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.