GUNUNG · Lebanon

Qornet as Sawda

القرنة السوداء (Qurnat as Sawda' / Kornet el-Sawda)

Puncak Qornet as Sawda, titik tertinggi Lebanon dan Levant. Photo: source

Information

Elevation: 3.088 m
Country: Lebanon (LB)
Location / Range: Mount Lebanon range, Bsharri District, North Governorate, Lebanon
Mountain type: Non-volcanic limestone peak — the highest point of Lebanon and the entire Levant region
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 34.2781, 36.0919
Difficulty: Intermediate trekking from the The Cedars area; a non-technical climb requiring no special equipment in summer; the snow season requires ice gear and a good map
Best Season: June–October (summer, snow-free trail, comfortable 10–20°C at the summit); in winter the summit is snow-covered and alpine experience is required.
Permits & Rules: No special permit. The area is near The Cedars ski resort in Bsharri — easiest access from Bsharri village or from the ski resort in summer. No mountain-area entry fee.
Hazards: Steep cliffs on the summit side; fast-changing weather at altitude (fog, sudden thunderstorms); orientation in rocky terrain with no clear trail; dangerous snow and ice in winter without gear.

Description

Qornet as Sawda (القرنة السوداء, 3,088 m) is the highest point in Lebanon and in the whole Levant. It is the summit of Jabal al-Makmel in the Lebanon Mountains, in Bsharri District, North Lebanon. Its Arabic name means roughly 'the black corner' and is thought to derive from an older Syriac name meaning 'Martyrs' Peak', corrupted as Arabic replaced Syriac in the region. The mountain is not a sharp pyramid but a limestone-and-dolomite massif with several tops; the highest point is only a gentle rise at the edge of a broad, almost bare plateau. That open terrain is the real challenge: hikers cross treeless high ground above 2,600 m for 13–21 km depending on the route, and fog can descend fast and erase all orientation. Precipitation is high and snow piles up in winter; in some years patches survive into summer. The peak sits close to the Cedars of God (Arz el-Rab), the UNESCO World Heritage site where ancient Lebanese cedars grow. From the top, the panorama stretches to the Mediterranean in the west and the Bekaa Valley and Anti-Lebanon range in the east.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Loop dataran tinggi 21 km (dari sisi Ainata / Oyoun Orghosh)

Sulit — jaraknya panjang meski kenaikannya sedang; seluruhnya di atas 2.700 m

21.00 km +750 m Satu hari penuh

A longer loop for hikers who want the full Makmel plateau rather than just a summit dash. It runs 21 km with about 750 m of ascent, moving between a minimum of 2,700 m and the 3,088 m summit, and is graded 'difficult'. Because nearly the whole route lies above 2,700 m there is no shade at all: in summer that means heat and dehydration risk (carry more water than you expect — sources are very scarce), while outside summer the weather can change drastically. It is about 120 km from Beirut. The loop makes most sense from May to October, when the route is free of snow.

Route Segments

1

Titik awal dataran tinggi (±2.700 m)

2.700 mdpl

Loop dimulai dan berakhir di titik yang sama
2

Dataran tinggi → puncak Qornet as Sawda (3.088 m)

3.088 mdpl

Padang terbuka tanpa naungan; navigasi menuntut perhatian saat kabut

Source

Ouyoune Orgosh → Kornet el-Sawda (North Bekaa Trail)

Berat ('tough') — tanjakan panjang dari 2.087 m ke 3.088 m di medan terbuka

13.00 km +1100 m Sekitar 6 jam

An official stage of the North Bekaa Trail network and the best-documented way to climb Qornet as Sawda on foot. It runs 13 km with about 1,100 m of total ascent, takes roughly six hours, and is graded 'tough'. The start is the Nabee el Shemaly water source north of Ouyoune Orgosh (low point around 2,087 m); from there the route follows a dirt road for some 6 km to shepherds' summer dwellings, crosses an intermediate top at 3,000 m, and continues to Lebanon's highest point at 3,088 m. The terrain is footpath and dirt road across open plateau. The trail managers explicitly recommend a local guide for this stage — the plateau carries few markers and shepherd tracks branch in every direction, so orientation is easily lost in fog. The nearest town is Ainata, about 2 hours 20 minutes from Beirut.

Route Segments

1

Nabee el Shemaly (±2.087 m) → jalan tanah

↔ 6 km 2.087 mdpl

Titik awal di sumber air utara Oyoun Orghosh; jalan tanah menuju pondok gembala
2

Pondok gembala → puncak antara (3.000 m)

3.000 mdpl

Mulai memasuki dataran tinggi terbuka tanpa naungan
3

Puncak antara → Qornet as Sawda (3.088 m)

3.088 mdpl

Titik tertinggi Lebanon dan Levant

Source

Via The Cedars / jalur kendaraan 4WD

Mudah bila memakai kendaraan — tetapi ini bukan pendakian sesungguhnya

Beberapa jam; sebagian besar jarak bisa ditempuh berkendara

The most popular way to 'reach' Qornet as Sawda is not really a climb at all: the summit lies a few kilometres from The Cedars (Bsharri), and a dirt track passable by 4WD covers most of that distance. This is why so much online footage shows visitors playing in snow near the top in summer without walking far. Hikers who want the real experience should take the walking route from Oyoun Orghosh instead. Note that even when driven, 3,088 m still means cold, wind and fog that can arrive suddenly — and the dirt track deteriorates badly when wet or snowy.

Route Segments

1

The Cedars (Bsharri) → jalur tanah menuju puncak

3.088 mdpl

Jalan tanah 4WD menempuh sebagian besar jarak; sisanya jalan kaki singkat

Source

Climbing Experiences

Experiences on Qornet as Sawda split clearly into two groups. The first arrives by vehicle: a dirt track carries visitors almost to the top, so many 'road trip' clips show people enjoying leftover summer snow without really hiking. The second group walks it — 13 to 21 km across the open plateau — and it is their footage that shows the real challenge: shadeless high ground, a faint trail, and weather and fog that can turn fast. Several videos feature ascents with Joyce Azzam, the first Lebanese woman to complete the Seven Summits, and one documents a solo camp on the summit.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.