Day 16: From Oron to the small crater - 22nd September 2018

I was up again early at the campsite next to the Oron plant. A family also spent the night there, and we started walking together.

After a nice sunrise, the climb headed back on the Karbolet with a final view over the Maktesh Hagadol

There were some nice rocks on the way!

After heading back down from the Karbolet and crossing the road, I arrived soon after at the Yorkeam spring. There was water, but it was pretty green . . .

A bit further on a spotted a large group of Ibex. They all seemed to stared at me but kept well out of my way.

The views around the canyon were impressive, followed by a steep descent

These metal ladders are known at "Ma'ale Palmach", named after the prestate military unit that while looking for a way to get to the Yorkeam spring managed to get up (without the ladders)

The views in the Canyon were impressive for the next few km

At one point, there were cracks in the ground. When looking down, you could just see black - as if there were no end to them . . . 

Through the day there was constantly the surveillance balloon visible in the sky. I was pretty exhausted from the heat so took a small break / sleep at Mezad Zafir (an old Roman guard post, and the only shade nearby).

About another hour of walking took me to the end of the day's walk.

The end of the track was on the old road to Eilat (Ma'ale Akrabim - the Scorpian ascent). The road had been closed from this point South a few months ago due to damage during one of the flash floods. So there wasn't much traffic on the road, but eventually I managed to find a lift.

Day 15: From Mador night camp to Oron - 21st September 2018

I was awake early in the morning (5:00) to get an early start. According to the red book (Jacob Saar's book of the Israel national trail), this is the most difficult day and also the most beautiful. I'm not sure if it was either of those, but it certainly was tough, especially in the heat.

I headed off early to try to get as much done before the heat of the day. The guidebook said to walk under a powerline after 2km. I saw one in the distance (and no others) so didn't pay enough attention to the trail markers. After not seeing any trail marlers for a while, I realized I was walking in the completely wrong direction and needed to head back - it turned out there was another powerline hidden in the distance. The first part of the day was a relatively easy walk back towards the "Karbolet".

From there, the ascent started, technically it was not too hard (there were metal handles in the hard bits), but it was very hot and tiring!

I caught sight of an Ibex, but he ran away before I could get the camera out.

The climbing was tough, but the views over the "Maktesh hagadol" (the big Maktesh) were stunning.

There were also lots of snail-like fossils on the way (thousands of them)!

The walk along the Karbolet (cockscomb) had great views.

For parts of the walk, the rock was at approximately a 45-degree angle which made walking tough!

As the Maktesh hagadol is so big, you are higher than the bids who are flying around looking for their next meal.

Lunch today was tortilla, tehina and chestnuts! 

This rock on the right looked like a cartoon character to me (or I had been already too long in the heat . . )

After walking down from the Karoblet, the path heads under the train tracks (no passenger trains, just for factories), and then eventually to the Oron factory (a phosphate factory). It wasn't exactly a natural setting (next to a factory with lots of lights, noise and cars coming and going), but they do provide a free place to camp, shaded picnic tables and drinking water.