Typical duration
3 h
Hiking distance
4 km
Elevation gain
80 m
Water activity
No

Descent profile

Zanoah Cliff · Descent profile, schematic, not to scaleSum of drops 15 mTotal length 4 kmDrop A 15 mZanoah CliffDescent profile, schematic, not to scale

Scroll sideways for details

Rappel routes(1)

#NameHeightObstacleProfileLandingAnchorBolts and stationsRopeFrom previousDetails
1Updated 1 Jul 2022Height: 15 mWaterfall / rappel––Natural anchor–40 m–

Seasons

All year

Points on the map

  • SitePrimaryמיקום מצוק זנוח במפה

    31.71321, 35.04327

    WazeGoogle Maps

Safety

Some rocks used as anchors are loose in the ground: test every anchor and back it up. During raptor nesting season sectors and routes are closed, so check the Israeli climbing federation site before you go. The top of the cliff is exposed to the sun.

Weather constraints

פתוח כל השנה. מוצל ונעים במיוחד בקיץ. בחורף יש להימנע מפעילות בזמן גשם חזק, השביל עלול להיות חלקלק.

Recommendations

Suits beginners, children and large groups, all year. Bring a hat for working at the top. You can continue on the Israel Trail to Ein Tanur and Ein Mata, and look at the Horvat Hanot mosaic.

Equipment

For rappelling, two short ropes, also fine for belaying and for independent rappels, plus anchor ropes to bring the anchor point to the edge. For climbing, a dynamic rope and quickdraws as needed.

Data sources

The information on this page was collected from these sources.

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