Trail Development Experience
Village to Village has a wide range of experience in developing hiking trails in the Middle East which benefit local communities and promote positive interactions between foreign hikers and diverse local communities.
Our experience includes:
- Abraham Path/Masar Ibrahim: As consultants for the Abraham Path, a cross-Middle East hiking trail from Turkey to Egypt, we have developed topographical maps, written web content, offered training to local guides, consulted with local partners, completed a “trail audit,” and provided general feedback and advisement.
In this project, we have scouted, mapped out, and developed over 2000km (1250 miles) of trail in five countries between 2012 and 2015.
- Jordan Trail: Contributed to initial and ongoing efforts to support a steering committee in Jordan to explore the idea of a cross-country walking path connecting major historical and cultural sites in Jordan. Provided consultation and technical assistance for route-finding, map production, Wilderness First Aid training, web development, and strategic planning for local Jordanian initiatives.
- Jesus Trail: As cofounders of the Jesus Trail, we were instrumental in developing this 60-kilometer hiking trail in the Galilee region of Israel which connects sites from the life of Jesus. From trail scouting, to resource development to consulting with local businesses and hosting international press, we were a part of each step that has taken this trail to an internationally-recognized pilgrimage route which contributes millions of dollars to the local economy.
- Ramallah Highlands Trail: We edited the guidebook to the Ramallah Highland Trail, a two-day trail in the Ramallah area which highlights the architectural heritage of the area. In preparation for this book, we supported Riwaq with route-finding with GIS assistance and trail scouting.
- We have also offered advice and consultation with potential tourism hiking trails in Tunisia and Egypt, including the Sinai Trail.
- We have authored two trail guidebooks, Hiking the Jesus Trail and Hiking the Camino de Santiago.