So on Sunday, we hiked Mount Sinai. No big deal, right? We had the option of riding camels up, and camels continued to be up most of the trail until we hit some stairs, with camel drivers offering us a ride...I didn't take it. I wanted to be able to say that I hiked the mountain...not that I rode up it. Besides, we had already gone on a camel ride.
We started at around 4 in the morning so that we could make it up to watch the sunrise. So, I wanted to be near the front and race to the top, but that definitely didn't happen. First off, when I started, the hose on my camelbak popped off and water leaked all down my back, soaking through multiple layers, before I could get it off. I managed to fix it and save some of the water, but it was still a cold journey.
Then, About a fourth of the way up, my headlamp died. I was in between two groups of people, and it was pitch dark outside, so I had to wait for someone to catch up before I could keep going. The trail is rocky, uneven, and steep, making it nigh unto impossible to safely traverse it without a light. Thankfully, another girl allowed me to accompany her (and her wonderful light) to the top.
About 3/4 of the way up, you hit a winding set of stairs. Let me clarify. By the term 'stairs' I mean strategically placed, yet still incredibly uneven rocks that Monks put in place many years ago. One of my professors counted - there were over 3000 of these little guys taunting us as we took them one at a time. Multiple times we walked straight off the trail and didn't realize it til we came to steep enbankments or impenetrable walls. As much as I like rock climbing, I wasn't in any position to try that...I just wanted to find my way up the mountain and stop meandering to dark corners. The same professor that counted the stairs (which honestly, I don't know how he counted them...sometimes I wasn't sure whether the rock piles should be considered stairs or attempts to trip me) also tripped on the stairs and hit his hand...he ended up having a lump the size of a golf ball on his hand until the doctor could treat it and get pressure on it. His advice? Don't climb stairs with your hands in your pockets - you'll end up ripping your jacket in an attempt to get your hand out of it.
The peak was freezing. Luckily, I had dried off in the hour and a half hike up the mountain, or I would have been in trouble. Once we reached the top, we all huddled in a giant mass with blankets and coats and backpacks and anything we had in a futile attempt to insulate ourselves and keep warm. Note the word futile. I took videos at the top, but I couldn't hold my camera steady because I was shivering so hard.
The sunrise made it all worth it. The rays bursting over that mountainous horizon of the Sinai peninsula were absolutely spectacular. It makes you appreciate God's creations so much more when you have to work hard to reach the best views of them.
We sang hymns the entire time we were atop Sinai - 'High on the Mountaintop,' 'For the Beauty of the Earth,' 'There is Sunshine in My Soul today,' and 'The Morning Breaks' are just a few of the ones we sang. We were up there for ages singing and basking in the sun...but alas, it was still cold, so we took a 20 minute descent to have our class testimony meetings. It's really neat to be able to say we had testimony meetings on the traditional Mt Sinai (meaning it's the assumed Mt Sinai). We also talked about Moses receiving the 10 commandments, and the Children of Israel becoming corrupted during that short time. So much more meaning is added to Bible stories when you go to their actual locations (or where we think they are).
The way back down was so much more easy. Several of us sang at the top of our lungs the whole way down - "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma started our...angelic choruses...off. I'm being really sarcastic, by the way. We probably didn't sound too angelic.
After finally making it back down, we got back on the busses, went to our hotel, packed, and drove home to Israel. We slept most of the way home. Another adventure to add to my list!
We started at around 4 in the morning so that we could make it up to watch the sunrise. So, I wanted to be near the front and race to the top, but that definitely didn't happen. First off, when I started, the hose on my camelbak popped off and water leaked all down my back, soaking through multiple layers, before I could get it off. I managed to fix it and save some of the water, but it was still a cold journey.
Then, About a fourth of the way up, my headlamp died. I was in between two groups of people, and it was pitch dark outside, so I had to wait for someone to catch up before I could keep going. The trail is rocky, uneven, and steep, making it nigh unto impossible to safely traverse it without a light. Thankfully, another girl allowed me to accompany her (and her wonderful light) to the top.
About 3/4 of the way up, you hit a winding set of stairs. Let me clarify. By the term 'stairs' I mean strategically placed, yet still incredibly uneven rocks that Monks put in place many years ago. One of my professors counted - there were over 3000 of these little guys taunting us as we took them one at a time. Multiple times we walked straight off the trail and didn't realize it til we came to steep enbankments or impenetrable walls. As much as I like rock climbing, I wasn't in any position to try that...I just wanted to find my way up the mountain and stop meandering to dark corners. The same professor that counted the stairs (which honestly, I don't know how he counted them...sometimes I wasn't sure whether the rock piles should be considered stairs or attempts to trip me) also tripped on the stairs and hit his hand...he ended up having a lump the size of a golf ball on his hand until the doctor could treat it and get pressure on it. His advice? Don't climb stairs with your hands in your pockets - you'll end up ripping your jacket in an attempt to get your hand out of it.
The peak was freezing. Luckily, I had dried off in the hour and a half hike up the mountain, or I would have been in trouble. Once we reached the top, we all huddled in a giant mass with blankets and coats and backpacks and anything we had in a futile attempt to insulate ourselves and keep warm. Note the word futile. I took videos at the top, but I couldn't hold my camera steady because I was shivering so hard.
The sunrise made it all worth it. The rays bursting over that mountainous horizon of the Sinai peninsula were absolutely spectacular. It makes you appreciate God's creations so much more when you have to work hard to reach the best views of them.
We sang hymns the entire time we were atop Sinai - 'High on the Mountaintop,' 'For the Beauty of the Earth,' 'There is Sunshine in My Soul today,' and 'The Morning Breaks' are just a few of the ones we sang. We were up there for ages singing and basking in the sun...but alas, it was still cold, so we took a 20 minute descent to have our class testimony meetings. It's really neat to be able to say we had testimony meetings on the traditional Mt Sinai (meaning it's the assumed Mt Sinai). We also talked about Moses receiving the 10 commandments, and the Children of Israel becoming corrupted during that short time. So much more meaning is added to Bible stories when you go to their actual locations (or where we think they are).
The way back down was so much more easy. Several of us sang at the top of our lungs the whole way down - "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma started our...angelic choruses...off. I'm being really sarcastic, by the way. We probably didn't sound too angelic.
After finally making it back down, we got back on the busses, went to our hotel, packed, and drove home to Israel. We slept most of the way home. Another adventure to add to my list!
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