The Israel National Trail stretches 1000km from Dan in the North to Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba. It crosses a wide variety of terrain: hills, forest, scrub, fields, towns and above all desert.
The trail passes through a landscape rich in historical and religious sites, although at times it is hard to accept "Yes, this is the actual Sea of Galilee, over there is the real Nazareth and later on I will see the real Bethlehem and Jerusalem". I sat in caves where people had lived over two millennia ago. Places of such long historical significance have acquired a mythological aura so they seem more like Troy or El Dorado. Until you actually walk into them.
I was first alerted to the INT in Patagonia in 2013, but it took me a couple of years to finally get there. In that time I met a number of Israeli travellers who encouraged me to come and see for myself. Some of them had actually walked the trail. Others wished that they could. I am glad that I did.
Above all I am glad that I met the people. So that I have a much richer variety of actual encounters and experiences, and thus rely less on stereotypes and the small sample of travellers that I have met elsewhere in the world. And the diversity of the people was extraordinary, though everyone I met shared a remarkable warmth and generosity. Admittedly I was perhaps a little favoured by my status as a rare foreigner walking the entire length of the country.
Initially I was a little concerned at the complexity of the logistics for the desert - indeed that was much more of a concern to me than reports about the deteriorating security situation (in late summer 2015). While evidently this is a serious matter, I considered that the situation on the ground was likely to be very different from the international news and also that it was very unlikely to impact someone who is way out in the middle of the country. And this proved to be exactly the case.
Now that I have finished even the question of how to get through the desert does not seem quite so challenging. And of all the information in these pages the one that might prove to be the most useful is a description of how I managed the last three and a half weeks, with the minimum of support or cost. There are certainly other ways of doing it, and the way I did may not suit everyone, and is certainly not suitable at all times of year. However it does add to the list of options that people might consider.
There is quite a lot of information out there, even in English, but I hope this helps to condense some of the essentials into an easily accessible form.
For what it is worth here is a map of all the places I camped or stayed. Your trip will differ entirely from mine. Your timing and weather will be different, you may go in the opposite direction, your friends and acquaintances will live elsewhere than mine and your random encounters will be whatever they are. You may also probably take a different approach to where you want to camp. But this at least will tell you what is one of many possibilities.
Enjoy exploring the Shvil for yourself. Shalom!
Tuesday 15 March 2016
Acknowledgements
There are so many people I would like to thank for making this trail both possible and so enjoyable.
Those who inspired me to go.
Those who helped me prepare.
Those who were so kind, helpful and generous along the way.
I cannot name you all but you will know who you are. My sincere thanks!
Monday 14 March 2016
Saturday 12 March 2016
Technology
Functions
These are the things that I need to be able to do on the trail: Navigation, Photography, Communication, Writing, Entertainment, Backup
Canon S95
Unfortunately rather too little used. It's a great little camera.
Did not use the tripod once.
Kingston MLWG2
This is a fantastically useful and versatile tool (see Kingston website).
Amongst many other things I could backup my camera card to a USB stick in the field.
Battery packs
They all performed well. I got 17 days of phone use at the end of the trail without a mains recharge and was still only 75% through the second battery pack.
My only complaint with the battery packs is that the Anker one has a very poorly designed switch which sits proud of the body and is all too easy to turn on. This would matter little were it not for the completely useless LED flashlight feature, which in time would drain the battery were it to turn on in a pack. I taped on a foam surround to prevent the button being pressed accidentally.
Although it was sunny enough for solar I would not have had the same amount of power available for the weight, given that I would still need some capacity (a week) to cover for periods when solar charging was limited.
Devices
iPhone 5s, Canon S95, Garmin eTrex 20, Kindle Paperwhite, Kingston Mobile Lite G2
Media
SD Cards, Micro SD Cards (and adaptors), USB sticks
Power storage
10,000 mAh battery pack (Parkman)
16,000 mAh battery pack (Anker)
4,640 mAh battery pack (Kingston)
Chargers
Two USB chargers (1 x iClever two port, 1 x Apple charger for iPhone)
Convertor from US to European plug
European plug version for Apple charger
Cables
I usually have two of every cable.
USB - Lightening (Apple)
USB - Mini USB (Garmin)
USB - Micro USB (All others)
Reviews
iPhone 5s
Performed flawlessly. For most navigation functions it is much better than a dedicated GPS. Probably not as good as a standalone camera, but more convenient. Panorama function is pretty good.
Benefitted from good phone signal most of the time.
Dusty conditions not ideal so should probably get a case for it.
Performed flawlessly. For most navigation functions it is much better than a dedicated GPS. Probably not as good as a standalone camera, but more convenient. Panorama function is pretty good.
Benefitted from good phone signal most of the time.
Dusty conditions not ideal so should probably get a case for it.
Garmin eTrex 20
No major problems this time. In the past it has corrupted its own files and been unable to boot up until fixed with a computer.
It did its limited job adequately well.
Boot up time seems especially slow compared to phone.
No major problems this time. In the past it has corrupted its own files and been unable to boot up until fixed with a computer.
It did its limited job adequately well.
Boot up time seems especially slow compared to phone.
Kindle Paperwhite
This got very little use. I read mostly on phone and used that for PDF documents too for which it is far better. Battery life is outstanding.
This got very little use. I read mostly on phone and used that for PDF documents too for which it is far better. Battery life is outstanding.
Canon S95
Unfortunately rather too little used. It's a great little camera.
Did not use the tripod once.
Kingston MLWG2
This is a fantastically useful and versatile tool (see Kingston website).
Amongst many other things I could backup my camera card to a USB stick in the field.
Battery packs
They all performed well. I got 17 days of phone use at the end of the trail without a mains recharge and was still only 75% through the second battery pack.
My only complaint with the battery packs is that the Anker one has a very poorly designed switch which sits proud of the body and is all too easy to turn on. This would matter little were it not for the completely useless LED flashlight feature, which in time would drain the battery were it to turn on in a pack. I taped on a foam surround to prevent the button being pressed accidentally.
Although it was sunny enough for solar I would not have had the same amount of power available for the weight, given that I would still need some capacity (a week) to cover for periods when solar charging was limited.
Water
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| Maximum water load 6x1.5+1x1+2x0.5+1x0.75=11.75 litres! |
In the bundle of files (see under Download) there is a document called "Hiking the desert Arad to Eilat.pdf". It may be worth carrying this with you if you decide that this is a method that suits you. The bulk of the text in this post can be found in that document.
Overview
The Shvil Israel divides into three stages going from North to South.
1 Dan to Tel Aviv (20 days - 17 stages)
2 Tel Aviv to Arad (20 days - 11 stages)
3 Arad to Eilat (27 days - 20 stages)
Note: My count of days includes rest days.
The North and the Middle
The first two stages are relatively straightforward with the second a bit tougher than the first. The third is where it gets interesting and much more challenging.
That said there are places where I carried between 2 and 4 litres of water, and others where I filled with enough to camp overnight some distance before actually needing it. It gave me a sense of security and independence, and allowed me to pick a spot as soon as I found something suitable, knowing that I had sufficient food, water and fuel with me. That added flexibility at a cost of some effort. Overall this was good training for later on. I couldn't help noting how much easier cycle touring is than hiking in this regard.
However there are sufficient sources (springs and taps) as well as settlements such that you will survive and gradually acquire experience if you lack it at the outset.
Water quality
In all cases I drank tap water directly with no ill effect. Where I took water from Springs I invariably boiled it for tea or in cooking. I carried a few strips of tablets but used these rarely and only if I wanted cold water. I dispensed with my Steripen before the South as a weight saving measure, although generally I am much in favour of this method. Only once on the entire trip did I buy bottled water.
The South
Important qualifications
I did this hike in winter. I started on the 11th November in Dan and reached Eilat on the 16th January.
The feasibility of doing this the way that I did depends on three factors none of which may be the same for anyone else. So please take this as a description of what I did not as a guide to what you should do. You will need to work out your own program but it might help to have some ideas from this experience.
There are three factors that may differ considerably for you.
The weather
Even if you do it over exactly the same dates you weather may differ considerably. Most especially it could be hotter at critical moments. Or there could be flash floods. Beware!
Your capacity
To do it this way you need to carry heavy loads for many days. Your capacity to do this may be greater than mine or less.
Your consumption
Your body is not my body. You may drink less but eat more or eat less and drink more. Either way what you require will differ from what I needed even under identical circumstances.
That said here is a description of what I did.
Section by section details
I broke the third Stage into 7 Sections.
1 Arad to Sde Boqer
I left Arad in the late afternoon after eating well in town so I didn't need to cook that night. I had food for 6 days and 10.25 litres of water, which was my carrying capacity as well as about all I could manage (un)comfortably.
It took 6 nights to reach Sde Boqer and my food supply was perfect.
I had enough water to reach the quarry near where the road crosses to Dimona (approximately N 31.027639, E 35.24522).
My initial plan was to hitchhike to Dimona but they kindly let me fill up. The sign (in Hebrew which I couldn't read) forbids entry. I ignored this and while initially a bit put out that I had walked in they ended up being very friendly. The benefit of being a foreigner.
I then used that water to reach Oron plant. I refilled there and used that until Sde Boqer.
During this time I found one bottle of 1.5 litres neatly full (and cold!) and a 750ml bottle partially filled. This was a bonus and you can't count on it. But I would have still been ok without it.
Please also note that the most technically demanding part occurs towards the end of this section when descending a canyon. You may still be carrying several litres and a day's food at this point which means taking it very carefully.
2 Sde Boqer to Mizpe Ramon
This is a short section (3 nights) and I simply carried sufficient water and food for the entire section.
There is a small (expensive but adequate) supermarket in Sde Boqer. I stayed on the campus with a friend.
There was one spring (Ein Aqev) near the start with reliable water but I didn't take any.
There was just enough water in a couple of pools later on to help with washing up. But not really useful for drinking.
3 Mizpe Ramon to Tzofar
I camped about 6km before MR so only had about a 90 minute walk into town in the morning. It was the coldest morning of the entire trail (4°C).
In MR I drank coffee and recharged my phone at the gas station cafe, then ate at a little cafe behind the front row of shops.
I then bought 6 days food at the supermarket (and a couple of treats) and packaged these up into a cardboard box. I also bought 9 litres of water (6 bottles) in a pack with a handle.
After removing excess packaging I closed up the box and staggered with all this to the road leading out of town.
I hitched 58km to near Zihor junction (it's actually 2km before where the Shvil crosses the road: N 30.280512, E 35.001285). I walked about 300m and buried my cache in a hole covered with rocks. No digging tool was necessary.
I then hitched back to another point where the trail crosses the road about 13km before MR (N 30.583219, E 34.887446). I walked 1km or so to a place where I camped (about 2km before Wadi Gvanim camping).
I camped the night there and in the morning cached all my food, water and gear up the hill under a pile of rocks. I took with me an empty pack, jacket and the two water bottles that were by now empty.
I hitched back to MR to have coffee, recharge, do shopping (6 days food), buy a small gas canister (expensive and a little hard to locate the small shop) and have lunch.
Then I walked back to my camp, found my gear and cache and stayed a second night in the same spot.
This meant that I had enough water to reach Tzofar and food to last till Zihor.
4 Tzofar to Zihor junction
Having camped a few km before Tzofar I reached it before midday. There was a small supermarket, which also stocked gas canisters. I bought some treats to eat and a couple of extra supplies (flat bread and hummus).
I left with enough water (from a water cooler opposite) and food to reach my cache at Zihor (I arrived on the 3rd night).
5 Zihor to Shaharut
I left what I considered excess food, four litres of water (I had plenty in reserve when I arrived) and all my trash covered by rocks in my cache. I had sufficient food until Eilat and enough water until Shaharut.
Plan B in the event that my cache had been found and stolen was to camp overnight then hitchhike to MR, buy what I needed and return.
6 Shaharut to Be'er Ora
I replenished water in Shaharut where a very kind woman gave me a bag of fruit as well as filling my water bottles. Then I camped nearby. I had enough water to reach Timna Park.
Before Timna Park I met a tour group whose cook gave me three huge Pita breads made on an open fire with a lovely smokey taste. Very substantial.
At Timna Park the people were very friendly. I refilled water and they gave me a coffee and biscuits. I then had enough water to reach Be'er Ora.
7 Be'er Ora to Eilat
I refilled with water at Be'er Ora from the water cooler near the supermarket.
The small supermarket is good for a few food items and some on the spot treats. And a coffee. They also stock gas canisters at a decent price.
From here I had sufficient food and water for two nights till I reached Eilat in the afternoon of day 67.
Notes
What I would do differently
1 I needed less food in my main cache at Zihor campsite. After the trail I returned to collect the excess food and Trash. However I left 6 litres in the cache for a friend.
2 I would not take water from Ein Yetafim again. Didn't make me sick but it made terrible tea and was an unnecessary risk given that I had sufficient water with me.
3 I would carry a Sawyer mini water filter for some opportunistic refills from pools.
Water purification and treatment
In addition to filling water from reliable sources I carried two means of water purification.
1 Tablets (bought in Nepal). Cheap, effective and lightweight. It tastes less than ideal but good in an emergency. You need to wait 30-60 mins.
2 I also had sufficient fuel (gas) to boil extra water if needed.
Water carrying method
I opted for recycled Coke bottles and a Nalgene litre flask.
The advantages being that they are free, lightweight, robust, and provide redundancy. In addition it makes it easy to keep track of water consumption and rationing. I had one bottle with a sports top for drinking during the day.
I placed as much water as I could (5.25 litres max) under the lid of my pack. The remaining bottles were stored in an Ortlieb dry bag attached by shock cord to the back of the pack. This made it easy to manage, but did mean that at times the centre of gravity of the pack moved further away from my back than I would have liked. Still overall it worked and I felt it was a better solution than a single large water bladder.
Finally
It's a great feeling to be totally self dependent with the ability to survive for several days unaided. But it's hard work. It's quite possible that you may come across extra water either in natural pools or in bottles that people have dropped (or perhaps even left intentionally for others), but this water should be treated as a bonus and should not be relied upon.
Keep hydrated and stay safe. Good luck with your hike!
Photos
Here is a small selection of photos for a bit of inspiration.
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The path follows a line of hills covered in forest.
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Moving just a little slower than we were.
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Looking across the Sea of Galilee. Looks walkable.
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Example of a trail meal for one.
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Into more open country. The trail goes over that hill.
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Easy and enjoyable walking though little hills.
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Wonderful to sit under the stars by a fire.
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What have the Romans ever done for us? Apart from...
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Skyscape on Poleg beach.
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Tried separating them but fell asleep.
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Australian backcountry road?
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Approaching Arad with a storm to the north.
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Not a place I'd especially want to twist an ankle.
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The views are opening up as the shadows lengthen.
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A group descending into the small Makhtesh.
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This crack was about 20m deep.
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Handholds were pretty welcome here.
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Poles are especially handy on this angled terrain.
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Fossils are two a penny.
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This pool was beside, not on, the trail.
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It was quite an excitement to find this little oasis.
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In the Makhtesh trees are few and far between.
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The ridge walk today was really enjoyable.
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I liked these markers for cyclists.
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Three cyclists went past me battling, as ever, into the wind.
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Another day another canyon.
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Majestic cliffs.
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A canyon with a fairly rough floor.
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There is a lot of serious geology going on in this place.
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In a side canyon near the end.
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Now go and record your own memories!
Resupply
Overview
As with water so with food and fuel. Generally the north and the middle have sufficient resupply options, while the south needs a lot more planning.
Resupply points
These are the main places where I bought food. Occasionally there was a cafe or gas station. These are not included, but will be on your map. At least they were all on the maps.me map which comes from OpenStreetMap.
The North
Day 0 Tel Aviv - supermarkets, gas, SIM card
Day 1 (am) Kibbutz Dan - small supermarket
Day 4 (am) Dishon village - small minimarket
Day 8 (am) Safed/Zfat - supermarkets in small town, gas
Day 15 (am) Kfar Hasidim - supermarket (opposite school)
As with water so with food and fuel. Generally the north and the middle have sufficient resupply options, while the south needs a lot more planning.
Resupply points
These are the main places where I bought food. Occasionally there was a cafe or gas station. These are not included, but will be on your map. At least they were all on the maps.me map which comes from OpenStreetMap.
The North
Day 0 Tel Aviv - supermarkets, gas, SIM card
Day 1 (am) Kibbutz Dan - small supermarket
Day 4 (am) Dishon village - small minimarket
Day 8 (am) Safed/Zfat - supermarkets in small town, gas
Day 15 (am) Kfar Hasidim - supermarket (opposite school)
Day 17 (am) Ein Zur - supermarket (at road crossing near winery)
Day 21-26 Tel Aviv - supermarkets, gas, phone recharge, six days rest
The Middle
Day 27 (pm) Somewhere along the way here I found a full 460g gas canister
Day 28 (am) Sakhlabim logistics centre - lunch (mobile food stall)
Day 29 (am) Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut shopping centre, lunch (cafe)
Day 31 (pm) Mevo Beitar gas station - small store (top up)
Day 33 (am) Netiv HaLamed-Hey - small supermarket, gas
Day 35 (pm) Beit Kama gas station - cafe and small store (top up)
The South
Day 39-40 Arad - cafe, trail angel - one day rest
Day 41 (am) Arad - supermarket (6 days), cafe (eat before leaving), gas
Day 46-49 Sde Boqer - cafe, supermarket - three days rest
Day 54 (am) Mitzpe Ramon - cafe, supermarket (6 days food), eat lunch, gas
Day 55 (am) CACHE (gear plus any remaining food and water), hitchhike to MR
Day 55 (pm) Mitzpe Ramon - cafe, supermarket (6 days food), eat lunch
Day 58 (pm) Zofar - minimarket (top up), eat lunch, gas available
Day 60 (pm) CACHE (6 days food, 9 litres of water, gas) - Zihor Junction camp
Day 65 (am) Be'er Ora - minimarket (top up), eat lunch, gas
Day 67 (pm) Eilat - enjoy a feast at the end!
Food caches
I created only two caches. Both caches were deposited on a single day by hitchhiking down one highway and back. All very neat and simple.
Cache one
This was a cache of food, water and gas that would be hidden for a week.
I chose a discrete spot some 300m from the campsite out of view of the road and trail. I climbed up and away from any sign of tracks, which also reduced any potential impact from a rainstorm.
The water bottles are fine as they are. The food was packaged in plastic, boxed in cardboard for transport, then wrapped in a plastic sack for storage.
I scooped a shallow hole in the soft sand with my hands, placed the items inside and then piled plenty of rocks over the top. Finally I scattered sand all over, partly to blend in the colours and partly to obscure my footsteps as I retreated.
I took photos of the location from several angles and recorded two GPS points using two devices. Then I left an obvious stick as a reminder of where to climb back up. Finally I had a good look at the surrounding and noted some key features.
I also had a plan B in the event that it was missing when I returned. As this was close to a road I would simply have to hitch hike back into town (60km away) and start over again.
Cache two
This cache included almost all my gear as well as my remaining food and water. It had to last for just one day, while I hitched into town, bought more supplies and walked back.
I climbed 50 metres up a steep rock slope above my campsite, which itself was discretely hidden away from the trail up a side valley. Then I found a cleft in some rocks and hid my bags there. One was already a dry bag, the other was a large plastic sack. I then covered these completely with rocks. I took two GPS points as before, in addition to my regular one for the campsite itself.
Day 21-26 Tel Aviv - supermarkets, gas, phone recharge, six days rest
The Middle
Day 27 (pm) Somewhere along the way here I found a full 460g gas canister
Day 28 (am) Sakhlabim logistics centre - lunch (mobile food stall)
Day 29 (am) Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut shopping centre, lunch (cafe)
Day 31 (pm) Mevo Beitar gas station - small store (top up)
Day 33 (am) Netiv HaLamed-Hey - small supermarket, gas
Day 35 (pm) Beit Kama gas station - cafe and small store (top up)
The South
Day 39-40 Arad - cafe, trail angel - one day rest
Day 41 (am) Arad - supermarket (6 days), cafe (eat before leaving), gas
Day 46-49 Sde Boqer - cafe, supermarket - three days rest
Day 50 (am) Sde Boqer - supermarket (3 days)
Day 54 (am) Mitzpe Ramon - cafe, supermarket (6 days food), eat lunch, gas
Day 55 (am) CACHE (gear plus any remaining food and water), hitchhike to MR
Day 55 (pm) Mitzpe Ramon - cafe, supermarket (6 days food), eat lunch
Day 58 (pm) Zofar - minimarket (top up), eat lunch, gas available
Day 60 (pm) CACHE (6 days food, 9 litres of water, gas) - Zihor Junction camp
Day 65 (am) Be'er Ora - minimarket (top up), eat lunch, gas
Day 67 (pm) Eilat - enjoy a feast at the end!
Food caches
I created only two caches. Both caches were deposited on a single day by hitchhiking down one highway and back. All very neat and simple.
Cache one
This was a cache of food, water and gas that would be hidden for a week.
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| My food cache after recovery on day 60 including some fruit I was given |
The water bottles are fine as they are. The food was packaged in plastic, boxed in cardboard for transport, then wrapped in a plastic sack for storage.
I scooped a shallow hole in the soft sand with my hands, placed the items inside and then piled plenty of rocks over the top. Finally I scattered sand all over, partly to blend in the colours and partly to obscure my footsteps as I retreated.
I took photos of the location from several angles and recorded two GPS points using two devices. Then I left an obvious stick as a reminder of where to climb back up. Finally I had a good look at the surrounding and noted some key features.
I also had a plan B in the event that it was missing when I returned. As this was close to a road I would simply have to hitch hike back into town (60km away) and start over again.
Cache two
This cache included almost all my gear as well as my remaining food and water. It had to last for just one day, while I hitched into town, bought more supplies and walked back.
I climbed 50 metres up a steep rock slope above my campsite, which itself was discretely hidden away from the trail up a side valley. Then I found a cleft in some rocks and hid my bags there. One was already a dry bag, the other was a large plastic sack. I then covered these completely with rocks. I took two GPS points as before, in addition to my regular one for the campsite itself.
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