Northern Israel – the Golan Heights, the Galilee and its valleys. It may seem as though we already know everything these places have to offer, but that's a big mistake: exposure to the world and to travel culture has led to a flourishing of varied types of tours, including rappelling tours at different levels that you can find and try throughout the north.
The north – you can do it all here
"The north" is a general term for a large, wide area that Israelis love. The range of leisure options in this region is huge, which is easy to understand given its many different geographical areas: from valleys full of springs, through the Sea of Galilee and the valleys region, above which stretches the special Golan Heights, through the Upper, Lower and Western Galilee all the way to the Mediterranean coast. So there's no activity you won't find here. Hevel Eretz specializes in organizing and leading extreme tours throughout Israel, and especially in the north, offering tours at a variety of rappelling sites across northern Israel – well-known places as well as lesser-known rappelling sites. In the list below we present a range of sites in northern Israel where you can enjoy the rappelling experience.
Keshet Cave – one of hikers' favorite rappelling sites in the north is Keshet Cave in the Western Galilee. The descent here is particularly comfortable, which makes it popular with many hikers. It's mainly a free-hanging (overhanging) descent, meaning it's done without a wall or cliff to rest against, so rappellers enjoy a unique and especially fun experience, seemingly suspended in mid-air with the whole landscape spread out before them. The Keshet Cave descent is considered especially rewarding and can suit rappellers of all types and levels, making it one of the best in the country. After the descent, the route continues for about another hour, including a challenging section that requires using fixed cables and iron rungs, alongside a variety of animals and birds.
Rappelling at the Dalton cliff
Biriya Forest is in the Upper Galilee, not far from the holy city of Safed. The forest offers a range of activities for the whole family, but since we're talking about rappelling in the north, we'll focus on the experience that lets you learn and try rappelling. The wonderful views of the Golan, Mount Hermon and the Hula Valley make a perfect backdrop for the descent. The cliff itself isn't particularly high – just 20 meters – which makes it comfortable and very suitable for anyone wanting a first taste of rappelling or a multi-generational family experience. Not every rappelling tour has to be for experts only. And you can enjoy all this at a site that also offers other combined activities.
Rappelling and climbing at Beit Oren
One of the recurring features of rappelling sites in the north is that they combine a variety of activities at one site. Many of the sites that offer rappelling in the north are part of a larger setup offering a relatively wide range of extreme activities and tours. The rappelling compound at Beit Oren suits the whole family – of course with certified guides, which we at Hevel Eretz are happy to provide for tours of all kinds. The rappelling route at Beit Oren is an experience used mainly for first-time practice and training of the required technique, so it suits the whole family. The rappelling experience at Beit Oren is relaxed and doesn't require a strenuous hike beforehand.
Nahal Avnei HaBazelet
On the Naftali Mountains ridge, with wonderful views of Ramim Ridge and the Hula Valley, lies Nahal Avnei HaBazelet, offering a combined tour: a beautiful hiking route in its own right, with several waterfalls along the way rappelled against the wall, ranging from 8 meters at the lowest to 30 meters at the highest. The whole route combines hiking and cliff descents and takes 4–6 hours, during which hikers descend the stream by rappelling down the various waterfalls up to the climax of the tour – the 30-meter high waterfall. At the end of the descent you hike back up to the cars for about an hour toward the starting point; in other words, it's a circular route.
Nahal Jilabun
The basalt Golan Heights are a perfect home for a wide range of streams and ravines, many of which create breathtaking routes, and some of which allow tours that include an exciting and successful rappelling experience. One of the better routes in the southern Golan is Nahal Jilabun, which combines a slightly challenging hike with two waterfalls, 18 and 40 meters high, where you do wet rappelling – descending inside a flowing waterfall with cool Golan water – creating an unforgettable experience worthy of a rappelling tour in the north. The route between the two waterfalls, Dvora and Jilabun, is a circular route: you hike and rappel down to the lower pool, then climb back up to the car at the starting point.
Nahal Zavitan
Nahal Zavitan in the Golan Heights is considered one of hikers' favorite rappelling sites in the north. It offers different types of hiking routes; rappelling fans will choose the Black Canyon route, perfect for summer when the heat elsewhere in the country is at its strongest. The route, which also suits less experienced hikers, includes descents of up to 20 meters, stone steps and iron rungs, and of course large, impressive natural pools. The Nahal Zavitan route is one of the most popular in the country, and since the COVID period advance registration is required to secure your place.
Via ferrata on Ramim Ridge
The term via ferrata comes from Italian and refers to a route equipped with steel cables that hikers clip into to pass sections where there is a risk of falling or slipping. This type of route – the name means "iron ways", after the cables – is very common around the world, and in Israel such a route has been set up on Ramim Ridge above the Hula Nature Reserve. The via ferrata tour takes you along the cliff with wonderful views, using cables, ladders and iron rungs to progress. One of the highlights is a 20-meter cliff that you rappel down to continue the route. Despite the description, the route suits almost all ages and is highly recommended as an exciting, adrenaline-filled family outing along its kilometer and a half, which takes three to four hours.
Summary
We all know northern Israel; most of us have toured it in different ways, on foot or by car, and there's always something new to find and discover. The rappelling sites scattered throughout this wonderful region offer another way to spend time there: rappelling in the north can suit families of various ages or thrill and adventure seekers of all kinds. We at Hevel Eretz will be happy to accompany you on your next tour.
