This April marks the 30th anniversary of Israel’s most iconic hiking route, the Israel National Trail — known in Israel as the “Shvil” (Hebrew for “trail”) — a nationwide schlep which stands as a testament to the country’s diverse landscapes and rich history.
What began as a vision to provide Israelis with a firsthand experience of their country’s breadth has evolved into an internationally recognized trek, becoming a milestone adventure in the lives of thousands of hikers from Israel and around the world.
At first glance, it seems like the Shvil goes just about everywhere there is to go in Israel. Residents will surely recognize its distinctive white, blue and orange trail markers peppered throughout the country; the trail overlaps with hundreds of popular hikes and tourist sites.
Those willing to brave the whole trail will find themselves bearing witness to the heights of Israel’s mountain ranges, all the way up Mount Hermon; and the depths of its valleys, way down to the lowest above-water point on Earth, the Dead Sea. If their trip goes according to plan, they can likely expect to see all of this over the span of just two months.
The trail was much more modest in the early days. Many of the incredible vistas — including the Dead Sea — were only added decades into its history.
Life is a highway
Originally envisioned by American journalist Avraham Tamir and educator Ori Dvir, and marked by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), the Shvil was inspired by Tamir’s experiences on the Appalachian Trail in the late 1970s. He wanted to create a trail that would showcase all of Israel’s beauty, from tip to tail.
At the time, however, property owners were mostly unwilling to let the Shvil run through their land. As a result, the trail’s first iteration largely stayed close to national highways.
Over the years, more and more Israelis began hiking the trail, until gradually it became a known and loved part of the cultural fabric. Increasingly, people opened their hearts (and their property) to the project.
The trail now runs past landmarks, along roads, through several towns and cities and across hundreds of acres of private agricultural fields and public nature reserves, all due to the voluntary participation of Israeli citizens.
The long and winding road
The Shvil’s meandering path ebbs and flows in response to what’s happening in real time.
For instance, if a farmer puts up a new fence that blocks the designated route, the Shvil needs to change. If a new hiking trail is established a few kilometers from the Shvil’s route, the SPNI endeavors to redirect the national trail so that it passes through the new pleasant path.
As you can imagine, keeping track of it all is no easy feat.
“Every morning, we ask ourselves how we can serve the hikers of the trail and present them with the most beautiful and interesting trip that will show them what Israel is all about,” says Itzik Ben Dov, an older man with excited eyes and fingers flecked with dried orange, blue and white paint.
Ben Dov is the trail-marking coordinator at SPNI. He’s the guy who oversees (and often personally implements) every route change for the Shvil. His job requires traveling around the country every month to paint new markers and coordinate with affected property owners.
This job is critical because — as anyone who has followed a marked trail can attest — losing track of trail markers is a one-way trip to panic.
Ben Dov, who left a cushy high-tech job a decade ago to take on this role, seems both ecstatic and gravely serious about his responsibility.
“If you take a vacation to hike on a part of the trail that I’ve marked, and you come back after a day or a week and say, ‘Wow, that was beautiful,’ that’s a sign that I’ve done my job well,” Ben Dov tells ISRAEl21c.
1,000 kilometers of generosity and goodwill
The grassroots nature of the National Trail’s establishment and maintenance means that there are no laws governing its existence, maintenance or protection.
On the other hand, the lack of bureaucracy involved in changing and adjusting the trail’s route means that adjustments can be made swiftly, ensuring that the Shvil is always an unbroken trek from North to South.
The fact that the trail exists only because of the people of Israel themselves speaks volumes, according to Ben Dov: “The Israel National Trail is one thousand kilometers of generosity and goodwill.”
Trail Angel, Trail Angel, will you be mine?
One of the most remarkable manifestations of the goodwill that has kept the trail around for 30 years has been the emergence of “Trail Angels” — local residents who offer support to hikers in whatever ways they can.
Tzippi Moss, a Jerusalemite who literally wrote the book on the Shvil’s Trail Angels, explains that there’s a wide spectrum of help offered by this group of good Samaritans.
“Some of them will just say, ‘You can put your tent in our backyard,’ and that’s it. Some angels offer to do your laundry, and they cook you meals and they may even transport you to where you met them on the trail,” she says. “It really depends on the specific Trail Angel, but there’s always a feeling of care and consideration, which is quite extraordinary.”
Moss completed the Shvil in 2009 alongside her 12th-grader son and tour guide husband, as part of a fundraiser for IsrA.L.S., an organization supporting research and families dealing with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
“My husband’s mother died of the disease, and it suddenly hit him: ‘Wow, I’m able to walk on my two legs, I’ve done a ton of hiking, I don’t want to take it for granted,’” Moss recalls. “He’d always dreamed of walking the trail, so he thought he’d walk the trail and raise money at the same time, and we decided to join him.”
During the family’s trek, they had many encounters with Trail Angels, often manifesting in a perfectly timed water refill or a much-needed lift.
“Once, we found ourselves in a situation where literally we had no place to put our tent. It was an awful, long, long day, and we felt paralyzed, like ‘What are we going to do now?’” Moss recalls. “And then somebody in a car stopped and said, ‘Hey, do you need any help?’ and they took us to a place where we could put our tent. Those kinds of things happened over and over again.”
Following their successful trek along the length of the Shvil, the family decided to become Trail Angels themselves.
“Meeting people that gave so generously without even thinking about it really impacted me and made me want to open up my heart more. And I remember thinking, if I can just once in my life have a similar impact on somebody hiking the trail as a Trail Angel, knowing what they did for us, then that will have been worth everything,” she says.
“We’ve had a couple of instances where they came through, and after speaking to us, we told them they could do it, and they did it! They made it!,” she adds. “It’s really a wonderful feeling to be able to encourage somebody to pursue their dreams and complete it.”
I’ve been everywhere, man
As the Shvil celebrates its 30th birthday, the power it holds in the hearts and minds of Israeli culture is undeniable.
As Moss points out, the Shvil is an integral part of the country’s DNA.
“I wish more of our politicians would hike the trail, because then they would really understand the country’s amazing people and understand — in a visceral way — who they’re meant to be serving,” she says.
“I would really encourage anybody, whether they live here in Israel or whether they’re tourists from abroad, to hike at least a part of the trail.”
From the seasoned trekkers who’ve conquered its entire length to the weekend warriors exploring local segments, the Israel National Trail has something to offer everyone.
As it marks this milestone anniversary, the Shvil continues to represent Israel’s overwhelming forces of goodwill, tenacity and natural beauty.