We climb toward Mount Hermon's peak along the Israeli outpost line, reaching the northernmost point of Israel's border. Until two days ago, this marked the international boundary line. No Israeli foot had crossed it, at least not officially. Now, the path extending into the buffer zone has been cleared. Soldiers from the Shaldag unit have ascended the mountain peak on foot and in jeeps. This time, the Hermon "capture" concluded without a single shot fired.
Shaldag forces advanced several additional miles from here. The scattered patches of snow mark the borderline on Hermon. There's no border fence here, only barrels marking the Alpha Line and the buffer zone. Syrian soldiers abandoned their old outpost years ago. What represents the "eyes of the state" for Israel holds no significance for them. Only UN soldiers and smugglers making their way between Syria and Lebanon remain at the mountain's peak.
The Shaldag force that climbed to the summit encountered no Syrian soldiers. At the peak, they found only a Lebanese smuggler making his way with donkeys empty of equipment. He told the soldiers he was bringing his wife from Syrian Beit Jann to Shebaa. He wasn't particularly concerned about being caught. He was detained, his details were recorded, and he continued on his way. Besides him, there's a UN forces outpost in the area, which the soldiers didn't approach.
Raphael Naveh, CEO of the Hermon ski site, had the privilege of reaching the Syrian peak with senior officers, or as he calls it: "The New Hermon." After the ski site was closed last year, a few employees at the facility are working to prepare it for the upcoming season.
The ski season won't open this year as the cable car cables were damaged, and the experts who need to come from abroad to repair them haven't yet sent a price quote. The site has been declared a closed military zone until the end of the month, and it's estimated that the order will be extended for another month. Only afterward will the site open to visitors. "It's purely out of Zionism," says Naveh. "We're fixing and hoping to prepare the site. Property tax assessors have already been here; we need to bring repair quotes. Many rockets fell here. Some hit equipment, the cable was torn. All the windows in the site offices were hit by shrapnel. If we hadn't taken immediate action, the entire cable would have fallen, and it would have been very difficult to repair."
The Alpinist Unit's disappointment
From the mountain peak, the views of the Hula Valley spread before us, with Lebanon's Shouf Mountains below. On a clear day, you can see Damascus, 43.5 miles away. Only the beginning of Hermon is visible from where we stand. Israel holds 7% of Hermon's area, with the ski site occupying just one percent of the mountain area. At the site's base, Alpine forces are still working to prepare the snow levelers and snow cats as part of winter preparations, though winter hasn't really arrived here yet. According to the forecast, snow might fall in a week.
Among the Alpinist Unit soldiers, there's noticeable disappointment that the Hermon "capture" was given to the Shaldag unit. It's understandable. Those responsible for operational activities in the snow for the past 50 years were left out of the operational picture. The Alpinist soldiers know that when snow falls, conditions on the mountain will change. Untrained forces won't survive here for one day. "We know how to reach every spot on the mountain," says Naveh, "movement will only be possible in snow cats. They'll also need to prepare for stays at the mountain peak."
The Alpinist unit is small and highly skilled. Now that the Hermon area has more than doubled, it will take time to train additional soldiers. According to IDF assessments, Syrian rebels won't approach here in winter. The harsh conditions won't allow infiltration from here, at least not without the help of smugglers, who are the only ones who know how to navigate and operate in high mountain conditions.
Below zero
Night temperatures here drop below freezing, and the mountain winds create very harsh conditions even without snow. The winter sun is warm and doesn't reflect what happens here after dark. The IDF will need to prepare for stays with special equipment. Everyone understands that when snow falls, the Alpinist Unit will take command.
Naveh dreams about expanding the ski site. Building in Syrian territory is a pipe dream, but expanding the ski runs into the enlarged military area – that's a dream that could come true. "Once, I had a plan to put slopes on the border. To prepare for a peace ski site, where more sites would be established and the slopes would connect like in Europe," he says with a smile.
