Climbing Masada at Dawn

MASADA

Many years ago, I read a novel about the siege at Masada - never forgot the story and NEVER thought I would ever see it, let alone climb it before sunrise.  Marley climbed it with BirthRight a few years ago and I was SO JEALOUS.  So when DW said we would sidebar a trip to Israel on this trip, I said climbing to the scene of the siege was the main task I wanted to accomplish.  So we did.  

I had no idea there would be so much more to see at the pinnacle.   

Masada fortress from just above the parking lot - it is an ancient

 fortification situated on top of an isolated rock plateau that looks like a mesa on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Herod the Great built palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE.  The Siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire towards the end of the First Jewish–Roman War ended in the mass suicide of the 960 Sicarrirebels and their families hiding there. Masada is located 20 kilometres east of Arad, which is where we

rented our AirBnB apartment specifically to go there for the climb.

Beginning the climb on the Snake Path - 1300 feet over
a rocky path and hundreds of steps

Starting the climb from the tram area - before dawn.  These
were the not so steep steps!  No chance of seeing 
sunrise by taking the tram - it opened at 0800!  
The tram is for the WEAK!

Just before sunrise

Full sunrise

About to climb into the lookout tower

Masada quarry - you just cannot imagine how work was 
done on this site two millenniums ago.  

View looking down from the lookout tower - scaling
this plateau would be a rock climber's paradise - not
sure if it is allowed.  

We started talking to a BirthRight organiser and learned
that BirthRight was responsible for a making video (by drone) we had
heard buzzing earlier - this sign appeared in the video and
most likely so will we when it is edited for the
Birthright website!  Anyway, it was fun to be interviewed
and to be photographed with the sign! 

Masada Selfie - it felt great to get to the top
and after the fact, climbing was easier than the
descent (very steep and by that time super HOT) 

DW at Herod's palace

Palace in perspective

Me taking a sit down break at the palace

BirthRighters on the March touring on top of MasadaBirthRight well represented!!