Nahal Og
If climbing up a high vertical cliff on metal rungs will send you into a panic attack —this hike is not for you. Otherwise, this circular hike through a wadi with steep cliffs on either side and returning on a path with spectacular views over the Judean Desert and Dead Sea is very impressive. Understandably, it is a popular hike with Israelis, including children.
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​Directions and parking: Enter “Almog Kibbutz” into Waze. The turn-off to the kibbutz is just before the Sonol gas station at Almog Junction and is signposted. Continue past the entrance to the kibbutz to the parking lot.
Starting point: The parking lot for the hike is some distance from Kibbutz Almog. By the parking lot are two picnic tables, although without shade. At the other side of the parking lot is a shaded observation structure with a long stone bench.
Time: About 1½ to 2 hours
Distance: Just over 2½ km
Type of hike: Circular
Difficulty: There are 5 climbs up the cliff face on metal rungs. The cliff is fairly high for two of them, although short for the other three. Apart from this, hiking along the wadi bed and the jeep trails on top of the cliffs is very easy, with just a few areas of climbing over large boulders. Since most people prefer climbing up rungs rather than climbing down them, this circular hike is arranged accordingly.
Public transport: Buses from the Jerusalem Central Bus station stop at the Almog Junction. Enter “Almog Gas Station” into Moovit. From here it’s a 1.6 km walk to the start of the hike, passing the entrance to Kibbutz Almog.
The Hike:
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From the far end of the parking lot, take the trail towards the wadi. You will shortly come to a signpost. Take the green-marked trail to “Lower Wadi Og”.
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After just under an hour of hiking along the wadi, you will come to another signpost. Follow the black-marked jeep trail to “Almog Junction”.
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After 15 minutes or so you will come to another fork. Take the right branch, which is a blue-marked footpath signposted to “Kibbutz Almog”. From this trail are great views of Nahal Og, the hills of the Judean desert, and the Dead Sea. This path will take you back to the parking lot.
OVERVIEW
THE DEAD SEA - DEAD AND STILL DYING
The Dead Sea is located at the lowest point on earth. It is the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. It is six times saltier than the ocean - and it is in deep trouble.
The Dead Sea is part of the Jordan Rift Valley, which in turn is part of the Syria-African Rift that extends through the eastern part of Africa and into Turkey. The Jordan Rift Valley includes the Hula Valley, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and the Arava. This valley resulted from the moving apart of two tectonic plates – the African Plate and the Arabian Plate – leading to a thinning of the earth’s crust.
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The sources of water for the Dead Sea have been the Jordan River, rivers on the eastern side of the lake and subterranean springs that enter into and around the lake. However, most river water is now syphoned off for agriculture. Industrial potash production from the Dead Sea Works also leads to water evaporation. As a result of this and normal water evaporation from the high ambient temperature, the level of the Dead Sea has been receding at a rate of about 1.5 meters a year. This is equivalent to six hundred Olympic pools of water being emptied every day. Because of this, the peninsula that formerly ended in the middle of the lake has become a land bridge. The ground water level has also dropped and this is flushing out brine near the shoreline leading to sinkholes. It is now dangerous to get too close to the Dead Sea in many parts of the Israeli side of the lake. Sink holes are not a problem on the Jordanian side because the cliffs descend steeply into the lake.
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There are currently no viable plans to save the Dead Sea. Bringing in water from the Mediterranean would change the nature of the lake. Gypsum (calcium sulfate) would be deposited and this could turn the Dead Sea white. There is currently a plan budgeted by the World Bank and signed onto by Israel, Jordan and the Palestine Authority to feed in hypersaline water. Water will be brought by channels from the Red Sea to a power station in Jordan and some of the water will be desalinated. The power and desalinated water will be shared among the parties and the hypersaline water from the desalination plant will be fed into the Dead Sea. However, as one article stated: "The Dead Sea will next decade be swallowing waters it never tasted and thus launch a new chapter in its history.” Nevertheless, the amount of water from the desalination plant will not be that great and the Dead Sea's problems will not be solved by this.
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Despite all this, there is no reason not to benefit from this unique and remarkable area. Sunlight at the Dead Sea has weaker ultraviolet radiation than at sea level and the atmospheric pressure is slightly higher. The atmosphere also has a slightly higher oxygen content and less allergens. These factors probably account for the health benefits claimed for visiting the Dead Sea area, including healing of psoriasis lesions.
View over the Judean Desert and Dead Sea