25 Mar 2019

Hiking Trip - Baskinta - Maten District

  • Baskinta is a Syriac word that means ‘the house of wisdom’. Being surrounded by natural walls (Sannine from the East, Bakish and Marj from the north, Zaarour from the south, and it is open to a valley to the west) made it a geographical fortress.
    Baskinta is the birth place of Mikhael Neaime.

    Our hike in Baskinta is by far one of the most beautiful. There are countless streams all along the way. With Sannine’s snow melting at this time of year, many streams and rivers are rushing down. You will listen to the running water throughout the hike. The ground is moist and flowers are in full bloom.
    We will walk along the literary trail of Baskinta, where many poets and writers have lived and left remarkable works behind them.

    What’s on the literary trail?
    1) Mikhael Neaime’s mausoleum. Mikhael Neaime was a poet, novelist, and philosopher.
    2) Abdallah Ghanem Cutlural Center. Abdallah Ghanem was a poet, philosopher and journalist.
    3) Roman inscriptions on rocks.
    4) Sayf el Dawla Cave. Sayf el Dawla was an Arab leader who encouraged and protected poets.
    5) The old abandoned family house of writer Sleiman Kettaneh.
    6) Saidet el Khalleh Church.
    7) Mausoleum of Lebanese poet and writer, George Ghanem.

    The hike will be LEVEL 5.
    We will start the hike together in Chakhroub, where you will see the statue of the great writer, Mikhael Neaime.

    Then, we will continue along a dust road, then though the woods, passing by all the literary landmarks stated above. Water streams will not part the trail. You will reach Baskinta village to see the cultural center of Abdallah Ghanem. Here, we will take a break in the village and see the main attractions.

    At the end of the hike, we will meet for lunch, where local villagers will prepare a healthy homemade meal.

    WHERE: Baskinta in Metn
    Mount Lebanon
    1200 m above sea level
    40 km from Beirut

    WHEN: Saturday, April 22

    MEETING PLACE: 7:30 AM in the parking of Sagesse School in Jdeideh, facing the public garden. (See map on: https://www.vamos-todos.com/Pages/ParkingMap.aspx)
    There will be a breakfast stop along the way.

    PRICE: 35$ per person including transport, guides, insurance and lunch.
    20$ without lunch
    Kindly get the exact change.
    You can register now at all branches of Antoine Library or on the following link:
    https://www.antoineticketing.com/?event_group_id=26

    WHAT TO GET: Light snacks that will boost up your energy such as dried fruits, water, cap, sunglasses and sunscreen. Wear comfortable shoes such as hiking shoes and always keep a windproof jacket in your backpack.

    SPECIAL RATES:
    - Children with the age of 10 and younger will have a discount of 5$.
    - Children/ Teenagers between the age of 11 and 18 will have a discount of 4$.
    - University students will have a discount of 3$ provided that they present their university card.
    - Groups with 5 to 9 persons, with different criteria than the above, will get a 2$ discount.
    - Groups with 10 or more persons, with different criteria than the above, will get a 3$ discount.

    PAYMENT TERMS:
    - Cancellation with less than 24 hours’ notice will be charged half-price
    - Reservations with less than 24 hours’ notice will be charged an extra 2$
    (e.g. Cancelling or booking for a Sunday’s event on Saturday will be subject to the above terms)

    ESSENTIAL ECOTOURISTIC RULES & REGULATIONS
    - Smoking is strictly prohibited during the event
    - Always follow the guide on the designated trail
    - Do not go off road without notifying the guide
    - Do not get close to a cliff especially when the guide in charge tells you not to do so
    - Although accidents are covered by the insurance but they remain under the responsibility of the member
    - Sometimes, due to reasons beyond our control, slight modifications to the program may occur. Ecotourism rules must be followed, otherwise personal accidents will not be accounted for by the insurance.

    RESERVATION: Every day from 8am till 5pm on 03-917190 or 79-115001. It is preferable to send an SMS or WhatsApp from your mobile, giving your name, surname, and the event you wish to join.

    COLLABORATION:
    - “Sports Experts” is the exclusive sports gear and outfit sponsor of Vamos Todos. Members will get a special discount at all “Sports Experts” branches in Lebanon
    - “LIA insurance” is the exclusive insurance company sponsor of Vamos Todos.

    Regards,
    Vamos Todos
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