Ehmej TRAIL 9 – Annaya

Start at St George chapel, Bkarta 1300m. A sandy road leads to the pass overlooking the green fields of “Ram Mechmech”. Same as end of T05 (Saqi), in opposite sense.

A steep winding footpath in the “shammis” – sunny side- climbs up to the western summit of the pass, altitude 1470m and a rewarding circular view.

There stands among oak trees the isolated chapel of Sainte Barbara, terminus of a jeep track. Downhill across the wooded flanks of “Dahr Mar Zakhia”, following or shortcutting the jeep track, we arrive to the outskirts of the neighboring village of Mechmech. The main road is simply cut here to Farchaa quarter where several chapels and old oak trees are scattered around. Worth mentioning, the cave-chapel of Sainte Taqla and a very nice circular wheat threshing-floor.

Next to it and leaving it to its right, another jeep track through the fields leads to Annaya, 1150m, a major pilgrimage site. The local Saint Charbel spent long years as a hermit on a panoramic hill, where he passed away. His preserved body is buried there in Saint Maron monastery. Shops, restaurants, lodges…the pilgrims will find all their needs.

From the monastery, follow the uphill “saints way” to the hermitage. A very nice way starting with a large monolithic stone plaque and zigzagging among pine trees along a panoramic crest. A small oratory reminds of the place where Charbel used to pray. The hermitage itself is a small old chapel inducing fervor. Next to it are the old cells transformed into a kind of museum for the saint. The room he lived in, his books, his praying stool…

Back to the crest where a dirt road and a short footpath end at Saint George chapel of the tiny Oueini village, also attainable by road from the hermitage. Asphalt is here unavoidable for a short distance until its apex, 1350m, where the road turns down to Ehmej. Leave it for a footpath that leads to Ehmej, at its western extremity. This is where the trail ends unless one wishes to follow the road to Bkarta, almost one hour time.
It is of course possible to choose to end at Annaya or the hermitage.