Every hiker has a choice: leave the trail exactly as you found it, or leave it a little worse. With more people discovering Lebanon's mountains every year, the seven Leave No Trace principles matter more than ever.
- 1. Plan ahead — know the rules of the reserve or area you're visiting
- 2. Travel on durable surfaces — stay on the trail, even when it's muddy
- 3. Dispose of waste properly — pack out EVERYTHING, including fruit peels and tissues
- 4. Leave what you find — flowers, rocks, and artefacts stay where they are
- 5. Minimize fire impact — no fires outside designated areas, ever, and none at all in dry season
- 6. Respect wildlife — observe from a distance, never feed animals
- 7. Be considerate of others — yield the trail, keep noise down, give shepherds and farmers a friendly 'sabah el kheir'
The banana peel myth
'It's organic, it'll decompose.' A banana peel in the Lebanese mountains takes up to two years to break down — two years of litter on someone else's view. If it didn't grow there, it doesn't stay there.
Go one step further
Carry one extra bag and pick up what others left behind. On our club hikes we often finish with a ten-minute trail cleanup. Imagine if every hiker did the same — the mountains would get cleaner with every single visitor.
