Trail Information:

Stage 1 begins in the village of Shush. It is possible to stay with the local community leader, Nadir, and his family, the night before and begin your hike in the morning. It’s also possible to have breakfast prepared for when you arrive from Erbil in the morning, or you may just begin walking. Sadiq is the most experienced guide in this area. He lives in Akre, and helped the team to scout this area.

Shush was once an important landmark in the area, and last century had a large Jewish and Christian community living there. The graves of many of those families are still visible, and there are the remains of an old church behind Nadir’s home. The 4x4 track that leads out to the east runs past an old synagogue, which is currently being worked on by a team of specialists. You may still be able to see inside.

The trail follows the animal paths and 4x4 tracks between a low range of hills to the south and the larger mountains to the north. There are a couple of climbs, but they are slow and gentle, and on wide tracks. In the village of Gundki there are the remains of an old monastery which can explore. Be aware of a section of loose soil that can become sticky clay in the rain, with an exposed drop of 10 metres on the left side. Opposite the monastery is a large cave, where some reliefs were found carved into the rock from 3000BC. They are today, sadly, hard to see.

Gundki and the next village, Khirdas, have small shops, and mosques with public bathrooms. On the final approach, the path climbs up into a pine forest, then winds back down the other side of the hill into the town of Akre. There is a short section of a few hundreds metres on the streets of Akre to reach the centre of the town, where there are restaurants, cafes, a homestay and taxi options.

Disclaimer:

The ZMT team has provided the following information on the trail based on multiple visits over a number of years. However, actual trail conditions may be different at any given time, and the information here may no longer be accurate. The ZMT team urge you to contact the local service providers and hire a guide for your visit to the trail. Trail users are responsible for all decisions related to the route they choose, the weather conditions, and safety precautions. The ZMT is not responsible for any injury, illness or death that occurs on the trail.