Lebanon Mountain Trail

The Lebanon Mountain Trail runs about four hundred and seventy kilometres from Andqet in the north to Marjaayoun in the south, following the mountains at between six hundred and two thousand metres and passing through some seventy-five towns and villages. It was laid out in 2007 and is divided into twenty-seven day sections, each ending somewhere with a bed, which is the design principle: the route is built around village guesthouses rather than camping, and walking it puts money into the places it passes.

What you actually see

• The twenty-seven sections - day stages each ending at a village with accommodation.
• The cedar groves - several of the country's surviving stands on or near the route.
• The village guesthouses - the trail's accommodation model, run by local families.
• The altitude range - the route holding between 600 and 2,000 metres for its length.

When to go

April to June and September to November are the walking seasons. Summer is too hot on the lower sections and winter brings snow to the high ones. The annual through-hike runs in spring.

Honest expectations

Waymarking is inconsistent on some sections and a local guide is recommended for several of them. Accommodation must be booked ahead; villages are small and beds are few. Sections vary greatly in difficulty and some involve long climbs.

Nearby

The Qadisha valley and the Chouf reserve both lie on the route.