Tuesday 10th November 2015
Date & Time:
Tuesday 10th November 2015
Time: 19:30
Venue:
Athenaeum Club,
107 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ER
Please note: our venue is the The
Athenaeum Club, on the corner of Pall
Mall and Waterloo Place, and not the
Athenaeum Hotel on Piccadilly.
For tickets:
Tickets £20
Students: £10
Enquiries:
Hon Sec office 020 7370 1966 or
mail@britishlebanese.org
The Athenaeum, Piccadilly
The Lebanon Mountain Trail
Paul Khawaja
From from Qbaiyat in the North to Marjaayoun in the
South: A Journey Through Space and Time.
On 10th November Paul Khawaja will deliver a lecture on
one of Lebanon’s less known but perhaps in the light of
the country’s present condition, its most important
heritage site: The Lebanon Mountain Trail. For some Paul’s
lecture will be a nostalgic journey and for others an
inspiration for the future but above all it will be an
extraordinary journey through space and time. The lecture
takes place in Decimus Burton’s glorious building, the
Athenaeum Club. Numbers are limited so do please book
early to avoid disappointment.
The Lebanon Mountain Trail
Established in October 2007, the trail connects Lebanon’s high mountain
villages from north to south. It extends over a distance of 470-km passing
through more than 76 villages at altitudes ranging from 600 to 2,000
meters above sea level. More than just a trail, the walk it is a timeline
through Lebanon’s history, its culture, its heritage and as it winds its way
through Lebanon’s hills,valleys and villages, it is also a walk through a
shared past, a common present and a hoped for future.
For Lebanese walkers the trail can be a time to reinforce their cultural
knowledge and recall the comforting certainties of village life that their
parents and grandparents knew. For hikers from other countries, the walk
is a privileged access to the hospitality of Lebanon’s rural people, their
culture and their history.
Above all, it is a walk of outstanding beauty and unique experiences.
Villages on the route not only offer food and rest but often local guides to
tell you about life in the mountains today and years ago and to take you on
to your next staging post.
The Nitty Gritty.
Maintaining this extraordinary asset is hard work:
Lebanon’s natural & cultural heritage is receding at an alarming rate and
the Trail is no exception. One hundred kilometres of the trail has been lost
since 2007 and the rural people relied on to help maintain the route have
become fewer as economic necessity leads them to search for work in
Lebanon’s cities.
The Lebanon Mountain Trail Association does not confine itself to just
maintaining the trail it also preserves and protects the numerous
archaeological & heritage sites that lie on or close to the path. It is hoped
that much of this work and a commitment to responsible tourism will bring
new economic opportunities.
The LMT also runs an education program for young people in the hope
that the next generation will be better prepared to look after the
environment than the last!
Paul Khawaja
Head of Trade & Investment at the British Embassy in Beirut. Mountaineer,
speleologist & explorer. Has been involved with the LMT since it was first
created. Tweets regularly on life in Lebanon, politics, social issues,
economics & particularly the environment.
Dress: Gentlemen should wear ties.
Please note there are only a limited amount of seats available
and you are advised to book early to avoid disappointment.