Ehmej Trail 12 - Douma

Start at St. George chapel of Bkarta, altitude 1300m.
From the old oak tree next to the eastern wall of the chapel, a narrow footpath goes East, up to nearby Ain Bkarta, a captured water spring, and continues North, uphill to Aarbet Marina where it turns westwards to cross the width of the thalweg above the chapel to an old sand quarry to the right.

Pass over the quarry, altitude 1400m (culminating point of the itinerary), then downhill to the apple orchards of “Sar an-Nahl”. The sandy road that goes along is one option to continue to Jaj. Turn left to the greenfields of Ram Mechmech plateau, then right to the pass where old houses and sheepfolds are well hidden among trees and rocks. Go downhill to Jaj by the nice footpath of the large “Roueimat” valley and the rocky crest in its middle.

Well worth a pause is the spring-well and the old “qabou” shelter dominating the area. Arriving to the “Marj” prairie, a short uphill leads to the asphalt of the “Ansil” quarter of Jaj and to the tiny bridge spanning the “Mazrouq” stream, 1200m.

From al-Ansil bridge, a path continues North to al-Blat, another quarter of the village, where the road to the Cedars of Jaj passes. Cut the asphalt to a footpath following a stream; if too much water, there is an alternative route. The trail goes up to an old ruin and continues to the saddle-like path separating Jaj from Tartej.

Downhill to “Ain al-Fasline” spring where the road is cut to continue by footpath to a stone sawmill, at one edge of the village of Tartej, 1100m. One needs to cross it to the other extremity, either following the major axis or, preferably, the internal roads both passing the old oak tree and old Saint George chapel before arriving to the foot of “al-Aqbeh”, that is the steep slope. One of the nicest pebble footpaths awaits the hiker. A steep uphill it is, along “Wadiaj-Jnaynet” to the pass separating Tartej from Douma, 1350m.

The last stretch is a downhill, partly on a narrow footpath, partly on what is left of what looks like a “roman highway”, a large pebbled footpath of past glory.

Again a very old oak by the temple-chapel of Mar Nohra and the famous fountain of “Ain ‘Okfor”. We’re now in Douma. More downhill via side roads and you’re at the central place, at the entrance of the old preserved souks. A sarcophagus with a greek inscription is your sign that this is the end of the trail, 1050m. Douma is worth the visit. Nice traditional houses, red-tiled in majority, give it a special cachet.