Nahal Tmarim

Judean Desert

The route type:

Rappelling trip.

The canyon is dry all the year round but be wary about floods during winter rains.

All rappelling stations are equipped with anchors (Glue-in bolts). *

Getting there:

Drive on the road number 90 along Dead Sea to the south.

After 266 km distance mark you will arrive to the mouth of the Tmarim canyon with a date-palm plantation on the left side of the road. Turn left to a side road and park here.

Route description:

Cross the road and follow marked trails (red and then blue).

The trail marked with blue marks climbs steeply to the South then turns to the right and climbs to a saddle. The third and the fourth dry falls come into view from the saddle.

Remark: If you want to shorten your rappelling trip and to content yourselves with only last two dry falls, you should descent from the saddle into a small wadi, to cross it and to climb through a scree slope on the other side. Then you should follow an obvious (though not marked) trail which runs along the canyon walls and joins Nahal Tmarim above the fourth dry fall.

If you want to join Nahal Tmarim between the fourth and the fifth dry falls, don’t cross the small wadi but instead descent all the way along it into the canyon.

The main (blue) trail continues to climb from the saddle to the main plateau. Once on the plateau the trail turns to North-West.

After 600m of walking on the plateau you will cross a small flat wadi.

Remark: From here you can descent with the small wadi to the floor of the main Tmarim canyon just between the first and the second dry falls and thus avoiding the longest rappelling of 75m.

To get the full adventure, continue to follow the blue marks till a dirt road marked with red marks. Just before the intersection you can leave the “blue trail” and descend into an obvious wadi on your right. This is the beginning of Tmarim canyon. Walk 400m down the wadi till the first rappelling station.

There are 5 dry falls to be abseiled:

1. 72m (75m from the left station) - vertical, then 10m overhang

There are some bolts just in the middle of the channel near the edge and more bolts on the left side 5 to 8 meters from the edge. *

The 1st dry fall rappelling station

The 1st dry fall rappelling station (the left one)

Rappelling down the 1st dry fall

The 1st dry fall

The 1st dry fall from a distance

Walk 350m down a flat wadi till the second rappelling station.

2. Three steps (2m, 7m and 3m) separated with flat pits. 22m long rope is required.

There are 4 bolts on the right side on rocks. *

The 2nd dry fall rappelling station

Rappelling down the 2nd dry fall

The 2nd dry fall

The third dry fall is just at the foot of the second one.

3. 48m from the left station or 51m from the central station - vertical, then 10m overhang

There are 4 bolts 8m from the edge (they are just under the last step of the second rappelling) and 4 bolts on the left side 5 meters from the edge. *

The 3rd dry fall rappelling station
(under the last step of the 2nd dry fall)

The 3rd dry fall rappelling station
(the left side bolts)

Rappelling down the 3rd dry fall

The 3rd dry fall

The fourth dry fall comes right after the third one.

4. 60m overall (from the nearest bolts):

50m descend (vertical, then sloped) ends in a 3m long pit. Cross the pit and rappel another 8-10m of slope. It is possible to climb down from the pit without aid of rope but be careful.

There are two clusters of bolts on a rocky ledge on the left side: 3m from the edge and 10m from the edge. *

A view from the 4th dry fall rappelling station

The 4th dry fall rappelling station

The 4th dry fall

Walk 250m till the fifth rappelling station.

5. 51m overall from the right side bolts or 55-60m overall from the left side bolts:

There are two clusters of bolts:

1. on the right side:

These anchors are convenient if you want to rappel without use of an intermediate station (overall 51m). The wall is sloped with a wide ledge after 5 meters.

There are bolts on the far left side of the ledge (see 2.).

2. on the left side:

There are some bolts in 7m from the edge. Rappel down 8m (overall about 15m from the bolts) to a wide ledge and find more bolts on the very left side of the ledge.

From here rappel 40-45m to the ground.