Jabal Moussa Biosphere (Qehmez-Qornet el Mzaar-Old houses- Cross- Mar Geryes- Ibri- Broqta)

Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve (JMBR) is located in Kesrouan District, Lebanon, on the shoulders of the western slopes of Mount Lebanon Chain, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea to the West. It covers an area of 6500 hectares, at an altitude ranging between 350 meters in the North-West and 1,700 meters to the South-East. Its main villages are: Yahchouch, Qehmez, Jouret el Thermos, Nahr ed Dahab, Ghbale, Aabri, and Chouwan. Jabal Moussa and surrounding villages became part of the UNESCO Network of Biosphere Reserves under the Man and Biosphere (MAB) program in 2009. As part of the MAB program, JMBR addresses human livelihood improvement and nature conservation through combining natural sciences with social sciences, economics and education. (Check www.jabalmoussa.org for more info)

This time we started from Qehmez entrance (Baydar el shawk) and we went up to the highest point of jabal moussa: Qornet el Mzaar (Trail 2). After that we made the old houses loop (part of trail 3). The Charme Houblon (Trail 9) took us to Yahchouch Cross where you can have a magnificient view. After a long descent, we reached Mar Geryes church in Yahchouch. By following "El Jalseh Trail", we reached a point above Ibri village and we continued up to Broqta (Trail 15/ Trail of the violets, very beautiful wild section). We finally exited the reserve and continued on the road to the starting point (a 15 min walk). If you want to avoid the last road part, continue on the "peony trail" to exit at Baydar el Chawk .