Welcome to the “HLC”
The first self-supported mountain bike race from the north to the south of Israel across the historical landscapes of the Holy Land.
Bring your bike and gear and ride, self-supported, as fast as you can to the Red Sea.
October 19th, 2023, 7:00am, Ride on!
Starting from HLC2020, the HLC will align to the available sections of the Israel Bike Trail.
When the HLC started back in 2014 it pioneered the Israeli bikepacking scene and laid the foundation to a striving community that exists today. As such we had to carefully craft our HLC route that will meet our demands and vision that was updated on a yearly basis.
As the IBT is taking form and shape, starting with HLC2020 and going forward, available sections will be added until final completion of the IBT. By that time, the IBT will act as the formal HLC route for years to come.
We didn’t choose the shortest route nor the quickest from Mt. Hermon in the North to Eilat, the southernmost point in Israel, but we did choose the route that will take you through the historical places and landscapes that make our country so beautiful and special.
It will be a long ride from Mt. Hermon, the highest mountain in Israel to Eilat riding through the Golan Hights, Sea of Galilee, Galilee mountains, the evergreen Mt. Carmel, Coastal Plain leading to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Negev and Arava deserts, and finally the Eilat mountains, ending at the shores of the Red Sea.
With total of 1,461km and elevation gain of over 20,000m it is not going to be an easy ride. The route passes along gravel roads, single tracks and ancient roman roads. This route is like no other; rough, painful and challenging but also rewarding and FUN.
In planning the route we tried to cover all the different landscapes and panoramas of Israel. Riding the Holy Land Challenge is a great way to connect to this beautiful country.
By the time you reach Eilat…you will have experienced the myriad sights, sounds, smells, tastes and vision of this incredibly historic and ultramodern country – Israel.
Starting with 2016, the HLC challenge will be available in two options;
1. HLC1400 – Full length ending in Eilat
2. HLC700 – Half length ending in Jerusalem
Click here to see more inspiring Middle Eastern gravel events