Best Ride. Ever. Really.

Today I climbed Mt. Hermon. It's the highest point in Israel, and contrary to what it says on the For Galilee Cycles website (you'll have to find my picture to see what I'm talking about), I never climbed it before today. After today's ride it can stay posted on the website as my favorite ride.

Getting there was really easy. That should have been telling for the end of the ride, but I thought it would be no problem.

I couldn't bring a camera because my pockets were stuffed with food at the beginning, all sorts of clothing in the middle and nothing at the end. I wish I had one, but it would have turned my 7 hour ride into a 9 hour ride with all of the pictures I would have taken. I felt like I was in the Israel of storybooks, where all of the scenery is perfect: blooming flowers, lush vegetation, rushing streams, dramatic views.

I started climbing a little over an hour and a half into the ride. Two hours later I was at the only ski area in the country. I got all kinds of congratulations and questions from people that drove up to see the snow. On the way up, the weather went from warm spring, to cold, early spring to full on winter. Towards the top, snow lined the road like in the Giro d'Italia, with meter high walls. This was the first time I did an alpine-style climb, with snow all around but with bare hands and an open jersey.

For the descent I put on a whole pile of clothes. It only took about ten minutes to descend out of winter. Once I was back in the valley I peeled off my clothes again and kept heading home. That early descent into the valley turned in a late climb out of it. I came how to learn that it was just about half as long and high as the big climb of the day. It got cold again. I ran out of water and food. It was brutal. Once I made it to the top the sun came back out and I felt a little better for the last 5km home.

It was over 3000 meters of climbing, which is twice my previous high for the last 2 years. And it was over 4500 calories (disregard what Garmin says. That's based on heart rate, not the power, which is more accurate). That also cracked my high for the last 2 years, and it's lot in case you need a frame of reference.

More training tomorrow.