MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — As part of our Shabbat trip today, Yoav Avni wanted to take me up Ada Canyon (N30.32973°, E34.91417°) to explore the Hazeva (Miocene) and Arava (Pleistocene). He cryptically said, “There will be places we can barely get through”. True, that. Above is Yoav at the start of the hike. Turns out this is a slot canyon with challenges.
“The narrow part begins”, he says helpfully.
At this point I have to take off my pack to reduce my sideways width.
And sideways with a twist is the only way through as the walls close in. Pro tip: Never do this when it is raining.
Now it gets problematic with boulder scrambling and claustrophobia.
A ladder! I never did mention my aching shoulder.
Steps cut in the rock and then a second ladder. Going down is always easier than going up, right?
A knotted rope to climb the cliff! Note the shadow of successful me at the top of the last obstacle. Wondering, though, what these climbs are like on the way back.
The view at the top of the mountain, though, really was spectacular. This is a view towards Be’er Ada, with the fault described in the previous post running diagonally across the background.
And yes, the geology along the way! It was very impressive. The Hazeva Formation is mostly sandstone with some layers of sandy conglomerate as in the above image. It was deposited in a wetlands with occasional floods (which produced the coarse layers). The cobbles are rounded cherts derived from Jordan to the east.
The Arava Formation was deposited in a desert much like what we see today. It is interbedded gravels (from wadis) and unconsolidated silts (from playas and saline lakes). Classic sed/strat material. It was all well worth the adventure for this aging geologist!
