A Million Steps – Discovering the Lebanon Mountain Trail

Description

LebanonPostcard presents the Book: “A Million Steps – Discovering the Lebanon Mountain Trail” by Hana El-Hibri and photographs by Norbert Schiller.

Hard Cover: 29 x 22 x 3 cm, 1680 grs, 288 pages with a new insightful supplement for the 3rd edition.
A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the LMT Association

A Million Steps is a thrilling yet intimate view of the 440 km trail that runs through the remote and majestic Lebanese mountains. Hana El-Hibri and her fellow hikers were the first to walk the entire route from north to south, and her up-close account of the journey is accompanied by Norbert Schiller’s stunning photos, capturing the region’s diverse wildlife, its stunning scenery and the colorful characters who live there. It is an adventure of discovery, beauty, and companionship to be treasured by all who value Lebanon’s rich rural heritage.

Read the Press Release: Lebanon’s natural beauty is known throughout the world, even earning it the name “the Switzerland of the Middle East.” Travelers from all over come to Lebanon to ski down the famous slopes of Faraya, photograph the ancient Roman ruins in Baalbek or swim in the serene Mediterranean Sea.

But Hana El-Hibri’s debut release, A Million Steps – Discovering the Lebanon Mountain Trail, takes those interested in adventure and discovery on a journey to a little-before-seen world, a side of Lebanon that cannot be reached by car or plane but simply just by walking.

In April 2009, El-Hibri was among the first group of hikers to walk the entirety of the LMT from north to south, a 440km path winding through the Lebanese countryside. The thru-walk’s mission was to bring awareness to Lebanon’s environmental and rural issues as well as push for legislation that protects the land and its species. Their trek quickly gained international attention, and El-Hibri decided to continue the call for ecological conservation, writing what would one day soon become A Million Steps.

El-Hibri’s vivid descriptions bring the splendor of the LMT to life. The trail holds a rich diversity she explores with a hiker’s intimate perspective, appreciating each element of nature like an individual piece of art. She notes the wide range of animal and plant species on the LMT—from marigolds to poppies, maples to cedars, storks to goats and much more. She also explores the full spectrum of scenic views, walking down the banks of rivers, climbing up the steep slopes of mountains, strolling along flat fields. The vast history she noticed is also startling, with ancient ruins from the Phoenicians and Romans dotting the trail.

But her journey was about the beauty not only in nature but also in the people along the LMT. Passing through 75 villages, El-Hibri and her team were treated to true Lebanese hospitality. The book contains intimate portraits of some of the villagers who welcomed the hikers into their homes and shared their food and stories. El-Hibri gained a deep sense of heritage, as she stayed with families of all confessions, professions, political associations and personalities. Regardless of their tradition, the villagers all shared the true Lebanese trait of warmth and generosity, and they added an unexpected but wonderful aspect to El-Hibri’s story.

With text accompanied by the stunning photography of Norbert Schiller, A Million Steps is a vibrant and touching journey that reveals the true beauty of Lebanon and its people, one step at a time.

On April 1st, 2009, Lebanese mother of three, Hana El-Hibri, and five other hikers, set out on a month-long trek to walk the length of Lebanon. On their journey, they encountered torrential rivers, thunderous storms, and blazing sunshine. They crossed deep gorges, massive snowfields and idyllic meadows. They came across goats, wild dogs and dozens of colorful local characters who treated them to the hospitality, cuisine and folklore of Lebanese mountains.

A Million Steps is the diary she kept of her 29 days walking the newly established Lebanon Mountain Trail. It is a story about one woman’s journey of fulfillment, and of her companions, all of whom were passionate about conservation, heritage and Lebanon’s endangered natural beauty. Hana’s heartfelt words and Nobert Schillers’s stunning images give us snapshots of a Lebanon that is rarely seen.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword
The LMT: A trail of hope
Introduction
The adventure begins

The North

Day 1: Qbaiyat to Tashea
Day 2: Tashea to Qemmamine
Day 3: Qemmamine to Kfar Bnine
Day4: Kfar Bnine to Bqaa Sefrine
Day 5: Bqaa Sefrine to Ehden
Day 6: Ehden to Wadi Qannoubine
Day 7: Wadi Qannoubine – Rest day
Day 8: Wadi Qannoubine to the Cedars
Day 9: The Cedars to Hasroun
Day 10: Hasroun to Tannourine

Mount Lebanon

Day 11: Tannourine to Aqoura
Day 12: Aqoura to Afqa
Day 13: Afqa – Rest day
Day 14: Afqa to Hrajel
Day 15: Hrajel to Kfar Dibiane
Day 16: Kfar Dibiane to Baskinta
Day 17: Baskinta to Mtain
Day 18: Mtain to Falougha
Day 19: Mtain – Rest day
Day 20: Falougha to Ain Zhalta
Day 21: Ain Zhalta to Barouk
Day 22: Barouk to Maasser el Shouf
Day 23: Maasser el Shouf to Niha
Day 24: Niha to Jezzine

The South

Day 25: Jezzine to Aitanit
Day 26: Aitanit – Rest day
Day 27: Aitanit to Rachaiya
Day 28: Rachaiya to Hasbaiya
Day 29: Hasbaiya to Marjaayoun

The team

Glossary of Arabic words

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