Options 2 - Shvil - Riley

It was an early start for the second set of options. After our early wakeup and last minute changes we were heading off on our way down to the Timna Valley to start our Shvil hike for the next 3 days.

Many of us were surprised and shocked to be dropped off on the side of the only road in the middle of nowhere and told, “see you in three days”. We started our hike with our amazing guide, Saar, and soon after began the return towards camp.

The first day of hiking was extremely fun. With our small group of around 20 people, we climbed down into the Timna Valley by climbing on ladders, sliding down rock faces and jumping on rocks. After 2 hours of hiking, we arrived at what we would call home for the next 2 nights.

The next day we set off on our long but amazing 17km hike climbing 400m up through the valley and descending down back to camp. We climbed up on steep rock faces towards the top of the mountain.

There is something amazing about the peacefulness of the desert and just the amazing views that we saw throughout the hike. Despite all the fun and breathtaking beauty of the Negev, we did have some tough times with the sweltering sun and freezing nights.

The moment that made Shvil so memorable to me was the closeness of our group and how, although we were only together for 3 days, we bonded and become great friends.

We met some new Israeli friends on our journey and got to speak to kids our age from around Israel. It was a journey full of laughs, exhaustion and bonding and a great experience that I will never forget.

The last day of Shvil meant the end to an amazing hike with amazing people. We made new friends, hiked more than 20km and ate some amazing food in the middle of the desert. It was challenging and fun and overall, I loved every moment of Shvil and can honestly say it was some of the best days of IST.

Riley Lunz - 25.12.2019