The Jewish National Fund opened the Kula Trail this week in the Hefer Forest in the Modi'in region, Israel's first bicycle trail marked in black. This marking is reserved for trails with the highest level of difficulty, and KKL-JNF clarifies that the route is suitable only for very experienced mountain bikers who know it in advance and ride with protective gear.
The trail was opened as part of memorial events, and immediately after the ceremony, an international race for elite and junior riders was launched on it.
This is a circular route 4.1 km. in length, with about 100 meters of climbing accumulated in each lap. It was prepared from scratch in the style of XCO, the Olympic cross-country competition, and includes short and steep climbs, twists, and technical elements, including a table top jump and berms. In some sections, less technical bypasses were prepared, marked in red. In sections where the ground is crumbly, preparation utilized local recycled materials.
The route passes through the forest, also called Kula Forest, near the 12th-century Crusader Kula Fortress, and a significant portion of it passes in the shade of trees planted by KKL-JNF in the 1950s.
According to KKL-JNF Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky, the fund currently maintains 1,419 km. of singletrack trails across the country at an annual cost of NIS 2.3 million. "KKL-JNF plans, prepares, and maintains the singletracks according to field conditions and regional characteristics, while adapting them to riders at various levels," he said. According to him, since the outbreak of the war, KKL-JNF has invested about NIS 3 billion in public projects across the country.
Cycling Association CEO Oz Dudai said that it is very difficult to hold mountain bike competitions in Israel without KKL-JNF's infrastructure and trails, and therefore the preparation of the new route is a significant event for the entire industry. "Our vision is to develop another five or six dedicated routes in different places in the country together with KKL-JNF, which will allow us to hold competitions in conditions appropriate for each area and each route," he added.
Hefer Regional Council Head Shimon Susan said that "Kula Forest is a place of nature, heritage, and memory, and today a dimension of sport, challenge, and movement is also added to it. The new singletrack allows one to encounter the same forest from a different angle."