Location: Jabal Moussa reserve Qehmez entrance
Duration: 4 hours
With a divine goal of preserving the mesmerizing natural beauty of Lebanon, and the intention of providing sustainability for the surrounding villages, Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve is the perfect place to hike, spectacular all year round, with each season giving it a special touch.
The reserve has several trails, of a range of elevations and difficulties, but I find the trails 2 and 3 starting and ending from the Qehmez entrance joined by trail 9, as the best.
Standing at 1400 meters, Qehmez is our point of departure, a little farming village starting deep in the wooded valleys of the reserve and culminating to the barren badlands at 1800 meters, with terraced mountain slopes dividing the two.
“The village is flourishing with life during the harvest time, owing to the need of labor to reap the valuable tomato and apple crops that are delivered to the bustling cities in tonnes, and also due the cool summer weather. However in winter, three-quarters of the villagers flock to the coastal Bouar and Safra towns due to the heavy snowfall, leaving just a few shepherds!”
—Hanna Khoueiry, Qehmez Outpost guardian.
Our hike begins! We scale 200 meters to the highest peak in the Jabal Moussa reserve, the Qornet el Mzar, where you can find the ruins of a temple and a sacrificial pit built by the Romans.
Not to forget the out-of-this-world views, bound by Beirut to the west, the Keserwan peaks to the east, the Makmel mountains to the north, and Jezzine Province to the south.
After this feast for the eyes, we plunged deep into the shady and windy Taurus Oak and Syrian Maple forests, on rocky terrain carpeted with moss and oak leaves and glowing with mushrooms.
The seemingly endless forests are often interrupted by small sunny pastures blooming with flowers and marked with traces of wild boars.
As trail 2 reaches an end, we briefly head south on trail 9 until we reach the “Houses Loop”, a little loop consisting of small meadows with a tiny abandoned Ottoman era Lebanese settlement.
The settlement consists of three small Lebanese farming households made of stone and arches, which were once beating with life, and in the arched cellars of these houses were once herds of sheep and goat, and around the tannour oven was once children waiting for the bread to bake. Now only warm memories remain.
The abandoned meadows near the houses where lilies thrive now were once gardens and orchards where grains, pulses, and fruit were grown. Nowadays the only remnants are the centuries-old mulberry trees, which were a crucial part for the silk-industry that dominated Mutasarrifate Lebanon’s economy.
At the exit of the village is a squared black hole leading to a 20 meters deep well that is still used today. So don’t go jumping in it or you’ll be the talk of the town. Actually… the fool of the town!
The last portion of the hike is mostly upward, carpeted with dense forestry and moss. On one of the rocks there, the inscriptions of the former Roman Emperor Hadrian are carved, which prohibit the felling of cedar, oak, juniper, and fir trees as they are solely reserved for his private use. This is considered one of the first nature conservation campaigns in history.
The hike comes to a close; we switch from trail 3 back to trail 2 and make our way back to our starting point in Qehmez. Next to the trailhead is a modern-style outpost built in an abandoned stone quarry where you’ll be welcomed by its guardian, Hanna Khoueiry.
You can find in the outpost various souvenirs, from hand-woven keychain plushies to a traditional shepherd hat, and there is homemade Lebanese Mouneh and snacks produced by the locals, which I highly recommend you buy to support their sustainability and protection of the reserve.
All in all, an unforgettable experience for hikers. Inshallah this place remains intact for the next generations.