Israel’s top 10 hill climbs

COUNTING DOWN FROM GREAT TO TRULY SUBLIME!

Growing up in Israel, I was always told by my elders “there aren’t any places to drive here.” Years have passed, but not the attitude of the folks around me. “What would you do with your sports car? Stand in traffic all day?” they asked, looking at me with a mix of bewilderment and contempt.
Having driven almost every road in this small country, all can say is BOLLOCKS!

Israel has many fantastic driving roads if you know where to look for them.

There are desert roads, mountain roads, fast tracks, technical sections, special stages – almost every type imaginable. Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson once vowed to marry one of them and consummate the marriage with a joint offspring.

While this could be slightly on the excessive side, I could certainly understand Clarkson’s attitude. Reading the below, I believe you would too.

Out of the many road types Israel has to offer, my own favorite is the hill climb. What is a hill climb?

Essentially any type of ascending paved road can qualify. In reality, hill climbs can best be described as a continuous segment of uphill tarmac with ample length, substantial gradient and many technical twists and turns. This is not the place to discover a car’s top-speed unless free-falling-into-an-abyss velocity is counted in. A hill climb is where a driver’s skill shines the most, and where the communication between the pilot and machine is the main source of motoring pleasure.

In short, to be recognized as a hill climb a road must have:

1. Continuous ascending gradient
2. Ample twists and turns
3. Drivable tarmac
4. Substantial distance (4Km and above)

Based on the northern reaches of the Great Rift Valley, Israel is blessed with numerous steep hills and mountains. Some of these start BELOW sea level before jutting up sharply into the skies above. The roads in these eastern parts of the country are to the most parts – hill climbs. Few of them are truly sublime.

Rules of engagement

Part of any motoring fun is to come back home, preferably happy and in one piece. Nobody wants to end the day in hospital. Please pay attention to the below tips and remember – trauma surgery is painful. There are better ways to relax on Morphine.

1. Setting expectations

If your idea of a hill climb is driving like Ari Vatanen on Pikes Peak, you are bound to be disappointed.

To start with, you’re not Ari Vatanen, and you do not have a 900Kg, 600hp all-wheel drive-Peugeot T16 405 at your complete disposal.

…and even if you did, you’re still not Ari Vatanen!

Second, climbing more than 1,400 vertical meters and spanning over a distance of 20Km, Colorado’s Pike Peak is one of the longest hill climbs available. None of the roads mentioned below is as long and cover as many vertical meters from start to finish. They are, never the less as steep, and some as challenging as that famous American mountain road.

2. Coming at the right time

Israel is a densely populated country, and although most of the of the top 10 hill climbs are far from any major urban area, you can still find yourself traveling all the way to your favorite climb only to find it packed with slow moving locals on their way back from groceries.

The solution – come early. Better, come by sunrise. Best, come at weekend by sunrise. Another option is Sunset Friday when much of the traffic disappears as people gather for the weekly Friday family dinners.

Or you can just play it lucky

3. Know your limits

So you’ve just got to your favorite hill climb and what-do-you-know? It’s empty! Now what?

Hill climbs have few straight stretches and even fewer safety barriers. Mastering them requires skill, concentration, patience, and responsibility. If your “kick” is to max your speedometer on an empty, wide stretch, look elsewhere.

Also, unlike your PS4 “Grand Turismo” car simulator, there are no replays on the real road. Collision damage is always set to “MAX” and restarting a game is painfully expensive. Speaking of pain, we’re not even starting to talk about injuries.

Know and recognize your own limits as a driver BEFORE going out into the mountains. Remember that you are driving on a public road – not a racetrack – and that each blind curve may hold a nasty surprise behind it. As a matter of fact, ASSUME there’s a nasty surprise behind each blind curve and you’ve already increased your chances of coming back home safely. Lastly, don’t let your ego write checks your skills can’t pay. Don’t race anyone. It’s just not worth loosing your car, limbs, life.
Enough said.

Be respectful of others

Sharing the road could be frustrating, especially if that f***ing old geezer ahead of you is driving 35Kph on the best piece of twists.

Please keep in mind that you don’t own the road. It’s not worth overtaking like Ayrton Senna on the Donington ’93 Grand Prix only to discover the granny is actually an angry 25-year-old body-builder. Pull aside and let the cars in front of you gather some distance.

Same goes for bicyclists. Do not overrun them though some of them can behave like real “schmoes” (i.e., like they own the road). Better stop and find another section.

Choosing the top 10

Ten. What a magical number. Unfortunately, life isn’t that magical, or arbitrary. Deciding to close a list – any list – at a given discriminative number is bound to keep few great choices out. After all, who says road number 11 is substantially worse than number 9?

In my endeavors to choose the best hill climbs in Israel, I’m sure I left some very fine roads out. I’m also sure that while I’ve tried to introduce as much of an objective criteria as I could, some of my selections were certainly subjected to my own private taste.

I humbly acknowledge your selection – should you write one – could be different. Having said all disclaimers above, Let’s start the countdown!

Number 10 – Bat Oren

Road 721 from junction 4 to junction 672
9 Km, 450m climb

From road number 4, also known as the “old Tel Aviv-Haifa highway”, turn into a beautiful North Carmel mountain valley where road number 721 snakes its way up to the top of the ridge. This road is as beautiful as it is fun to drive. It’s also very diverse. You’ll encounter almost every possible type of twists and turns. Be careful though, quite a few of the turns don’t have much visibility ahead. Thread carefully. First timers should practice extra caution as some of the curves are sharper than what one would imagine. On the upside, the action is constant from the minute you enter till the last bend just before the road ends at the intersection with 672.

Being just a short deviation from the main Tel Aviv – Haifa highway, road 721 can be quite crowded – weekends too.
Come early.

Red Flags:

1. Limited visibility at some sections
2. Narrow section in the middle ends abruptly in a hump and a sharp turn
3. The road ends with a sharp left blind turn leading to a stop sign about 50 meters ahead. Panic breaking could be very dangerous

Number 9 – Keshet Cave

Road 8993 from junction 899 to Keshet Parking lot
4.5 Km, 320m climb

This is a steep and narrow road climbs sharply from Israel’s North Highway (Road 899) up to a beautiful rock arch (Keshet).
But we’re not here for the scenery.

On the way up you’ll traverse no less than seven hairpins! The rest is a technical section of relatively low speeds and deep ravines. A rear-wheel-drive car with broken ESP (and a limited slip diff.) is certain to bring lots of smiles. As a bonus, this side road is rarely visited outside weekends – when the rock arch draws in many visitors. Stop at the parking just before Adamit, and turn back.

Red Flags:

1. Limited visibility at some sections
2. Ravines are not for the faint-hearted
3. Avoid mid-day weekends

Number 8 – Poria

Road 7677 from junction with road 90 up to junction with road 768 on the top of the crest.
6.2 Km, 360m climb

This hill climb begins almost on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, down at an elevation of -210m. Yes, that’s right, 210 meters BELOW Sea level. This alone should help it obtain the title of the worlds lowest hill climb in The Guinness Book Of Records.

But we’re not here to break any records.

This is a small and twisty service road that climbs on the mountains surrounding the western edges of the lake. It’s fun and full of challenges. The best part is that most turns have ample visibility allowing you to push ahead in relative safety (relative, of course). The best part of it is that it is both fun going up as it is going down. Traversing it downwards provide an extra bonus of some gorgeous sceneries. Don’t you care about that, please. Just keep your eyes on the road! The Poria hill climb prefers nimble and light cars. Stronger vehicles may fill quiet overpowered over most of the sections.

As this being mostly a service road, expect light traffic at most times. When you get onto the top, you’ll enter the village of Poria Ilit. Turn back and go down, and up, and down… until you run out of petrol.

Red Flags:

Watch out for tractors and other farming equipment crossing the road as they move from one field to another.

Bonus:

Poria general hospital is a stone’s throw away. Just saying.

Number 7 – Ma’alle Gilbo’a

Road 6666 from junction 669 to junction 667
6.7 Km, 450m – climb

Someone at the National Road Company must have had a laugh when he named this exciting climb “route double 66”. This road leads from the Beit She’an vale up the Gilboa forest through a series of fast bends – taken mostly in high 2^nd and third gears. The fast dash upwards ends with a “T” intersection and with you wondering how the hell it all ended so quickly. Go down and start again. And again. And again.

Red Flags:

1. About 500m after you enter road 6666 from road 669 the tarmac will abruptly become very rough and full of dust for the following 100 to 200 meters. The reason for this is an entrance to a rock quarry on the right side. Slow down as you cross this section and traverse with care until the slippery dust is gone.
2. Going downwards in the opposite direction will likely fry your breaks. Bring that into consideration before “flooring it” on the descent.

Bonus:

Gan Hashlosha National Park (a.k.a. Sachne) lies within an arm’s reach of the entrance to 6666. Time Magazine ranked it among the world’s 20 exotic sites. Most Israelis think it is quintessentially corny, tasteless and naff. Whose right? Try it out and let us know.

Number 6 – Climbing to Margaliot

Road 9977 from Tel Hai to 886 Junction
5.4 Km, 420m climb

This climb is one of my personal favorites. It starts with a rather ordinary left turn from road 90 just as you leave the north edge of Kiryat Shmona. You’ll start with a somewhat conventional climb up the Naftaly Ridge above which will continuously improve. What makes this road especially fun is the combination of both fast and technical turns, the ample length and almost constant gradient. This is where owners of both powerful and less-powerful cars will enjoy. It just has everything for everyone. The wild scenery is a plus, and the tarmac is well maintained. It is also relatively safe with good barriers, ok visibility, and no deep ravines should you find yourself too excited. Get there early, or during the low hours of weekends to make the most out of this fine stretch.

Bonus:

Road 9977 ends at the junction with road 886 – in my opinion, the best driving road in the entire country. Turn left, and you’re immediately transported into a true 23Km Black Forest stage. Combine it with route 9977 hill climb and what you get is 29Km of driving nirvana!

Number 5 – Mount Shlomo climb

Road 12 from Eilat to the upper plateau
9.1Km, 550m climb

On the other side of the country lies route 12 – a 70Km empty stretch of Moon-like landscape, and Mad Max qualities. But we’re not here to talk about the entire course (worthy of its own post). Instead, we’ll discuss the southernmost 9Km of it, where the road descends sharply into the Great Rift Valley and the shores of the Red Sea.

Traversing it the opposite way is one of the best ways to burn up fuel, and keep our planet warm. The section is a very fast hill climb where horsepower matters and mastering you drive – fundamental.

The route is made up of two very different types of roads connected via a short intermittent section. The first part starts with a fury immediately as you leave Eilat’s last roundabout. The relatively short and slow path snakes its way up through a semi-industrial area with broad sandy shoulders and mostly great visibility. Getting over the first crest the road opens into a brief connecting section followed by the main part of the climb.

This section is fast, very fast – done mostly in third with some going even to fourth gear – as it snakes its way up on the mountainside. With great forward visibility, great tarmac and good barriers (still, try not to test them if you can help it) this road’s main drawback is that it ends too quickly. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself on an empty stretch to nowhere, and a magnificent view over the Red Sea, The Rift Valley, and the Mountains Beyond. Floor it for the next 60 Km or turn back for another go.

Red Flags:

1. The intermittent section contains a small army base on the right-hand side with an improvised parking lot next to it. Get your foot off the right pedal to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
2. This road used to be blocked about 10Km away from Eilat leaving the entire hill climb an empty dead-end road. Not anymore. Although road 12 is still very much empty, it is now not as completely deserted as it used to be. Make sure no substantial traffic is ahead of you before attacking the stretch, as closing speeds could be very significant.

Bonus:

1. That view on top
2. Burnt tire smell
3. Discovering your fuel gauge is lower than you think and going back down the route to Eilat for a refuel 😉

Number 4 – Nesher

Road 7212 from Nesher to junction 672
5.2 Km, 400m climb

From all the roads mentioned in this list, Nesher must be the most classic hill climb on the list. This narrow and steep serpentine snakes its way up the northeast side of Mount Carmel. It starts at the Haifa suburb of Nesher and climbs its way sharply up to the Haifa University compound on the top of the mountain.

Ending close by to the termination point of Bat Oren (#10 on the list) makes the duo hill climbs popular with the local driving aficionados.

The confinement of Nesher together with its sheer gradient makes the road a joy for both fast and less fast vehicles. This is a very technical road where speeds are never really high and where fun does not come with nerve-wrecking velocities. Going down the road is nice too but will put the durability of your braking system to the test.

Had Nesher been located away from a major urban area it could have been a real contender for the second place on our list. Unfortunately, it isn’t. Being close to Israel third largest city, and with almost no places for overtaking, finding the right time to attack the stretch is a real challenge.

Number 3 – Eshta’ol

Road 395 from junction 38 to Aitanim
9.9 Km, 500m climb

For many years Eshta’ol was the Mecca of motor-heads. It’s not hard to understand why. This stretch of road is truly sublime, with a lovable set of steep turns and hairpins, right from the get-go near Eshta’ol, all the up the Jerusalem hills. It’s also relatively close to Tel Aviv – only about 30 min drive. Together with connecting roads, this hill climb is a part of a 41Km mountain course also known as “Ness Harim” (literally translated as “Mountain Miracle” – how true!)

The Eshta’ol hill climb is the best section of the entire route. That says a quite a lot because the entire 41Km route is one of Israel’s favorites. Eshta’ol is not easy to drive. It has slippery hairpins, changing cambers, turns that get sharper in the middle, and lots of places to lose fenders and limbs. You really need to know this one well before attempting to master it, which is part of the whole fun. The relatively long and shallow hill climb contains many different sections with the most famous one being a single lane narrow of sheer beauty complete with a hump in the middle that will get you airborne if you’re insane enough to traverse it at speed.

On the downside is that being so well known and relatively close to Tel Aviv has made Eshta’ol popular with too many enthusiasts including bicyclists, many of them with the worst attitudes possible. Come very early or in the late hours of the morning when heat is up and morning traffic has subsided.

Red Flags
Many.
This is not a trivial road to drive.
Learn it well before attempting to do it at any speeds.

Number 2 – Mevo Hama

Road 98 from junction with 7599 all the way up to the plateau above
5.3 Km – 400m climb

“This is outrage! This is just astonishing this road. I want to marry it and have its babies!”. This is what Jeremy Clarkson had to say about this particular Hill climb. Should we say more?

Extra Bonus:

As if the route is not good enough in itself, the road leading to Mevo Hama is a real treat with the last 3Km full of fast bends taken at a mind-numbing pace.

Red Flags

1. About 200 meters from the start there’s a major hump in the road that will get unwary drivers fly with four wheels in the air and no traction – what-so-ever. The following right bend could terminate your journey rather abruptly.
2. Visibility is not great through many of the bends. Overall, light smaller cars will be able to make the most of the narrow tarmac.
3. Try not to find yourself stuck with no fuel, no breaking pads, and no rotors.

Worthy mentions

Many of you have suggested adding additional worthy roads. Since we limited this post to ten roads only, we couldn’t have included them all. So, before moving on to the number one on the list, let’s briefly discuss some of the roads that didn’t make the cut.

The climb to the Upper Customs House
Road 91 from River Jordan crossing to Beit Hameches Junction
3.8Km, 210m climb

This road is a riot! it is, however too short to be included in the list. Still, if you’re making your way up to the central part of Golan Heights, you can’t do better then this.

Sdom – Arad
Road 31 from Junction with road 90 all the way up to Arad
23Km, 920m climb

This is the “usual suspect” when it comes to hill climbs. With more than 900 meters separating bottom to top it also has the stats. Never the less, this excellent driving road is too long and way too diverse to be considered as pure hill climb.

Masada – Arad
Route 3911 from Masada Rock to Arad
18Km, 550m climb

A dead-end road starting at the town of Arad and ending at Masada rock. It’s also a great driving road, but again too long and too diverse for a pure hill climb. It’s pretty dangerous too, and the tarmac could be marginal at times.

Ma’ale Akrabim (Scorpios’ Ascend)
Route 227, 16Km after junction with road 90
4Km, 330m climb

On paper, this should have been the number one on this list. 18 (Eighteen!!!) serpentines, gradient from hell and a name that’s so right as to make the whole package practically irresistible. To think that the road was designed by British engineers back in 1927 when an average car had less than 20hp is to ask yourself – “What were they drinking?!”.

But please resist. What looks unbelievable on paper is in practice a road that’s too narrow, too dangerous and too broken to allow anything beyond 20-30kph max. Scorpios’ Ascend is a true relic, and you should drive it like the artifact it is.

Finally, two roads that almost made the cut

Climbing to Malkiya
Road 899 from Koach Junction to Malkiya
11.7Km, 550m climb

This is a speedy climb that is divided into two sections separated by two kilometers of a bumpy stretch. The low part is steep and relatively technical while the second section is looser and more flowing.

Climbing to Neot Smadar
Road 40 from Junction with road 90
5Km, 300m climb

Very nice desert climb with a small stretch separating it into two distinct sections. The road can be crowded at times so arrive early.

From Ramot Naftaly to Malkiya
Road 8977. 4.7Km, 200m climb

This is a little-known service road with surprisingly good tarmac and almost zero traffic. It is narrow, and not all parts have ample visibility. They say nothing is perfect.

And the winner is…

Number 1 – Climbing to Mas’ada

Section Road 99 from Sa’ar Falls to the village entrance.
7.7Km – 500m climb

Additional 4.4Km & 200m climb from 999 junction to Sa’ar Falls.

This is the “mother load”. Together these two sections make for 11Km of sheer driving fun. I’ve separated the two as the first section as normally some traffic throughout the day while the second, higher on, is practically deserted.

Continue with road 99 after you pass the junction with road 999 and head up towards Mt. Hermon. The first section has few great turns but also some blind ones. Better traversed with care. Expect some traffic even if coming very early in the morning as this is still considered a relatively main thoroughfare. Once you pass the junction with road 989, expect most (if not all) traffic to turn left, leaving you, and the road, alone. Continue until you reach the Druze village of Mas’ada

What makes this for THE best hill climb in Israel is its sheer length, numerous twists and turns, relatively few blind curves, overall good tarmac and only light traffic to boost. Some parts of the road have ample cambers and will make you look (and feel) like a hero. Other sections are more tricky and take time to master. Like any great hill climb, any driver would find something to love about the route. You can finesse it, or you can drive it like you’re driving a rental. It’s really up to you.

Video: Robert P.

Yes, it also has some of the most spectacular views the Golan Heights has to offer, and the Village of Mas’ada has many great places to stop for a strong cup of black coffee. But if these sort of things interest you, you are probably ready the wrong post.

Red Flags:

1. Third way up section 2 there is a crest after-which lies a sharp left bend. Watch out not to miss it and head straight to the meadow below.
2. Watch out for ice on the road during early winter mornings on the upper reaches of the route.

Have I missed anything?
Would you order these roads differently?
Share your thoughts!