Circling Ramon Crater or in Hebrew סובב מכתש רמון is a newly created series of trails following the rim of Ramon Crater. The largest erosion crater on earth.
From Google search “Located at the peak of Mount Negev, some 85 km south of the city of Beersheba, the landform is not an impact crater from a meteor nor a volcanic crater formed by a volcanic eruption, but rather is the world’s largest “erosion cirque” (steephead valley or box canyons)”.
The idea to go on a long distance backpack in the desert of Israel was on my mind a long time. After hiking everywhere else, I thought it’s about time. The desert in Israel is a perfect winter destination. My nephew Royi helped with selecting the route and his advice and help were always right on. The trail circling Ramon Crater is 130km (about 80 miles) and naturally divided into 8 section (or 8 days), although it has been hiked in 5. Water is a main difficulty as there is no reliable surface water anywhere along the trail. There are a few water holes, ‘gev’ in Hebrew, that fill in the winter after a rainstorm, but they are unreliable and unappealing. There are 3 faucets that I found along the way and there are services where someone will cache water for you along the way.
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North Rim of Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon) -
Desert Scene along the trail, Central Negev -
North Rim of Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon) -
North Rim of Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon) -
Across Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon) -
Wildflowers filled the valleys -
Circling Ramon Crater -
Circling Ramon Crater -
Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon) Panorama -
Mount Pitam (the Nipple) -
God Rays and the Desert -
Mt Ardon, Ramon Crater
Those white clouds behind the blue sky, so magical. What a memorial adventure circling Ramon Crater in your homeland!
Thanks Hailen, it was a very rewarding experience.
Dear Ronny,
Amazing!!!!
See you next time in Israel doing the Dead See area
Great job capturing those dramatic skies!
From Ramon Crater to the Grand Canyon, a perfect segue.
Hey Ron, fantastic photos as always! What incredible scenery you got to experience. So besides the “3 faucets” that you availed yourself of, did you pay to have water cached along your route?
My nephew located this guy https://www.yanirbamidbar.com/ who, besides other things, caches water for you in camping area. My one regret was not to use his services in more locations. It would have save me a couple of times I had to carry 6 liters for overnight. I also discovered, there are a few faucets installed by the water supply company in places where they have water facilities near the trails. There are also guides who will take you places, but often they prefer day trips to some of the more interesting places.
Hiking in the Grand Canyon feels more isolated as there are no roads. The Negev in Israel is criss crossed by roads (dirt mostly) allowing many people access to remote places.