Panoramic Falougha

Mount Falougha is one of the most panoramic mountains in Lebanon, and it's only an hour away from Beirut.

This time, it was my brother Karim and his friends who joined with adventurous attitudes.

At the beginning of the trail, the view covered Beirut and the south of Lebanon.

Falougha is filled with small ponds, and in winter it's a joy to find how much weight a frozen pond can hold.

Since it had snowed just a few days ago, ice drops were hanging from the tips of leaves.

The rays of sun pierced through the clouds and illuminated portions of the Mediterranean in the distance.

I generally lead the pack to test new grounds, and at one point had to retreat because of slippery snow on a steep hill.

By now, views of the southern part of Mount Lebanon dominated, including the tallest bridge in the Middle East.

Falougha is not known for its natural diversity. In fact, it's the lack of trees that paves the way for panoramic views.

After some steep climbing, the Bekaa valley showed within the haze.

Hiking even further revealed Sannine peaking right about the clouds in the far back.

As the sun started to part, we began our hike back down.

The palette of clouds illuminated by the soft sunset made it the right time to compose a frame containing the snow on Falougha along with the mountains in the background.

Staying till late in the day during winter is tricky, since it gets cold quickly. But experiencing the sunset from the highlands is always worth it.